{"id":3697,"date":"2025-04-14T13:53:42","date_gmt":"2025-04-14T12:53:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.uantwerpen.be\/pintra-en\/?p=3697"},"modified":"2026-04-20T08:46:12","modified_gmt":"2026-04-20T07:46:12","slug":"design-as-a-driver-for-change","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.uantwerpen.be\/pintra-en\/design-as-a-driver-for-change\/","title":{"rendered":"Design as a driver for change"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A new postgraduate programme at UAntwerp leverages design for change, both in organisations and in society.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Design is about more than shiny lifestyle products or aesthetic objects. Design is essentially a way of thinking, a methodical approach to solving complex problems. This is the point of departure for the new postgraduate programme Leading Change by Design<\/strong>, developed by UAntwerp in cooperation with a network of experts. It\u2019s a transdisciplinary programme that prepares students and professionals to take an active role in social transitions through design.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For whom is this programme intended?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Professor Alexis Jacoby<\/strong>, chair of the Department of Product Development, has long been convinced of the power of design as a strategic tool.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018We\u2019ve been building this programme for two years,\u2019 Jacoby explains. \u2018On the one hand, we\u2019re targeting bachelor and master students, and on the other, people who already have several years of experience in any discipline and who are ready to commit to bringing about change through design.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That the programme doesn\u2019t focus purely on designers is a conscious choice. It\u2019s precisely the cross-pollination between different backgrounds that makes the programme so rich.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u2018We\u2019re also targeting people who already have several years of professional experience,\u2019 Jacoby continues. \u2018They often sense that certain tools and techniques from design can make an interesting contribution to their work.\u2019<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Students from related fields such as architecture, urban planning, sociology and policy sciences will also feel right at home in the programme.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018We\u2019re aiming at students who\u2019ve never been educated this way before, but who do feel the need to think and act differently,\u2019 Jacoby stresses. \u2018We strongly believe in the power of interdisciplinary collaboration,\u2019 he continues. \u2018That\u2019s why we teach the programme to people from different backgrounds.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ivo Dewit, academic coordinator and lecturer: \u2018Design is about things that people really need in their daily lives. That can be a product, but also a service or system. The programme aims to meet real social needs.\u2019<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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Alexis Jacoby, chair of the Department of Product Development<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Ivo Dewit, academic coordinator and lecturer<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Systemic and service design: what does it mean?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Two main design approaches are used within the programme: service design <\/strong>and systemic design<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018Service design is about the choreography of the interaction between user and provider<\/strong>,\u2019 Ivo explains. \u2018For example, how does a student experience the university as a service provider? Which instances of contact between the two make the difference? Those insights are crucial if you want to improve service provision.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alexis adds: \u2018Systemic design takes place at a different level. It deals with complex issues such as sustainability, welfare and social inequality.<\/strong> Here, there\u2019s no linear relationship between problem and solution. You have to understand how the system works and where you can intervene to bring about sustainable change.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An academic backbone and<\/em> social ambition<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

What makes this programme unique?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Unlike traditional programmes revolving around change, the point of departure of Leading Change by Design <\/strong>is that the design process can be leveraged to make an impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018The main difference being that we don\u2019t stop at analysis,\u2019 Alexis explains. \u2018We progress to synthesis: how can we bring all the information together to create creative, innovative solutions? That\u2019s the added value of design.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Hilde Van Dyck<\/strong>, an academic coordinator and researcher who\u2019s also involved in the programme, it goes beyond methodology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u2018It\u2019s also about personal growth. How do you handle change as an individual? What are your strengths and your pitfalls? We offer a personalised approach. You don\u2019t just learn a model from a book, but discover how you collaborate and absorb leadership.\u2019<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

This combination of personal development<\/strong>, leadership training <\/strong>and design-driven innovation <\/strong>is unique in the Flemish and international educational landscape, say the initiators.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018A designer\u2019s attitude is essential,\u2019 says Hilde. \u2018You learn to think in processes, not in end products. What you design can be a service, a strategy or an experience. It\u2019s typically something you can\u2019t touch, but feel is there. The programme provides students with the tools not only to design, but also to analyse, reflect and position in broader social and political contexts.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Hilde Van Dyck, academic coordinator and researcher<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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New postgraduate ‘Leading Change by Design’<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The five meta skills<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The course is built around five modules <\/strong>that enable participants to deal with complex challenges:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. Sense making in uncertainty <\/strong>– learning to deal with ambiguity and uncertainty<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Navigating complexity <\/strong>– systemic thinking and acting in complex contexts<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Leading change <\/strong>– developing personal leadership in change processes<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Creating change <\/strong>– getting from ideas to interventions using design methods<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. Communicating for impact <\/strong>– communicating impact clearly, persuasively and strategically<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    These skills aren\u2019t taught in separate courses, but embedded in challenge-based projects<\/strong>, in which participants work on real issues, together with external partners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    \u2018We don\u2019t want a thinking exercise, but real impact,\u2019 Ivo stresses. \u2018Participants get to work with concrete cases from society, such as the teacher shortage, the circular transition and student wellbeing.\u2019<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

    Connecting with society<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    The programme also resonates outside academia. Ivo <\/strong>sees the potential for real impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u2018I believe very strongly in leveraging design to bring consumers, citizens and policymakers closer together,\u2019 says Ivo. \u2018What makes this programme unique is that it centres on dialogue: between sectors, between disciplines and between people.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Ivo will be involved as a guest speaker and partner in concrete projects within the programme. This link with practice is crucial, he believes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    \u2018We need people who can contribute knowledge and imagination to our society. This kind of programme helps shape those profiles.\u2019<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

    Everyone\u2019s a designer<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    What does it actually mean to be a designer<\/em> in this context?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u2018It\u2019s all about meta skills and attitude,\u2019 says Hilde. \u2018Curiosity, openness, the courage to ask questions and<\/em> the ability to act. <\/strong>You learn to think and<\/em> to do.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u2018Everyone can become a creative problem-solver<\/strong> in their own context,\u2019 Alexis adds. \u2018Once you\u2019ve internalised the approach, you can use it in your own work environment.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Ivo: \u2018It\u2019s about getting people on board, translating ideas into action. This requires leadership as well as practical tools.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    And what do teachers expect from their participants?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    \u2018That they have the guts to take real steps,\u2019 Hilde says. \u2018We want to educate people who dare to take responsibility and who show leadership,<\/strong> but who also know what their talents and limitations are. As Pippi Longstocking used to say: \u201cI have never tried that before so I think I should definitely be able to do that.\u201d That hint of playfulness<\/strong> is important.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u2018And people who don\u2019t just think about what the world is like, but also about what it could be like<\/strong>,\u2019 Alexis concludes. \u2018That\u2019s the essence of this programme.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    What\u2019s in it for organisations?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Organisations that hire people with this profile gain:<\/p>\n\n\n\n