Quantum technologies hold enormous potential, yet organizations remain hesitant to engage due toseveral barriers to adoption. This report investigates how collaboration between stakeholders canaddress those barriers through a literature review and semi-structured expert interviews conductedwithin the Dutch quantum ecosystem. Given the uncertainty, differing stakeholder values, andcommunication challenges, Future Value Mapping (FVM) is introduced. This foresight method provides astructured, value-driven path to quantum development and is demonstrated using two showcases. ... Read more

Screen devices, once a novelty have become an integrated part of our lives. The usage of these devices can pose many risks to children, whose brains have not fully developed yet. Screen use can result in lagging behind in language, physical, social-emotional and cognitive development. It can also have severe effects on (mental) health and education and cause behavioral problems.

This is a complex problem, involving many stakeholders; wrongdoers, families, schools, knowledge institutions, government, Big Tech, but also police, court, parental control apps and the healthcare sector. They play a role at different levels: individual, home, community and society. Multiple interventions at all these levels are needed to combat the negative effects of screens. One step in the right direction is building children’s digital resilience. Digital resilience is the ability to recognize digital risk and know how to seek help to recover from negative experiences and learn from them for future scenarios.

This project is carried out for the start-up Monimentor, which is developing an app to help families build digital resilience. The aim of this thesis is to design a proof-of-concept for a product for Monimentor that facilitates building digital resilience for primary school children aged 8-12 in the physical context. A social implication design approach is used to tackle this assignment. For this a literature review, expert interviews, desk research and generative sessions are executed. For development various creativity tools are used.

The study found that exposure to risk is necessary to build digital resilience. Multiple factors influence whether risk leads to growth or harm. Parents can have a buffering effect in case a child is exposed to risk. In this the connection between the parent and child is crucial, which among other factors is influenced by their communication. However, in many families communication about the digital world is limited. Therefore, the design goal is to create a solution that facilitates parents and children in sharing and understanding each other’s digital activities and experiences regularly in their daily lives in a positive way to normalise talking about the digital world and digital adversities by means of a tool for the physical world.

The final design, Cloud Surfers, is a persuasive boardgame designed as an addition to the Monimentor app. By using screenshots from the players' digital
activities as input, the game ensures personalisation and helps trigger conversations about the digital world. Through this process, parents and children create a shared understanding of their digital worlds, making the image of each other's screen use more realistic. This understanding and the building of trust in the game enhances the parent-child connection, serving as a strong basis to discuss and reflect on future negative and positive digital experiences to build digital resilience.

The evaluation results are promising in reaching the desired goals. However, a longitudinal evaluation is still necessary. It is recommended to refine Cloud Surfers based on the results of the longitudinal study and bring it to the market. ... Read more

Youth well-being is declining, driven by rising stress, pressure, expectations, and a lack of role models who demonstrate how to foster resilience (Dopmeijer et al., 2023; GGD GHOR Nederland et al., 2024). Well-being complaints seem to appear and intensify in secondary school (Borg et al., 2024). At puberty in particular, insecurities kick in, and youth seek a sense of identity, purpose, and meaning (Green et al., 2022; Strating et al., 2024). Youth can learn skills, norms, and identity from role models such as family, friends and teachers, fostering their well-being (Dopmeijer et al., 2023; Kearney et al., 2020). Role models could further enhance youth well-being by modelling behaviour and behavioural norms, and by representing what is possible or inspiring them to pursue certain goals (Morgenroth et al., 2015). Schools play a significant role in daily life and are well-positioned to support well-being from an early age, and teachers could be important role models for students (Dopmeijer et al., 2023; Kearney et al., 2020; Peeters et al., 2022). However, teachers often do not know exactly what role modelling means, and why it is beneficial; role modelling should therefore be made more explicit and intentional for them (Sanderse, 2012).

For a teacher to be a role model for well-being, three key components have been identified: resilience, identity, and interaction. Showing resilience could help students find ways to deal with stress and worry, be vulnerable, adopt a helpful mindset and shift norms. Showing identity could help students find purpose and meaning and build confidence. Showing interaction could set behavioural norms and foster connections. To intentionally showcase resilience, identity, or interactions, a teacher must first reflect on how they have personally experienced these themes in the past. Then, to make them explicit, the teacher could share them with their students. To assist the teacher in navigating this process in a structured, purposeful manner, the design goal was to create a tool that intentionally and explicitly showcases their unique resilience, identity, and/or interactions, so the teacher can serve as a behavioural model, represent the possible, or inspire their students.

