NAVIGATING CHANGE THROUGH CONSCIOUS DESIGN EDUCATION
THE MISSING BRICK:
A note on the Design of the Institutional Plan
How do we reflect, adapt, and imagine new futures? How can an institution be built not only on legacy, but on possibility? As part of a collective reflection on Design Academy Eindhoven’s future, students were invited to shape their ideal ‘building block’ with clay. The result is a collection of unconventional forms used to help guide readers through the chapters of the Institutional Plan, while illustrating Design Academy Eindhoven’s proactive vision of ‘shaping ideas through practice’.
NAVIGATING CHANGE THROUGH CONSCIOUS DESIGN EDUCATION
PART I
1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4
PART I
The positions that Design Academy Eindhoven occupies both in the Netherlands and internationally – as a school, a research institution and a cultural actor – are deeply intertwined, each informing and shaping the other. With the purpose of generating new knowledge that contributes to broader discourse on the role of design in society, the Academy therefore operates with a transdisciplinary openness, where meaningful design practices, dialogues and communities can emerge and connect. Criticality, imagination and cultural awareness are central to education at DAE, contributing to a deeper understanding of our impact on the world around us. As such, the Academy’s educational model, research and cultural activities must continually evolve in relation to our changing social, cultural, political and ecological contexts.
The global upheavals of recent years – from pandemic to climate crisis, technological disruption to social transformation – have validated a longstanding position held by DAE that design must be understood as a social and cultural practice, rather than merely a tool for innovation. Over the past five years, Design Academy Eindhoven has worked hard to transform our educational model to meet these challenges by identifying a series of key priorities. These included: creating a more pluralistic understanding of design, strengthening social agendas in design and approaching design as praxis.
The implementation of these priorities through a number of structural and policy changes since 2019 has attracted an increasingly diverse community of students and teachers, enriching a collective understanding of the role of design in society. The transition to a studio-based bachelor’s programme and the ongoing shift towards lab-based master’s programmes, for example, has proven successful in educating the kind of design professionals who can navigate complexity while maintaining their capacity for radical imagination. Alumni of DAE have subsequently emerged on international stages as key voices within wider cultural sectors dealing with sustainability, social justice and the ethics of technology, alongside other urgent topics.
As part of a commitment to design as praxis – the bridge between theoretical knowledge and material creativity–the research capacities of DAE have been expanded through newly established professorships. These have strengthened the Academy’s position as a knowledge institution, and as such, new frameworks for understanding the role of design in relation to planetary and ethical challenges have become more deeply embedded into the institutional context. Moreover, by maintaining an emphasis on both thinking and making, the student
body has become increasingly equipped to engage meaningfully and critically with emerging technologies, materials and theoretical discourse. The Academy now moves fluidly between its roles as both a learning and a knowledge-producing institution. In this regard, it functions not only for the dissemination of existing ideas, but to question assumptions and generate new forms of knowledge and practice.
While the above structural changes can be celebrated for putting the school in the leading position that it occupies today, it is important to recognise that the world continues to present new challenges that demand responses. The acceleration of the climate crisis, the emergence of artificial intelligence as a design tool, and growing global inequality, for example, all call for flexible and innovative approaches to design education. More importantly, perhaps, shifts in the broader Dutch, European and global political climates have called the role of internationally-oriented institutions such as DAE into question and challenged the long-standing commitment to funding progressive ideas and institutions.
It is against this backdrop that Design Academy Eindhoven must once again evolve, to further prepare the next generation of creative professionals to act as catalysts for positive change in an increasingly complex world. In order to set the framework for this, the following Institutional Plan lays out a series of core values, a mission and vision statement, as well as strategies and concrete action points for how to achieve these goals. For the implementation of the Institutional Plan to be successful, an inclusive environment must be fostered where students and staff feel empowered to express their identities, collaborate across varied backgrounds and explore diverse worldviews and positions.
As such, a culture of accountability can be nurtured that empowers the community to take ownership of their own learning and creative practice. Through its bold vision for design education, Design Academy Eindhoven will consciously lead by example in navigating the global shifts, challenges and opportunities that lie ahead, in the hope that this will lead to real-world impact that extends far beyond the walls of the classroom, workshop and studio.
