Preview: Dutch Design Week

Netherlands - It's Dutch Design Week this weekend, where we'll be uncovering some of the design world's most avant-garde projects. Here's a preview of some of the work we're excited about.

Manifestations: Will The Future Design Us? tackles some of the foremost concerns of today, from hacking to bitcoins
Robin Alysha Clemens' contribution explores themes of security and privacy in the information age

As we explored in our recent macro trend Dislocated World, there is a growing consumer backlash against the institutions that ostensibly serve them. Brands need to address this breakdown in trust, and the best way to understand shifting and complex consumer sentiments is often found in the worlds of contemporary art and speculative design.

Showing as part of Dutch Design Week this weekend, Manifestations: Will the Future Design Us? has invited a range of recent graduates and rising stars to tackle contemporary issues around data, privacy, control and identity. Responding to recent technological developments – from artificial intelligence to blockchain systems – the designers explore their often dystopian potential.

Robin Alysha Clemens focuses on the rise of surveillance culture, exploring a sub-culture that seeks to live off the grid and protect its personal data. Consisting of 33 images accompanied by a manifesto, this speculative project considers the extreme precautions we might have to take in the future in order to block organisations from tracking and monetising our identities.

The Big Picture

For more on how to tackle the challenges thrown up in the Dislocated World, download our Innovators' Toolkit for free from here. For more stories from Dutch Design Week, look out for our Briefing and Shows sections.