Therefore, Ways to Well-Being has been developed. Ways to Well-Being guides teachers through the following steps:
Becoming aware of what role modelling is and can do.
Reflecting on their own ‘ways to well-being’ to make them more intentional and explicit.
Making these ‘ways’ visible to students, showing why the ‘ways’ matter, and opening up conversations.
Showing how students can copy these ‘ways’ to use for themselves.

The tool has been evaluated with over 30 teachers and 30 students, resulting in many insights. Students value seeing more of their teachers’ lives and personalities, and teachers like the ability to show their human side. Although vulnerability can become a barrier for some teachers, it also fosters empathy from students towards teachers, and can help students feel related to their teachers and less alone when they experience something similar. Overall, this points to great potential for a teacher to serve as a role model to support youth well-being through resilience, identity and interaction.
... Read more

In the coming years, Digital Product Passports (DPPs) will be mandated in the Dutch construction industry through the ESPR, requiring manufacturers to provide detailed information of their products. However, if DPPs remain merely a compliance requirement, the industry may not invest sufficiently to fulfill its circular economy ambitions.
To address this challenge, this thesis aims to unpack the business value that DPP implementation brings to manufacturers in the Dutch construction industry, thereby motivating their investment in DPPs. The research employs various qualitative methods to address four research questions: understanding how DPPs are defined and perceived (RQ1), gaining insights on DPP implementation from early adopter experiences (RQ2), co-creating value-driven implementation goals and steps with manufacturers (RQ3), and determining how to support value-driven DPP implementation (RQ4).
These questions are answered through literature exploration, interviews with construction industry stakeholders, non-construction early adopters, and DPP experts, alongside three co-creation workshops with manufacturers and various design activities.
The findings reveal that early adopter experiences follow four distinct phases: Awareness, Evaluation, Action, and Reflection, with the Evaluation phase proving most crucial for success. Notably, construction manufacturers currently perceive DPPs as presenting significant challenges while seeing relatively little potential, which is a stark contrast to the opportunities described in existing literature.
When exploring value-driven implementation, manufacturers identified varied goals and steps that must be tailored to their specific contexts, highlighting the need for customized approaches rather than one-size-fits-all solutions.
Given the current undeveloped landscape, this research proposes that manufacturers cannot be coerced into DPP implementation. Instead, a “gentle encouraging” approach is needed that validates manufacturers’ experiences, addresses their challenges, and builds confidence for implementation. To support this approach, this thesis developed future adoption scenarios as a practical resource for navigating implementation uncertainty. ... Read more

This thesis explores how accessibility at TU Delft is understood, experienced, and addressed, and how it might be reshaped into a more connected, inclusive, and proactive practice. It treats accessibility not only as a technical matter of compliance but also as a question of culture, governance, and everyday practice.

The research followed a modified Systemic Double Diamond. In the exploratory phase, literature review was combined with observations of the TU Delft context. Interviews, a survey, and two process probes revealed barriers, how they are encountered, and how reporting systems function in practice. These insights reframed accessibility from isolated problems into a systemic challenge shaped by structures, mindsets, and power dynamics. A design futuring process was then used to develop scenarios and a preferred future vision, which was tested and refined in two co-creation workshops with stakeholders.

The findings show that accessibility at TU Delft is fragmented and often reactive. Formal and informal initiatives exist but remain poorly connected. Reporting channels are unclear, feedback is limited, and responsibilities are not well defined. Improvements usually follow complaints or external pressure rather than being anticipated, and progress is slowed by a culture of perfectionism and compliance.

To respond to these complex challenges, I developed a set of strategic tools. The Framework translates the main findings into three focus areas, mindset, systems, and governance, with inclusive design as a connecting strand. It provides a way to understand accessibility as an institutional process rather than a checklist. The Agency × Understanding Matrix makes visible where different actors currently stand and where the greatest leverage for change lies. Two entry points were designed in response: the “Access Follows Who?” campaign which makes exclusion visible and reframes accessibility as a shared cultural issue, and the “Pathways of Access” workshop, which uses lived experience as a starting point, bringing stories and examples of exclusion into dialogue with institutional actors to clarify roles and responsibilities. A strategic and a tactical roadmap translate these ideas into a sequence of actions, combining immediate steps, such as clearer reporting and feedback loops, with longer-term changes, including embedding accessibility officers in faculties and connecting accessibility to the broader social safety infrastructure.