MISSION
Design Academy Eindhoven advances the transformative potential of design in an era of unprecedented global challenges. Designers are educated to be catalysts for positive change by equipping them with the critical thinking, practical skills and ethical frameworks needed to address complex societal issues. In its approach to design education, the Academy unites thinking and making to encourage practices that look beyond the market to balance genuine human and planetary needs.
This mission is rooted in an understanding that design is fundamentally a social and cultural practice.
Designers in this context are not merely problem-solvers, but critical thinkers and makers who can imagine and manifest alternative futures. By combining hands-on experimentation with theoretical depth, the DAE community can develop solutions that are both radical in vision and grounded in reality. This praxis-based approach allows designers to bridge the gap between speculation and implementation, between critical thinking and tangible impact.
Building a design culture that embraces diversity in all its forms – from cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds to methodological approaches and philosophical perspectives – is an ongoing commitment at DAE. The education model, therefore, creates space for multiple voices, experiences and ways of knowing, recognising that the complexity of contemporary challenges requires diverse perspectives and collaborative approaches. Through studios, labs and research programmes, DAE seeks to foster an environment where different worldviews can productively collide and merge.
Design Academy Eindhoven actively contributes to the evolution of the design field through education, research, and public engagement. Through this, conventional boundaries of design practice are challenged, encouraging the wider DAE community to explore new territories where design can make meaningful interventions – from policy-making to systems change, from reforming technological ethics to advocating for ecological restoration. Through a global network of alumni, partners and collaborators, DAE works to amplify the capacity of creative professionals to catalyse positive transformation across scales, from local communities to planetary systems.
VISION
Design Academy Eindhoven prepares the upcoming generation of designers to evolve into catalysts for positive global change. Students are encouraged to create sustainable and inclusive products, services and environments and use their role to raise consciousness.
As a collective of diverse creative minds, DAE is committed to imagining futures that are both durable and generative.
By 2028, Design Academy Eindhoven will be a leading force in redefining the role of design in shaping more equitable and sustainable futures. The academy will become a dynamic ecosystem where education, research and design practice converge to address the most pressing challenges of our time. Through a distinctive approach that combines critical thinking with material exploration, a new generation of designers will be equipped to navigate complexity while maintaining the courage to imagine and implement radical alternatives.
DAE aims to prepare its graduates to become key agents in the transition towards more sustainable and just societies, with the potential to work across disciplines and scales, from crafting tangible solutions to reshaping systems, structures and policies. Here, the power of design is to build bridges between different communities, knowledge systems and ways of being in the world.
The Academy will continue to evolve as a global platform for design discourse and experimentation, while remaining deeply connected to its local context. It will continue to take its position as a meeting point where diverse perspectives, cultures and methodologies can cross-pollinate. Through an expanded network of partnerships and external collaborations, DAE will create opportunities for its community to engage with real-world challenges and implement meaningful solutions. At the heart of this vision is the belief in design's capacity to imagine and manifest better futures.
This will be achieved through further developing our:
• Studios and labs that function as incubators for new forms of design practice
• Research programmes that advance the role of design in societal transformation
• Partnerships that enable the DAE community to engage with complex real-world challenges
• A learning environment that nurtures both individual growth and collective action
• Public platforms that amplify the impact of the DAE community's work
This vision builds on more than 75 years of heritage, while pushing DAE to evolve in response to contemporary challenges. By maintaining a commitment to critical thinking, making and social engagement, the Academy will continue to be at the forefront of design education and practice.
ORGANISATIONAL VALUES
Organisational Values are the core principles and beliefs that guide the behavior, decision-making and culture of an institution. The following six values define the overall ethos and shared mindset of Design Academy Eindhoven, influencing everything from the curriculum to communication. These should be consciously applied to professional practice across the Academy.
Commitment
The Academy is a place where learning is shared, continuous and reciprocal
DAE is a space where students, staff, and collaborators learn with and from one another, regardless of their role or level of experience. We value education as a shared and ongoing process rooted in exchange, reflection and practice. We are committed to cultivating a learning community that supports individual development while being mindful of our collective contribution to society.
Bravery
Embracing a complex world as a community
We recognise that every design decision carries consequences – social, ecological and cultural. At DAE we do not simplify complexity, but engage with it consciously and critically. Across the Academy, we challenge ourselves to respond to urgent environmental and societal challenges with care, imagination and accountability. We approach design as a practice that requires a sense of responsibility towards shaping more just and sustainable forms of co-existing.
