Tokyo University /1 - 30.05.2024

design for social innovation(what it is and what we have learnt)

Ezio Manzini, Politecnico di Milano, DESIS Networkwhat to discuss…
“I would appreciate if Professor Manzini

could briefly introduce the basic concept
of design for social innovation (including its
differences and relation to technologicalinnovation and social design), give examples
and discuss the skills required for design insocial innovation”
Prof. Shiroyama

social innovationsocial innovationa phenomenological approach20 years agosince the beginning of the 21st century,
we have witnessed, on a global scale,a wave of social innovations in opposition
to the dominant individualistic andcompetitive behaviours

cohousingmutual help groups

new ways of working

collaborative caringfarmer marketsrurban farmingcommunity supported agriculturedisintermediationa constellation of bottom up initiatives(each one getting a socially relevant result)disintermediation

solutions to practical problems(and prototypes of sustainable ways of being and doing)disintermediation

what do they had in common?

collaboration .

collaboration .
they were breaking the dominant
trend towards individualistic
and competitive behaviours

20 years ago
lessons learnedlesson learned /1
the choice to collaborate allows to build organizations
capable of solving problems
which, otherwise, would have been unsolvable
these small, local, molecular innovations
generates new social forms

lesson learned /1
the choice to collaborate allows to build organizations
capable of solving problems
which, otherwise, would have been unsolvable
these small, local, molecular innovations
generates new social forms
communities by choicemodel of change /1
collaborative organization should
multiply and consolidate in time
evolving in successful social enterprisefrom here,a new social economy should appear
the Public should facilitate this processlimits and risks /1
a constellation of good practices(even if capable to locally change the system)
do not change the whole systemon the contrary,some good service ideas
have been so successful,that, in the dominant neoliberal context,
have become new big monopolies( Uber, Airbnb, Amazon )20 years ago
definitions and theorydesign
designfor
forsocialsocialinnovation
innovation“everything“everythingdesign
designcan
cando
dotototrigger,
trigger, support
supportconsolidatesocialinnovation
inevery
field
consolidate social innovation in every field
andandininevery
everystagestageofofits
itsdevelopment”
development”

Ezio Manzini, Design when everybody designs MIT
Ezio Manzini
Design when everybody designs
MIT Press, 2015

designdesignfor
forsocialsocialinnovation
innovation“everything“everythingdesign
designcan
cando
dotototrigger,
trigger, support
supportconsolidatesocialinnovation
inevery
field
consolidate social innovation in every field
andandininevery
everystagestageofofits
itsdevelopment”
development”

Ezio Manzini, Design when everybody designs MIT
Ezio Manzini
Design when everybody designs
MIT Press, 2015

designdesignfor
forsocialsocialinnovation
innovation“everything“everythingdesign
designcan
cando
dotototrigger,
trigger, support
supportconsolidatesocialinnovation
inevery
field
consolidate social innovation in every field
thestagehumanofcapability
andinevery
and in every stage ofits
itsdevelopment”
development”

to imagine a meaningful
and viablechangeEzio Manzini,
Designwhen everybody designs MITEzio Manziniin the state of things
Design when everybody designs
MIT Press, 2015

social vs. technical innovation

driven by new waysof thinking and doing

driven by newtechnologies

social vs. technical innovation

driven by new waysof thinking and doing
cooperative
movements

driven by newtechnologies

social vs. technical innovation

driven by new waysof thinking and doing

driven by newtechnologies

social vs. technical innovation

driven by new waysof thinking and doing

driven by newtechnologies
telephone
networks

social vs. technical innovation

driven by new waysof thinking and doing

driven by newtechnologies

social vs. technical innovation

drivenby technology andpeople at the sametime

social vs. technical innovation

drivenby technology andpeople at the sametime
hybridphysical-digitalorganizations

design
wavesfor(ofsocialsocial innovationinnovation)“… another wave of social innovations is“everythingcan doastothe
trigger,underway designin the 2000s
powersupportof theconsolidatesocialinnovation
in
every
field
Internet and the global media is harnessed toand in
every
stagepovertyof its development”
causessuch
as worldand environment”
Ezio Manzini, Design when everybody designs MIT
The Young Foundation,
Social Silicon Valleys. A Manifesto for Social Innovation2006

maturity

trajectories (of social innovation)timematurity

trajectories (of social innovation)

activismtimematurity

trajectories (of social innovation)

consolidationtimematurity

trajectories (of social innovation)systematizationtimetrajectories (of social innovation)
maturity

systematization

consolidation

activismeach phaserequiresadopting a
different design
approachtimematurity

trajectories (of social innovation)

growing role forexpert designers

time10 years ago

from circles of care
to community welfare programs .

from co-housing

disintermediation

to new social housing programs .

.

from urban innovations
disintermediation
to “cities of proximity” programs.

from constellation of good practices
disintermediation
to programs and collaborative systems.

10 years ago
lessons learnedlessons learned /2

the collaborative approachhas been extended to different social actors
complex meshesof vertical and horizontal collaborations
may generate new forms of systems
collaborative systems

model of change /2

extending the collaborative approachto different social actors,
complex collaborative systems appears
the intertwiningof a variety collaborative relationships
generates new social forms
collaborative systems

limits and risks /2
to build new socio-technical systems
is socio-political process
to be real collaborative systems
power should overcome inequalities
this is a political issue

limits and risks /2
to build new socio-technical systems
is socio-political process
to be real collaborative systems
power should overcome inequalities
this is a political issue
trade unions and public bodies
must play a fundamental rolelimits and risks /2
to build new socio-technical systems
is socio-political process
to be real collaborative systems
power should overcome inequalities
this is a political issue
trade unions and public bodies
growing role formust play a fundamental role

expert designers’
and policy makers

possible futurepossible futurea new civilization

collaboration and care .

collaboration and care .

establishing relationships of care

collaboration and care .

establishing relationships of care
care among people
and care for the environment

care and proximity .

they bring people close to each othercare and proximity .

bringing people close to each otherregenerating communities and places

collaboration, care, proximity:
from promising behaviors
to the pillars of a new civilization.

futureemerging themesequitydisintermediationsocial innovation emerges
where there are problems
to be solved and available
disintermediationsocial resourcesthese social resources
are not evenly distributed
they are scarce where people
disintermediation
are most pressed by problemsof day-to-day survival

the social innovationthat we have seen so far risks
creating a new inequality
between those who have timedisintermediationand energy to devote tocollaborationand those who do notsocial innovation requires
moredesign and public policies.
disintermediation.

thanks!

thanks!