The DS4Planet Festival project, supported by EIT Community Ignite NEB (New European Bauhaus), is an initiative created to address contemporary environmental challenges by fostering innovative solutions through participatory design and active engagement of diverse stakeholders, from local communities to institutions.
The event, held from September 16 to 22, 2024, at Teatro Spazio Centrale in Sondrio, attracted over 50 participants, bringing together professionals such as students, design experts, entrepreneurs, and green activists. It consisted of various phases, including an online kick-off, brainstorming sessions, and practical workshops to generate concrete proposals.
Objectives of the DS4Planet Festival
- Promote sustainability by developing practical, sustainable solutions for contemporary environmental challenges.
- Engage the local community, fostering active participation and creating bonds between various groups to enhance social cohesion.
- Encourage creativity and collaboration in an inspiring environment for participants from diverse backgrounds.
The initiative also benefited from collaboration with local entities, volunteer associations, and academic institutions, providing a valuable opportunity for exchanging skills and ideas.
Photo by Davide Dell’Agostino
Methodologies used
The Design Sprint 4Planet Festival adopted the Design Sprint 2.0 method, an updated, more efficient version of the Design Sprint by Jake Knapp for Google Ventures.
This approach focuses on solving complex problems through five structured phases, allowing a tested prototype to be developed in just four days:
- Mapping: analysis of the context and identification of key goals.
- Sketch: creation of individual solution sketches.
- Decision: selection of the best idea to focus on.
- Prototype: development of a tangible version of the chosen solution.
- Test: immediate feedback gathering through prototype testing with real users.
Adopting a protopian, rather than dystopian, perspective, Studio SHIFT guided participants in the creation of positive and achievable future scenarios, focusing on collective involvement and co-creation. Among the themes explored were housing (solutions for more sustainable and inclusive living spaces), the adoption of renewable energy sources and optimization of energy consumption, sustainable water resource management, the creation and protection of “new commons”, and the development of cultural models aligned with sustainability.
In addition, the support of facilitators, industry experts, local residents, and representatives from academic institutions provided a solid foundation for the validation and sustainability of the proposed ideas.
Using tools such as the time target (temporal placement of ideas for long-term planning), postcards (cards to stimulate brainstorming and refine proposals), the solution tree (visualization of solutions inspired by the values of the New European Bauhaus), and the stakeholder map (identification of key actors for each proposal), participants worked on ten possible ideas/solutions.
Photo by Davide Dell’Agostino
Winning projects of the Design 4Planet Festival
A key element of the Design 4Planet Festival was the presence of a panel of experts who evaluated the proposals based on rigorous criteria aligned with the values of the New European Bauhaus (excellence, impact, and feasibility), promoting fairness in the selection and awarding process:
- Giusi Biaggi – President of the National CGM Consortium
- Carlo Brigatti – President of FabLab Sondrio
- Giovanni Caruso – Chapter Leader of Speculative Futures Milan
- Silvio Cioni – Director of Education at Domus Academy
- Elena Giunta – Design Director at Studio SHIFT
- Davide Menegola – President of the Province of Sondrio
- Natalia Vera Pérez – Cities Advisor at EIT Climate-KIC
- Elena Plos – Director of Le Village by CA delle Alpi
Thanks to the Grow NEB grant, the two winning projects will proceed as “pilots”:
- “BeLong – Stay to discover, return to feel at home” (Business Category)
- “Valtellina 114 – Podcast” (Community Category)
Both have received a €1,000 prize and the opportunity to participate in the incubation program with Studio SHIFT, valued at €10,000 in services. This will allow the participants to develop and sustain their projects over time, ensuring a lasting and sustainable impact.
Photo by Davide Dell’Agostino
Project “BeLong – Stay to discover, return to feel at home”
The BeLong project addresses the growing need for well-being and reconnection with nature among urban workers. BeLong connects Valtellina – an area characterized by a low rate of occupied housing – with those who wish to temporarily experience an alternative to the fast-paced rhythm of the city by living in an authentic community environment, offering an immersive and sustainable smart working experience, different from digital nomadism.
The project not only offers companies an innovative welfare option but also contributes to the economic and social well-being of the area. BeLong invites participants to live in Valtellina for at least one month, within a “multi-year agreement,” integrating into the local community and fostering a sense of belonging.
The long-term goal is to create a virtuous cycle: temporary stays could lead visitors to consider permanent relocation, enriching the local community.
Project “Valtellina 114 – Podcast”
The Valtellina 114 – Podcast project aims to promote sustainable tourism along the Valtellina Trail through a participatory podcast with both educational and grassroots storytelling purposes.
Accessible via QR code along the 114km route, the podcast allows visitors to access narratives created by the local residents of the areas along the trail, exploring recent history through their voices while also raising awareness of environmental issues from the past and present, thanks to contributions from experts in ecology and climate change.
The initiative encourages the community to share their stories and promotes a vision of respectful and conscious tourism, aligned with NEB principles.
DS4Planet Festival: a look to the future
The EIT Community Ignite NEB – DS4Planet Festival has marked a significant step in planet-centered design, fostering a dialogue between different disciplines and actively engaging the local community to collectively envision and build a more sustainable future.
The interdisciplinary collaboration among professionals demonstrated that by combining diverse skills and perspectives, we can tackle environmental challenges innovatively, creating solutions capable of making a real impact on our communities.
Visit the official website to learn more about the presented projects and discover how design and creativity can make a difference: www.designforplanet.it/festival
Photo by Davide Dell’Agostino
Make a Shift is Studio Shift's e-magazine, focused on design and social innovation, where you can find articles and case histories of our projects.
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