Inclusivity
Collaboration rooted in collective responsibility
Meaningful change is rarely the result of individual action. It happens through collaboration across disciplines, while listening to different perspectives and centering a variety of lived experiences. At DAE, students, staff and collaborators contribute to networks of care and accountability. Whether designing, learning, coordinating, teaching or supporting, we practice integrity and shared responsibility. These shape how we relate to one another while opening up space for differences.
Proactivity
We shape ideas through practice
At DAE, thinking and making are deeply interconnected. Making is not limited to design, but can be seen as a call to action. It’s how we shape systems, relationships and ideas. Whether organising, teaching, supporting or creating, we learn through our actions. We value process over perfection and see experimentation as essential to growth. Making, in all its forms, is how we reflect on, adapt to and imagine new futures.
Curiosity
We engage critically with what is – and imagine what could be
Design moves between the world as it is and the world as it might be. At DAE, we cultivate awareness of our positions and entanglements – as individuals and as an institution – while staying open to the uncertain, the unfamiliar and the imagined. We embrace curiosity not as a passive interest but as an active, critical practice that fuels exploration, invention and transformation.
Future-Focused
We are mindful of our legacy
Everything we design is part of a continuum –inheriting what came before and shaping the world that will exist after we have gone. At DAE, we are mindful not only of how things are made, but how they are used, lived with, passed on or left behind. We consider the materials we work with, the systems they are part of and the legacies they carry. Care – for context, for consequence and for the relationships we sustain – is what guides our decisions and defines how we approach the future.
PART II
Quality Through Connection and Growth
By 2028, upon moving into its new campus, Design Academy Eindhoven aims to become a leading force in redefining the ways that design can help shape equitable and sustainable futures. In line with its overall vision and mission, the Academy will establish itself as a dynamic ecosystem where education, research and practice converge to tackle society’s most pressing challenges. Through a distinctive approach that combines critical thinking with material exploration, the aim is to cultivate designers who can navigate complexity while maintaining the courage to imagine and implement the radical alternatives necessary to face the truly global challenges that lie ahead. This will be achieved at a number of levels: through a new state-of-the-art institutional building, by reinforcing collaborations with a variety of external stakeholders that share our values and by strengthening the international outreach of the Academy.
STRATEGIC THEMES
CONTINUING EXCELLENCE
IN DESIGN EDUCATION AND RESEARCH
[II] EVOLVING TOGETHER
[III] CONNECTING WITH THE WORLD
Shaping Future-Ready Education
Setting Up a New Associate Degree in ‘Immersive Design Worlds’
Further Integration of Studios and Fundamentals in the Bachelor’s Programme
Developing the Master’s Programme into a Hub for Research-Driven Departments
Professorships into DAE
Building
Constructing
Strengthening the Alumni Network
Embracing Local Stakeholders and Collaborators
Redefining the Meaning of Service Delivery
Enhance User Adoption and Skill-Development
Strengthen Integration, Data Quality and Monitoring with Future-Proofed Systems with Innovation and Security
Align Systems with Organisational Goals and Values
CONTINUING EXCELLENCE IN DESIGN EDUCATION AND RESEARCH
As an institution at the intersection of creativity, innovation and social responsibility, Design Academy Eindhoven aims to actively shape the future of design education and research, serving as a model for others to follow. This ambition builds on a legacy of over 75 years of high-quality education, while staying attentive to the shifting perspectives across both the student body and the wider professional disciplines that they will graduate into. By keeping its finger on the pulse in this way, DAE can remain a pioneering institution with a sense of societal relevance to the design research field. This endeavor requires a strong degree of multidisciplinary collaboration, while integrating new technologies where necessary and encouraging cross-pollination between the arts and sciences. Crucially, it requires an approach that is attentive to sustainability in its truest sense. Moreover, in order to nurture the kinds of designers fit for the future, DAE will continue to innovate its pedagogical methods. An upcoming state-of-the-art educational campus will play a central role in this process, providing space for students to develop their
individual practices with a local, regional and international outlook while reinforcing the existing characteristics of a small, independent academy that offers a safe learning environment to do so. This exciting flagship project of a new home for the Academy is both a landmark in DAE’s journey to date and a bold statement of its future aspirations.