Evaluation sessions confirmed the relevance of these tools and highlighted the importance of follow-up, visible responsibility, and alignment with institutional priorities. The project concludes that accessibility at TU Delft should not be treated as an afterthought or a checklist. Instead, it needs to be understood as hospitality and justice: a commitment that shapes systems, culture, and daily life. ... Read more

Over the past few years, the topic of social safety within Dutch student associations has become increasingly relevant. Since Amnesty International published a report in 2021 revealing that one in ten female students is raped during their time at university, the conversation around sexually transgressive behavior has slowly shifted towards taking the issue more seriously (Driessen & Polet, 2021). Different student-driven initiatives have been launched, including the Studentpact in 2023, and associations started to realize they play a key role in addressing this topic internally (Mariëtte Hamer et al., 2023). However, despite all the growing attention, motivation and awareness, achieving the necessary cultural change remains incredibly complex and difficult.

This thesis explores how Dutch student associations can transition towards a socially safe environment, diving into the complexity of the issue. It considers the core elements that define student culture. Through interviews with students from various backgrounds and roles at two associations in Delft, the impact of social norms and language on social safety within these associations was explored. The results revealed the complexity and multifaceted aspects of the topic. This research did not aim to find a one-size-fits-all solution, because such a solution does not exist. Instead, the goal was to develop a concept that could support, guide, and empower students who are trying to make their association a safer place.

The interview results show that many students struggle with knowing where to begin. While they recognize the need for change, they feel overwhelmed by the complexity and sensitivity of the issue. A lack of understanding, reflection and structure creates a barrier. What is often seen as ‘normal’ behavior within association culture does not always align with what is safe, inclusive or wanted. Because these behaviors are often deeply rooted in traditions, rituals, subcultures, hierarchies and other cultural elements, they are difficult to question, let alone change.

The research revealed many interesting insights that make the complexity of the topic more easy to understand. It showed which factors, elements and conditions play a role in creating a socially safe environment within student culture, like hidden hierarchies and the influence of gender. These insights formed the basis for the final concept, ‘The Recipe for a Socially Safe Association.’ The concept consists of two main elements, a discussion board (‘praatplaat’) and a workbook, that aim to make the topic more accessible and encourage action. The concept is designed to support students in initiating open conversations, developing a shared understanding of social safety within their unique culture, and creating an action plan so they can take the first steps towards positive cultural change within their own association.

Rather than focusing on ready to use rules or policies, the concept centers on reflection and empowerment. It encourages students to work together and critically evaluate their own culture, speak up, and take responsibility for shaping the community they want to be a part of. After all, lasting change doesn't come from the outside; it happens when students feel empowered to take the lead. ... Read more

Public sports infrastructure is vital to making sure our cities move. These spaces form the playgrounds where our children play and the outdoor sporting facilities we continue to use as adults.  

Yet, despite their importance, participation rates among youth are dropping, and busier lifestyles mean facilities are seeing limited usage. Various attempts have been made to bring more technology, interactivity, and innovation to public sports spaces through new equipment and digital innovations. However, many of these interventions have fallen short. Facilities remain underutilized, and the gap between what’s provided and what communities actually need continues to grow.  

At the same time, we’re witnessing exciting shifts: the rise of alternative sports formats, urban sports becoming more mainstream, and technology becoming ever more integrated into our sporting lives. This presents a unique opportunity for genuine innovation. This thesis explores how innovation in Dutch public sports can be re-imagined to truly involve users and respond to their environments. Rather than imposing top-down solutions, it draws on design-led approaches and participatory methods to increase collaboration in building playgrounds, sports facilities, and cities that promote inclusivity and vitality. By centering the lived experiences of communities, this research reframes public sports innovation as a collaborative challenge; one that requires listening, co-creating, and holistic thinking.  

The outcome is W&H Playscape - a comprehensive toolkit designed to empower sports equipment suppliers and innovators to facilitate meaningful change in public sporting spaces.  

Central to this toolkit is the Playscape Game, a card game that brings diverse stakeholders together to engage in critical conversations, fostering empathy and shared understanding. This is complemented by the Playscape Dashboard, an online platform where community sports projects are visualized and tracked in real time, alongside a curated database of participatory methods and tools. Together, these elements form an integrated system that enables W&H Sports to facilitate dialogue around public sports infrastructure and cocreate sporting environments that authentically reflect community needs and aspirations. Ultimately, this thesis advocates for a fundamental shift in how public sports infrastructure is designed and delivered in modern society. A move away from prescriptive, top-down models toward collaborative, community-centered approaches that drive systemic change.  

