The program of the Dutch Design Week 2022 has been unveiled

By Editorial Staff - 13 October 2022

Since 1998, design enthusiasts, experts and artists gather once a year at the Dutch Design Week (DDW) in Eindhoven, the Netherlands. During this week, the city becomes an international lively hub of innovation and sharing. This festival looks at the future of design and the design of the future through the work of international creative minds. This year’s edition is set to take place from Saturday, October 22nd to Sunday, the 30th.

The 2022 edition’s creative direction has been appointed to Miriam van der Lubbe, co-founder of the design studio Van Eijk & Van der Lubbe but also of the DDW itself almost 25 years ago. She has announced the DDW22 theme, “Get Set”, which was born out of several discussions with designers coming from different fields to answer a few questions: “How can DDW as a festival best relate to the design field? How can DDW help designers to create meaningful impact?”

The theme signals a shift in mentality and vibe; a shift from preparation to action, as van der Lubbe has put it: “You can explain Get Set in many ways. Of course, we must get set for the challenges we're facing, but we must also get our setting right. We must forge smart coalitions and work together on the missions and the challenges we’re facing. Be prepared and recognize what is going on. Feel involved. But the most important message is that people must get activated. Doing nothing is not an option anymore. We have to act now. And not everything will work out the way we plan or hope, but I don’t think that’s a problem at all. The only mistake we can make is just not to get started. So get set!”

Dutch Design Week © Cleo Goossens

Seven thematic exhibitions presenting new perspectives on a changing world that invite you to think along and join in:

Get Set for Durable Living – designs that respond to the demand for a high degree of adaptability and flexibility in the built environment
Get Set for The Next Generation – how we design, organize and innovate our education
Get Set for Digital Evolvement – how the virtual world is interwoven with the physical
Get Set for Smart Livability – through the exhibition The New Nature of Living, presenting designs that improve or ease our relationship with the world
Get Set for Creations of Trust – work that responds to the demand for our safety and the call for more trust
Get Set for Global Wellbeing – how to nourish the mind and take care of the body. With concepts and designs that connect to what we can do to remedy existing global health problems and what is needed to keep the world liveable for everyone in the future
Get Set for Things that Matter – the value and meaning of objects in times of overconsumption

The locations chosen for this edition are spread all over Eindhoven and the organizers have planned eight possible itineraries (or “design routes”) that follow eight different topics: Connected Living, Contemporary Icons, Designing Society, Digital Realities, Eco Pioneers, Future Cities, Interactive Experiences and Sustainable Products.

A few highlights of the DDW include the annual Design Academy Eindhoven Graduation Show and the announcement of the winners of the Dutch Design Awards 2022, which celebrates the best Dutch designers and their most impressive and groundbreaking projects, and examines the impact that these different disciplines, perspectives and solutions have on our society.

The full program – including an interactive map to navigate the events and exhibitions throughout the city – is available on the Dutch Design Week’s website.