Ambition 1 Shaping Future-Ready Education
At the heart of DAE's ethos is the ambition to transcend traditional boundaries between disciplines in order to catalyse transformative change through design. Accordingly, this unique approach is characterised by a holistic integration of critical thinking and experimental making, with an emphasis on addressing global challenges such as environmental sustainability, social equality and technological innovation. This ambition will build upon existing restructuring of the bachelor’s and master’s programmes that has taken place since 2019, while expanding the research capacities of the Academy. From 2027 onwards, DAE will introduce a brand new associate degree alongside its already well-established bachelor’s and master’s programmes. In parallel to this, DAE will explore options for setting up a PhD or Professional Doctorate diploma in the coming years.
• Action 1 Setting up a New Associate Degree in ‘Immersive Design Worlds’
• Action 2 Further Integration of Studios and Fundamentals in the Bachelor’s Programme
• Action 3 Developing the Master’s Programme into a Hub for Research-Driven Departments
• Action 4 Fully Integrating Professorships into DAE
Ambition 2
Creating a New Campus for Design
Design Academy Eindhoven’s relocation to a newly constructed building in Eindhoven’s Kanaalzone in 2028 is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to realign the Academy to a fundamentally new global reality.
In addition to responding to the core values and mission set out in the first half of this document, the design of a new campus will centre around three working principles of ‘Minds’, ‘Crafts’ and ‘Meets’. These themes form the basis of a consultation process for developing the brief to be followed by the architectural team. The primary ambition here is for the site to embody the synergy of academic research and hands-on making, allowing the seamless integration of intellectual exploration with craftsmanship that has come to define education at the Academy. As such, the architecture will serve as a manifesto for DAE’s creative vision for design education while inspiring collaboration among students, faculty, stakeholders and the broader community.
The new Academy building in the Kanaalzone will prioritise a future-proof design, sustainable materials and waste reduction. Workspaces will build on DAE’s reputation for craftsmanship, allowing students to master essential skills through experimentation with tools, materials and new technologies to support exceptional design outcomes. In parallel to this, flexible classrooms and studio spaces with a public-facing character will support interdisciplinary collaboration and include areas for the integration of education, research and public engagement.
Crucially, in order to give students a secure and welcoming start to their education in Eindhoven, the campus will include the construction of dedicated student housing by 2030, with 250 new units reserved for first year students. Outside of the immediate community of students, the arrival of the Academy in the Kanaalzone area will also play a pivotal role in establishing a new Design District for Eindhoven, bringing key stakeholders together around the Academy building. Complementary initiatives include the repurposing of the former Peugeot and Citroën garages, and transforming the former Koelhuis into an immersive art and design space for the city.
• Action 1 Building a New Campus for Design
• Action 2 Constructing Housing for 250 Students
• Action 3 Creating Cultural and Economic Opportunities in Kanaalzone
Ambition 3
A Compass for Reframing Sustainable Education
Designers bear a crucial societal responsibility because their work directly impacts how people live, consume and interact with their environment. All too often, however, designers jump to a solution-oriented approach that ignores the structures and systems that contribute to the bigger picture. With this in mind, it is important to question how a leading institution can respond to global challenges. How can students, faculty and stakeholders prepare themselves for the roles, responsibilities and emerging professional fields necessary to face a fragile future? At Design Academy Eindhoven, it is important to take a leading role in these debates and leverage our agency as an institution to frame the right questions around issues critical to our planetary future.
What is the true definition of sustainability? What does the word mean to an institution such as DAE? How do socioeconomic factors, the current digital revolution, the development of new materials and an increasingly volatile political climate intersect with sustainability? Before solving anything, we first need to find the right questions.
By placing sustainability in all of its complexity at the core of education, students are taught to make conscious and ethical choices in their work in order to fully understand its impact.
To realise this vision, Design Academy Eindhoven will focus on three key pillars: education, policy development and consciousness-raising. To maintain a clear focus and avoid being overwhelmed by the broad scope of sustainability, these objectives will be achieved by fostering a wide-ranging multidisciplinary dialogue under the banner ‘Seeds of Change’. This initiative will engage a number of stakeholders from important industries across the Brainport region, seeking to construct new frameworks that acknowledge how design is intrinsically entangled with social, political and ecological realities.
• Action 1 Creating a Charter on Sustainable Education
• Action 2 Leading the ‘Seeds of Change’ Programme
EVOLVING TOGETHER
Design Academy Eindhoven is transitioning to an agile network organisation that embraces adaptability, collaboration and thoughtful, incremental change. This transformation is guided by our core values, and reshapes theorganisational design, culture and decision-making processes to align with the needs of the Academy’s diverse global community.