In an era where urban vitality and public health are increasingly at risk, it calls for sports infrastructure that serves communities authentically, placing local voices at the heart of a more inclusive and active future. ... Read more

The circular economy is increasingly acknowledged worldwide, including in healthcare. It focuses on extending the lifespan and value of products and materials by ensuring their continuous use within the system. This approach is crucial as it shifts away from the prevalent "take-use-dispose" linear model. Given the rapid growth and mounting pressures on healthcare systems, adopting a circular economy is essential to improving sustainability and ensuring broader access to healthcare.

In healthcare, particularly in low-resource settings in Sub-Saharan Africa, circular economy principles can improve access to medical devices and overall healthcare. As the global awareness of health as a fundamental human right grows, there is an increasing push towards universal health access. However, this access is heavily dependent on the availability of medical equipment and qualified medical staff. Unfortunately, medical devices and healthcare technologies are often inaccessible in low-resource settings. Not only does this undermine healthcare delivery, but it sometimes also results in environmental issues, such as the improper disposal of non-functional devices and medical waste, which leads to the loss of valuable materials.

Recent trends in medical device design are shifting from a linear model towards a circular economy approach. This shift aims to ensure that devices are robust, durable, reusable and have an extended lifespan to provide healthcare for all. However, the full implications and complexities of integrating circular economy principles into medical device design in low-resource contexts, is poorly understood. This thesis addresses these through a series of studies focused on designing and implementing medical devices in low-resource settings while incorporating circular economy principles.

The first study is a foundational study which provides a literature review of how circular economy principles have been applied in designing medical devices for low resource settings in Sub-Saharan Africa. The study highlights existing practices such as durability, maintenance, and repair that enhance the longevity of medical devices. However, it also identifies a notable gap in the consideration of refurbishment, re-manufacturing, and recycling in these designs. Building on this, the second study utilises a practical framework to design a medical device from a circular economy perspective, examining the complexities and trade-offs involved. It introduces the Chloe Syringe Extension Device (Chloe SED®), designed to provide pain relief medication during gynaecological procedures in Kenya. The study identifies trade-offs between, on the one hand, material selection, cost price, durability, reprocessing methods and costs, and on the other hand environmental impact, highlighting the need for ongoing assessment to ensure the device remains accessible, affordable, and environmentally sustainable.

The third study assesses the implementation of Chloe SED® in routine care through a large-scale clinical trial. The findings show that the device performs comparably to standard care, integrates well into existing procedures, and has potential to enhance healthcare access. This study highlights the importance of aligning medical device design with local healthcare systems to ensure effective integration and impact. The fourth study explores the designer’s journey in creating and implementing Chloe SED®. This study highlights the diverse roles a designer must assume: collaborator, facilitator, knowledge broker, policy advocate, and entrepreneur, while recognising the need to shift between these roles. The study underscores the iterative nature of the design process and the necessity for ongoing stakeholder engagement to achieve successful adoption and integration of new devices into healthcare systems.

This thesis provides an in-depth analysis of designing and implementing medical devices for low-resource settings in Sub-Saharan Africa, focusing on circular economy principles. It highlights the significance of context-specific design, the challenges of integrating new devices into routine care, and the essential roles of designers in fostering innovation and driving societal change. ... Read more

Design education plays a crucial role in preparing students for professional practice, equipping them with the right tools to navigate the broadening field and practices of design. However, design education falls short when it comes to supporting design students in their personal-professional journey of becoming a designer.

Design students seem to struggle with articulating what they bring to the table, and knowing what their role can be within the field of design, or beyond. The fast evolving design field demands design practitioners that persist in working with complex (societal) issues and know how they can use their agency. Therefore, they have to stand strong, be resilient, and know how they can contribute with their specific qualities.

Knowing and understanding how these qualities can be of use in as a design practitioner is a powerful tool. However, design education seems to put emphasis on knowledge and skills, rather than discovering those personal qualities. The truth is that design education cannot fully prepare students for the future, since we do not know what it holds. This does not mean that we should miss the opportunity to deliver the best design students that feel empowered and have the agency to reach their full potential as design practitioners.

