What is the Social Design Site?
How did Social Design Site start?
What are your goals?
What is Social Design?
What is your definition of Social Design?
How do you choose your projects?
Can I submit a project?
How is the SDS funded?
How can I contribute?
Why do you have a shop?
Where are you based?
Can I join?
I want to share my opinion and discuss these issues. Where can I do this?

If you have a question that is not answered here, please email it to us here

The Social Design Site is an online platform committed to foster a discourse for social design on a broader level, and to build a community around meaningful projects and dedicated individuals. Social design projects from across the globe are exhibited here to highlight different aspects of our social world. SocialDesignSite.com wants to continue to bring together existing and potential project initiators for community building and networking, as well as people simply interested in learning more about the potential of their actions, which can contribute to the continued growth of innovative projects, ideas and perspectives. The projects that we exhibit come from a variety of fields and they all show one thing: we can change our social world. We want SocialDesignSite.com to be that place where we can all observe, reflect and engage with the world we live in. The hope is that SocialDesignSite.com will contribute to enlightened social change.

  How did Social Design Site start?

It was a knowledge project initiated in January 2007 by the Systemic Excellence Group (SEgroup) – an independent think tank on leading practice. Although SocialDesignSite.com is, today, an independent non-profit organisation, the SEgroup retains a role as moderator and observer of the process. Both the SEgroup and the SocialDesignSite.com team share office space, ideas and motivation.

SocialDesignSite.com aims to foster a discourse on social design and build a community around social design. Our objective is to establish a space where all those interested can meet in order to share their knowledge, passion and visions by interconnecting projects and their owners, as well as the general public. Networking and inspiration are important for social design, and we try to provide access to both of them.

We are also keen to activate our network in a physical knowledge-sharing environment by hosting conferences and organising exhibitions.We have already held one exhibition during the Designmai event in Berlin (2007).

‘Social design’ has no fixed definition. The term means different things to different people, as both ‘social’ and ‘design’ are very broad and dynamic terms.

But what is your definition of Social Design?

Design, in its broader sense, is more than the creation and shaping of products and services; it is anything and everything man-made.  This broad understanding of the term also implies that design can be unconscious and is, therefore, inevitable. We believe this also applies to social design.
We understand social design as the inescapability of social interaction and the resulting consequences of such action. We are social beings: we interact everyday with people and we cannot escape acting in relation to others. Every single day, we are faced with choices: we may do today what we did yesterday or we may do something different, altering our daily routine. The resulting actions from our choices, no matter how insignificant they might appear, have consequences. We create and design our social world with these choices and actions. This is the concept behind our claim: "You cannot not change the world."
Nevertheless, you should keep in mind that you will not leave this site KNOWING what social design is. Rather, you will leave contemplating what it may be, just as we do. There is no single understanding of social design and there are final answers in this emerging discussion. This fact, however, should only make this discourse all the more compelling.

How do you choose your projects?

We look for projects that illustrate or represent social design as we understand it. Such projects usually display an awareness of their ability to promote and cause social change through its actions or existence. SocialDesignSite.com understanding of social design is broad and eclectic. As a result, the criteria by which we select projects are manifold. We exhibit projects from round the globe dealing with themes ranging from urban development to alternative community experimentation, from education to leisure, and from economics to immigration.

Can I submit a project?

Of course! If you are part of or have created a project that you think relates to social design, simply upload it here in order to become a member. Also, if you are not a project owner or part of any project but know of a project that you would like to recommend, don’t hesitate to send them the link to our website. Or to send us their link.

  How is the SDS funded?

SocialDesignSite.com is a non-profit organization that relies on financial support. In our first year, we were solely funded by the SEgroup . However, we are now looking for private and public funding, as well as developing other means to be sustainable – such as our online shop .  

How can I contribute?

If you would like to make a monetary donation you can do so here , for funding or sponsorship you can contact us directly . You can also contribute by submitting or suggesting a project(s), by participating in the discussion forum and/or by sending us feedback on the site and the project. 

Why do you have a shop?

SocialDesignSite is a non-profit project and therefore is relying on these initiatives and on individuals’ and institutions’ support in order to implement and develop its work. The aim of the online shop is not to generate profit, but to keep our project running.

Where are you based?

SocialDesignSite.com is based in Berlin, Germany. However, we are an international project in terms of our team and the projects we exhibit.
You can pays us a visit here:
Systemic Excellence Group
Marienstraße 20
10117 Berlin-Mitte
T. 030. 28482 – 180

Can I join?

If you are fluent in English, willing and able to spend 3 to 6 months in Berlin, interested in systemic theories, open-minded, independent, with a background in business, communication or marketing and would like to gain a valuable experience, send us your CV and a cover letter to:

*Please note: EU citizenship is mandatory.

I want to share my opinion and discuss these issues. Where can I do this?

We host a discussion forum here. We encourage you to add topics or to contribute to already existing topics.
If you have any further questions that have not already been answered here, please contact us .