“Evolving Together” captures this journey and is rooted in an understanding of the ways that an international community of students and professionals can thrive based on its diversity. Appreciating the varied perspectives within DAE can be valued as one of its strengths, particularly when navigating a complex and interconnected world. By fostering greater collaboration and empowering voices–both within the institution and beyond–a culture can be established where shared growth is central. This approach combines strategic vision with purposeful action, balancing care and innovation. Together, a future can take shape where the community is empowered to flourish both as individuals and as a collective whole.
Ambition 1 Employee Engagement
Design Academy Eindhoven is evolving into an agile network organisation. This means that cooperation with other organisations, companies, individuals and stakeholders will become crucial in achieving future objectives. This transformation requires adaptability, collaboration and a shared vision. By fostering a culture of inclusivity, respect and connection, an environment can be created where all voices are valued and collective growth is key. The goal is to empower decision-making, strengthen collaboration and balance innovation with care for all educational and organisational professionals within the Academy. Through a clear vision and purposeful actions, a resilient, engaged and future-ready community can be built.
• Action 1 Development of Strategic Workforce Planning
• Action 2 Enhancing Human Resource Development
• Action 3 Embed and Strengthen Diversity & Inclusion
Ambition 2 A Strong Community
By 2028, Design Academy Eindhoven aims to become a leading international educational and knowledge institution for developing creative solutions and strategic knowledge necessary to facing many of the complex issues in contemporary society. As an agile network organisation, DAE will be structured in a way that can retain its own stability and dynamism while connecting with various fields such as philosophy, business administration, consultancy, architecture, art, healthcare and government, among others. One of the biggest advantages within the context of the Academy is the uniquely transient nature of its students and tutors, and the diverse international backgrounds and perspectives that they bring. Instead of considering the Academy as one singular community then, it can be viewed as a community of communities, which supports diverse voices to surface. This multivocal approach means taking a proactive stance in building a community that is based on transparency and inclusivity. To achieve this, DAE is building more open frameworks for flexibility and small-scale initiatives within the staff and student body. There is no singular solution that will fit everyone, so the approach will be to establish and sustain some sort of commons that can adapt over time based on collective needs and desires.
• Action 1 Creating a Strong Student Community
• Action 2 Strengthening the Alumni Network
• Action 3 Embracing Local Stakeholders and Collaborators
Ambition 3
Implementing State of the Art
Technological Support Systems
In order to function efficiently, Design Academy Eindhoven relies on a number of supporting technologies, software and protocols that support student and teacher communication, HR and administrative processes, payment systems and other functions necessary to keep the Academy running smoothly. In this regard, the strategic ambition is to safeguard and optimise existing supporting systems in order to drive organisational improvements. Existing systems (such as Osiris, Canvas, Afas) have been a focal point of significant investment by DAE in recent years and are enriched with historical data, usability metrics and analytical capabilities through their use. Now, the priority shifts toward optimising their configuration and usage to maximise value across the organisation.
Over the coming years, the focus will include establishing clear definitions, roles, parameters and reporting frameworks to enhance the analytical potential of these support systems, while ensuring that they align with DAE's values. Design Academy Eindhoven will ensure that privacy and cybersecurity are prioritised across all support systems, safeguarding employee data and adhering to applicable regulations.
• Action 1 Redefining the Meaning of Service Delivery
• Action 2 Enhance User Adoption and Skill-Development
• Action 3 Strengthen Integration, Data Quality and Monitoring with Future-Proofed Systems with Innovation and Security
• Action 4 Align Systems with Organisational Goals and Values
CONNECTING WITH THE WORLD
A crucial strategy for the future development of Design Academy Eindhoven is to have a stronger connection to the outside world, with enhanced engagement at a regional, national and international level. The goal here is to develop a cohesive vision where local issues can speak to global concerns and vice versa. Central to this initiative is addressing how DAE is seen across these various scales by strategising the most appropriate platforms and spaces where the work and ideas from the Academy can be represented. By 2026, DAE aims to establish a clear agenda that prioritises strategic choices regarding partnerships and the targeted use of knowledge and resources.
