Social Design. from Theory to Practice in Building Inclusive Society.

Traditionally, design that dates back to the nineteenth century and the industrial revolution was mainly talked about in the context of product design and the use of industrial technology of those years. Nowadays design has been redefined with subsequent additions generated by the need to expand its scope of application (from products to services, strategy and organization management), and to include more and more new actors in the field of design (from experts from various disciplines to end users) (Manzini 2015, Papanek 1972, Simon 1981). From the beginning of the 21st century, there has also been a strong shift in design towards the use of design skills for social issues. Today, socially engaged designers are reacting to the negative consequences of what mass production has brought in the social, cultural and environmental dimensions. What more, demographic changes compel urban policy planners to take into account a wide range of opportunities of design in solving selected social problems with a socially responsible and creative approach to design. This trend is defined in literature as universal design, design for all (Mace, 1980, 1998) or inclusive design. We suggest considering the following issues:

• What is the role of design in contemporary society?
• How design is used in solving problems related to social and cultural changes ?
• What role can design play in the process of social intervention?
• How can the perception of designers change, showing examples of socially responsible design?
• How to involve institutions (governments, entrepreneurs) in the process of socially responsible design?