Therefore, this thesis proposes educational tools that can be used to support students with their personal-professional journey in becoming the desired designer they aspire to be. The tools proposed in this report consist of multiple principles and a video that can guide students in this journey. While the principles helps in discovering students’ unique set of qualities, the video helps them in showing the urgency to work on their personal journey.

By supporting design students in their authentic identity formation, ID education can better prepare students for their professional journeys. By implementing the proposed interventions students can be supported with their transition from novices to competent professionals. ... Read more

Current literature that aims to describe the use of (Gen)AI in the domain of design is hindered by the lack of conceptual integration of design theories which in turn blurs the connection between the design process and human-AI interaction and collaboration frameworks. This thesis’ objective is to contribute to the conceptual understanding of LLM-based design process augmentation. This thesis shows how such LLM-based design process augmentation can look like by establishing 1) a time-based framework of a human – Augmentation-System collaborative design process, 2) a perspective on the design process augmentation capabilities of LLMs, and 3) an augmentation system architecture and interface for the practical implementation of these theoretical considerations. Other contributions that have enabled these three main contributions include 1) the unification of existing design theories (problem-solution co-evolution, situated Function-Behavior-Structure (FBS) framework, Concept-Knowledge theory, and Uncertainty Driven Action (UDA) model) to attend to a wider range of person-related characteristics required for the description of a collaborative process of design, 2) the connection between human intellect augmentation and creativity literature, resulting in 3) the application of creativity literature in the domain of GenAI and specifically LLMs, and 4) the application of the layers of behavior as described in the UDA (Uncertainty Driven Action) model for the creation of a computational augmentation system. Finally, a reflection on the feasibility and desirability of different forms and applications of augmentation systems is provided. The results of this thesis have created a fundament for further research into the direction of the initial objective, as the results have increased the conceptual power to describe and explain process, output, and other augmentation-related phenomena connected to the domain of human-LLM (or GenAI) co-design. ... Read more

This graduation project investigates the relationship between care and community and reflects on the possible impact of these learnings on design practice. Care is a complex dimension of life, which entails the act of providing everything that is necessary for the maintenance and repair of the world (Tronto, 1993). From this perspective, we can reframe many of the challenges in our society as challenges of care, and recognize the importance of addressing care outside of traditional (institutional and consumer-based) perspectives.

One of these divergent perspectives is community-based care. There are indications that communities might offer interesting alternatives of care, however, research on community care often focuses on the outcomes for individuals, rather than on the internal dynamics of the community where care is experienced. For this reason, exploring what communities can tell us about the practice of care becomes promising. In this project, I investigate the interaction between care and community, by pursuing a small-scale care intervention in two Dutch central living organisations.

The outcomes of this research reflect that communities offer an unique perspective from which care can be addressed. Care in communities is direct, embraces diversity, evolves constantly and thrives on both structured and spontaneous practices. Interestingly, the relationship between care and community is even deeper, care supports the construction of community. Given its promising qualities to address care, I suggest three ways in which design can support community care: designers can support care within communities, support communities with care, and support care that exercises community values. ... Read more

Cities have witnessed the disappearance of natural habitats, putting biodiversity at risk and leaving citizens with a diminished connection to nature. Establishing a strong human-nature connection is crucial for sustainable transformations in society, influencing sustainable norms, values, and policy decisions.

Urban Reef, a company specializing in 3D-printed ceramic Reefs, offers a solution to improve urban biodiversity by hosting various living species. These Reefs are considered “living artefacts” as they evolve over time with the colonization of natural species. However, little research has been conducted on the social dimension of such living artefacts and how they can positively impact human users and their connection to nature. To address this knowledge gap, this research aimed to explore how Living Artefacts, like Urban Reef’s Reefs, can help urban citizens feel more connected to nature. The project employed a combination of Research through Design and Co-creative Design approaches to answer this question.

The research commenced with a user study conducted during a family science day, utilizing interactive posters, observations, and the creation of clay seed combs. The results, along with a literature review, revealed a limited connection to and awareness of nature within urban environments. However, the study also demonstrated the potential of engaging with Reefs to enhance nature connectedness. In the subsequent phase, a citizen science study involving five participants caring for and monitoring a Reef showcased improvements in human-nature connectedness. Participants experienced a shift in their perception of nature and developed meaningful bonds with the Reef.