Ambition 1
A New Way of Representing
In the upcoming period Design Academy Eindhoven will focus on revitalising its engagement with global design discourse through diverse platforms including the Graduation Show, our lecture series and further participation in international exhibitions. The Academy aims to position itself as a proactive force in addressing societal and ecological challenges by embedding itself in critical debates and experimenting with new forms of representation and participation, both physical and digitally.
The future of DAE is not only defined by the spaces it occupies, but by the positions it takes.
To remain relevant, it must embed itself in the world’s fault lines, in the places where design is not a commodity but a critical necessity. The question is not only where DAE should showcase its work, but where it must take a stand, disrupt, and construct alternative narratives. Ultimately, the Academy seeks to promote its cultural visibility while strengthening our reputation as an incubator for innovation and critical design practice.
• Action 1 Developing New Models for the DAE Graduation Show
• Action 2 Representation at an International Level
• Action 3 Reframing DAE’s Digital Presence Beyond the Website
Ambition 2
Regional Embeddedness
Design Academy Eindhoven will continue to actively shape and take a leading role in Eindhoven’s design landscape, ensuring the sustainable development of the design sector within the region that has become known as the ‘Brainport’ of the Netherlands. This development is envisioned in synergy with the advancement of technological innovations, in order to maintain the balance between Technology, Design and Knowledge that has come to define the region’s economy. To achieve this ambitious goal, the Academy will focus on close collaborations with municipal and provincial authorities, as well as fostering extensive partnerships with regional educational institutions, design stakeholders and adjacent industry partners.
• Action 1 Reshaping the Design Ecosystem of the Brainport Region
• Action 2 Collaboration with Regional Educational Partners
• Action 3 Seeking New Collaborations with Stakeholders in Industry
Ambition 3
International Collaborations
As a leading design institution, international collaborations are of great importance to Design Academy Eindhoven. As it stands, the Academy receives daily requests for partnerships, both within the educational programme and in the context of more project-based research initiatives. During the upcoming period, a clear and strategic vision for selecting projects and partnerships will be developed, ensuring that they are aligned to DAE’s own vision and values.
A national ethical framework for assessing international projects has also been developed in collaboration with other art schools in the Netherlands, and will undoubtedly serve as a valuable guide here. Following the development of a cohesive strategy, DAE will focus on both structural and project-based collaborations, primarily with organisations and institutions across Europe, while remaining open to working further afield.
One significant upcoming collaboration is the Arts, Crafts and Design European Learning Platform (ACDELP), through which Design Academy Eindhoven will offer a rich portfolio of courses, lectures and learning modules that extend beyond the official bachelor’s and master’s programmes to participants from a wide range of backgrounds. The ambition is to build a leading hub for knowledge exchange between arts, crafts and design that is accessible to everyone, from curious newcomers to seasoned professionals looking to continue their professional development.
• Action 1 Collaboration with International Partners
• Action 2 Creating ACDELP – The Arts, Crafts and Design European Learning Platform
• Action 3 Hosting International Events and Conferences at DAE
COLOPHON
Design Academy Eindhoven
institutional plan 2025-2028
EXECUTIVE BOARD DAE
Joseph Grima, creative director
Raf De Keninck, director
Education, Research and Organisation
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Raf De Keninck
EDITORIAL TEAM
Joseph Grima
Raf De Keninck
Colin Keays
Anna van den Berg
Anna Winston
GRAPHIC DESIGN & ILLUSTRATIONS
Pedro Lobo
PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Stella Verdult
Evelyn Janssen
HEAD OF COMMUNICATIONS
Raffaela Vandermuhlen
Special thanks to the following Bachelor students for helping to lay the creative foundation of the illustrations, the bricks: Aak van Zessen, Abel Morin, Ananya Maithel, Andrew Do, Artemis Liakou, Carlota Bouju, Dabin Jung, Elena Nechaeva, Felix van Gent, Hanna Matera, Heather Seo, Jonas Lalee, Jorrit Ruijs, Laetitia Chamussy, Lena Lissner, Lynn Nguyen, Mahaut Bonnel-Emerand, Manami Kifune, Paul Lehner, Ravi Hertzberger, Rose Roubaud, Rosie Vermeylen, Saeyeon Yang, Shell Yang, Sofie Carmel, Una Llewellyn, Vittore Vermeulen, Ward Willems, Yaryna Fedorova, Zuzanna Went.
