Social Design Tour

A rainy January morning, 5:00 a.m.
We set off with a simple question: who is shaping solutions to the social challenges of our time?

The Social Design Tour is a journey across Europe—an experiment in communication between research and practice, between intention and action.

Social design is not about products, but about responding to societal challenges—especially where markets and institutions fall short.

The result is a series of trailers, web episodes and an event film, portraying people, projects and ideas addressing these challenges.

Hamburg, early morning. Our first stop: the Museum of Arts and Crafts.

Here we meet Claudia Banz, whose exhibition offers insight into current approaches to social design—between design, research and social responsibility.

One project stands out: more than shelters by Daniel Kerber. For over twenty years, he has developed solutions for people living in slums and refugee camps—at the intersection of architecture, design and social innovation.

That same day, we continue on to Denmark. A night in a hostel, departure before sunrise. A ferry to Sweden.

Our destination: Erik Ohlsen, co-founder of Walther alter the Wheelchair.

His approach: a wheelchair designed for rough terrain in developing regions—robust, simple, adaptable. A solution enabling mobility where infrastructure is lacking.

The sun sets as we continue towards Malmö.
The first encounters linger—conversations in the van, images passing by.

The next morning, we cross the Öresund Bridge. Our destination: Pelle Ehn.

For over forty years, he has shaped what is now known as co-design. As a professor at Malmö University, he is approaching retirement.

What follows is an intense conversation about the thinking behind social design—and its potential to drive societal change.

Inspired by our first encounter with Pelle Ehn, we head to Malmö University.

The Malmö Living Labs feel open, experimental, almost otherworldly.

Soon after, we sit down with Pelle Ehn, Per-Anders Hillgren and Anna Seravalli.

A conversation unfolds—and with it, a central question: what is social design?

Via Amsterdam, Nuremberg and Bolzano, we return to Munich.
4,500 kilometres, many encounters—and renewed energy.

Shortly after, Munich Creative Business Week begins. The Hans Sauer Foundation brings together partners and research institutions from across Europe at the Impact Hub.

We are right in the middle of it—days filled with conversations, presentations and practice.

At the end: the Hans Sauer Prize.

What remains goes beyond the journey itself.

The Social Design Tour has shown the diversity of approaches—and the connections between them. Between research and practice, intention and action, a growing field takes shape.

The encounters linger.
And one question stays open.

How do we design the future together?