CONTRIBUTORS DAE
Afaina de Jong, Alfred Valk, Ali Taser, Allard Boer, Andy Norstrom, Anita Pauwels, Britney Leijen Heeneman, Chelly Griffioen, Daniel van der Velden, Dasha Tsapenko, Ella Westenberg, Emmy Bacharach, Evelyn Janssen, Floor Hofman, Fransje Gimbere, Gabriel A. Maher, Gijs de Boer, Griet Menschaert, Henri Beelen, Ilka van Steen, Imke de Jong, Ian Biscoe, Iris Königshofen, Janneke Schreuder, Joost Jansen, Jetske Tuinstra, Karin van Lieshout, Kay Schuttel, Kim Haagen, Kim White, Lara Chapman, Leigh Tukker, Lieke van der Wielen, Liesbeth Fit, llse Meulendijks, Lukas Wegwerth, Marc van Dijk, Marcel Van der Velden, Marco Ferrari, Marie Caye, Marga Weimans, Martina Muzi, Maxime Benvenuto, Michiel van Gageldonk, Mika Kranen, Mona Smits, Monique Borsboom, Moritz Maria Karl, Nadine Botha, Naomi Bueno de Mesquita, Ned Kaar, Nicola Redshaw, Nicoline Dorsman, Olga Pullens, Patricia Reed, Pete Fung, Peter Nagel, Raffaela Vandermuhlen, Rhiarna Dhaliwal, Robert Adolfsson, Rolf Jansen, Saskia van Stein, Shaakira Jassat, Shreya Venkatesh Pai, Snir Gedasi, Stella Verdult, Susan van der Aalst, Tessa Blokland, Thomas Lommée, Vinca Kruk, Wouter Arts, Yolande Hezemans, Zoë Jansen, Zoë Mertens.
INSTITUTIONAL PARTICIPATION COUNCIL
Tessa Blokland, Matteo Proietti Carri Harwig, Sergio Pinilla Lopez, Vittore Vermeulen, Nattan Pourriol, Niek van der Heijden, Rafaela Aguilar Bostock and Fay Kortleven
SUPERVISORY BOARD
Meta Knol, Elies Lemkes-Straver, Willemien Boot and Steven Jongejan
PRINTING AND LITHOGRAPHY die Keure
PAPER
Materica Kraft - 250 gsm
Arena Smooth White - 90 gsm
TYPEFACE
HAL Repost (HAL Typefaces - Studio HanLi)
PUBLISHER
Design Academy Eindhoven Emmasingel 14 Postbus 2125 5600 CC Eindhoven
+31(0)40 239 39 39 www.designacademy.nl info@designacademy.nl
© 2025 Design Academy Eindhoven
No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior permission from the publisher.
LEXICON
(!) This lexicon aims to help readers understand the Institutional Plan better by defining key terminology used in the document. This is not an exhaustive list, but includes key terms and concepts that have a specific meaning when applied to the context of the Academy’s future.
ACCOUNTABILITY
A culture of accountability is an organisational environment where individuals and teams take responsibility for their actions, decisions and outcomes, encouraging everyone to meet commitments and learn from mistakes to achieve shared goals.
AGILE NETWORK ORGANISATION
An agile network organisation is a flexible, adaptable institutional structure that emphasises collaboration and breaks down traditional hierarchies and silos. For DAE, cooperation with other organisations, companies, individuals and stakeholders is crucial to achieving future objectives.
ETHICAL CHALLENGES
Ethical challenges are complex situations that require individuals or institutions to make difficult decisions involving questions of right and wrong, fairness, and responsibility. They often arise when values conflict, consequences are uncertain, or actions impact people, society, or the environment.
ETHICAL FRAMEWORKS
Ethical frameworks are structured systems of principles and values that guide decision-making and behavior. They help individuals and organisations such as DAE evaluate what is right or wrong in a given context.
Brainport Eindhoven is a leading innovation region in the Netherlands where technology, design, and knowledge institutions collaborate with industry and government.
CRITICAL THINKING
Critical thinking is the ability to analyse information in a way that questions assumptions in order to make reasoned, well-informed conclusions. In a design education context, this involves reflecting deeply and creatively to solve problems and to challenge established ideas.
DESIGN AS PRAXIS
The bridge between theoretical knowledge and material creativity, encompassing both intellectual and intuitive practice-based research.
DISCOURSE
In academic and cultural contexts, discourse refers to the ways in which ideas and knowledge are constructed and communicated within a particular subject, and how this relates to broader societal trends and conversations.
BRAINPORT EQUITABLE
Ensuring fair access, opportunity, and support for all individuals, acknowledging and addressing systemic imbalances and differing needs. In the context of design and education, this involves creating inclusive environments where diverse voices have space to thrive and contribute meaningfully to wider discussions.
FUTURE-PROOF DESIGN
Future-proof design is an approach that anticipates and adapts to evolving social, environmental, and technological changes. An understanding of longterm implications of a design process applies both to student projects, and the very architecture of the new Academy building.
IMMERSIVE
Immersive refers to the application of emerging technologies to enhance the physical spatial realm. This is a strategic area that DAE hopes to develop further, building on its existing professorships and labs.
KNOWLEDGE INSTITUTION
An organisation primarily dedicated to the creation, dissemination, preservation and application of knowledge, including universities, research centres, think tanks, and museums. In the context of DAE, being a knowledge institution means not only teaching design as a skill, but also contributing to critical inquiry, cultural discourse and innovation through research, practice, and public engagement.
LAB-BASED
Moving beyond thematic practice-based departments, a lab-based system will foster greater space for the production of experimental research.
LEXICON
MULTIVOCAL
Creating space for multiple voices, experiences, and ways of knowing, recognising that the complexity of contemporary challenges requires diverse perspectives. This is not about flattening diversity, but giving space to difference.
PLANETARY FUTURE
The long-term well-being of Earth and its ecosystems, considering environmental, social, and economic sustainability to ensure a healthy planet for current and future generations.
PLURALISTIC
A pluralistic understanding of design embraces diverse perspectives, practices, and cultural contexts. It recognises that design is not singular or universal, but shaped by multiple voices and bringing together knowledge from different disciplines.
RADICAL IMAGINATION
The bold ability to envision and create transformative alternatives that challenge existing norms and systems, enabling innovative and well-considered solutions for complex social, environmental, and cultural futures.
REAL-WORLD IMPACT
The tangible and meaningful effects that design, actions, or ideas can have on society, the environment, or everyday life, outside the bubble of academia.
STAFF
DAE adopts a flexible strategy of collaborating with freelance professionals working alongside its permanent faculty. This approach allows the Academy to respond quickly and effectively to dynamic developments in the world by incorporating specialists with the latest knowledge, skills and insights.
STAKEHOLDERS
People or groups who have a relationship to the activities, decisions, and outcomes of Design Academy Eindhoven. This includes alumni, industry partners, local communities, government bodies and other collaborators, all of whom play a vital role in shaping and supporting the institution’s mission and success.
STUDIO
DAE Studios offer BA students the opportunity to experience and work with different approaches to design research and making each semester. There are currently nine Studios, each representing a different approach to design research and practice.
SUSTAINABLE
For DAE, sustainability goes beyond quick-fix solutions, to understanding how socio-economic factors, the current digital revolution, the development of new materials, and an increasingly volatile political landscape, all intersect with our understanding of climate and ecology.
TRANSDISCIPLINARY
An approach that transcends traditional academic disciplines by integrating knowledge, methods, and perspectives from various fields, rather than rigidly staying within a singular craft or professional discipline.
UNDERSTANDING THIS DOCUMENT
INSTITUTIONAL PLAN
A strategic policy document that outlines an organisation’s long-term goals, priorities, and actions. For Design Academy Eindhoven, this document guides the future development of education, research, infrastructure and external partnerships, to fulfill its mission and respond to upcoming societal and global challenges effectively.
2028
A policy document such as an Institutional Plan typically has a 3-5 year timeframe in order to balance strategic vision with the practical adaptability and feasibility of achieving its goals. For DAE, 2028 is also a key milestone marked by the planned relocation to a new campus.
MISSION
A mission statement broadly defines the purpose of an institution: what it does, for whom, and how. It should be clear, concise and practical, focusing on the present.
VISION
A vision statement underscores the desired future state or long-term aspiration of an institution. It is inspirational and forward-looking.
ORGANISATIONAL VALUES
These are the core principles and beliefs that guide the behavior, decision-making, and culture of an institution. After a long consultation process, DAE has developed a set of values that can be applied across the Academy, from education to organisation, communications to catering. The aim is to build a shared mindset guided by common values, powered by the ideas and knowledge of everyone in the DAE community.