Drawing upon the citizen science findings and an extensive literature review, a comprehensive collection of design guideline cards for living artefact designers was created. The card set encompasses seven pathways to increase nature connectedness through living artefacts: Living Aesthetics, Interactions, Affective Response, Habitabilities, Care & Compassion, Views of Nature, and Ecological Knowledge. These cards serve as a valuable resource for designers, providing diverse approaches to adapt ideas, designs, and prototypes to create living artefacts that foster a stronger connection between urban citizens and the natural environment. Moreover, the cards feature concrete examples of Living Artefacts, offering tangible illustrations to support and inspire designers in their creative process.

Additionally, three concept designs were developed by applying the design cards to Urban Reef’s existing Reefs, serving as illustrative examples of potential outcomes achievable through the utilization of the design guidelines. The thesis project concluded with a user evaluation of the design concepts, followed by recommendations for the future development of Urban Reef. These recommendations aim to guide the market introduction of Reefs in the coming years. The thesis project also provides additional recommendations for further refining the design guidelines.

In summary, this research project highlights the importance of fostering a human-nature connection in urban environments. Through the exploration of Living Artefacts, such as Urban Reef’s Reefs, and the development of design guideline cards, this project offers insights and tools for designers to create living artefacts that enhance nature connectedness among urban citizens. ... Read more

This master's thesis collaborates with the Netherlands Red Cross (NLRC) and their Water and Innovation team. The aim of the team is to foster greater engagement with local communities and establish a power balance that empowers the partnering country, rather than being centralized in the NLRC's headquarters in The Hague.

The core of the research project is the design of a storytelling book that adopts a fairytale tone to facilitate ease of reading, engagement, and inspiration. The book incorporates captivating visualizations to narrate the stories of Akila, a Mozambican girl living in Beira, and the Red Cross volunteers during disaster relief efforts.

This design is created through extensive research. The study identifies significant challenges within the NLRC, highlighting the need for substantial transformations in work methodologies. Specifically, the structure of projects must be reoriented to prioritize the active involvement of local communities. The challenges analyzed in this thesis include organizational alignment, global knowledge transfer, and local engagement.

To address these challenges, the project adopts a comprehensive five-phase approach. The initial phase involves a digital visit to Mozambique, conducting extensive research across five domains to gain a deep understanding of the context. The second phase focuses on developing an academic foundation by exploring topics such as climate injustice and climate change. The third phase encompasses in-depth interviews with a multitude of organizations both within and outside the field. Subsequently, it reconvenes to synthesize the gathered information into an engaging design specifically tailored for the NLRC. The fourth phase involves defining and refining the design concept, including testing the book and formulating an implementation strategy.

The book's target audience includes experienced and new Red Cross employees, direct project partners of the NLRC (e.g., Deltares), indirect partners (e.g., the Ministry of Foreign Affairs), and organizations encountering similar challenges (e.g., Doctors Without Borders). Furthermore, with adaptations in text, language, and visualization, the book holds the potential for integration into the NLRC's existing school packages.

Currently, theWater and Innovation Unit aims to expand the organization's expertise across various phases of the disaster risk management cycle. While historically focused on the response and recovery phases, the NLRC's project in Beira signifies a transition toward involvement in the mitigation and preparation phases as well.

The extensive network of organizations and companies affiliated with the NLRC offers a significant opportunity for sustained expansion. To promote a shift of control to the partnering countries, it becomes essential to establish a network that incorporates local organizations. This necessitates the acquisition of localized knowledge to effectively engage with the NLRC, thus fostering a comprehensive understanding of the specific contexts. The primary future role of the NLRC encompasses not only financial support but also the refinement of programs, enhanced program impact, and facilitation of network expansion. Consequently, the NLRC assumes the role of a facilitator in the realm of disaster risk management, where decisions are governed by the partnering country. Acknowledging the existing power imbalance, the transition to this stage will undoubtedly demand a substantial investment of time and effort. ... Read more

The production of denim harms the environment, and given the industry’s size, the negative impact is significant. Therefore, denim must be produced more sustainably. In order to bring about change in the industry, an increase in demand for eco-friendly jeans is necessary to incentivise investments in sustainable production methods. Here, low-cost clothing brands and retailers can play a crucial role. With their substantial share in the denim industry and their connection to consumers, they have the ability to grow demand through effective Sustainability Communication. Unfortunately, their efforts currently overwhelm and confuse consumers, consequently damaging consumers’ green buying intentions. Therefore, this thesis, in collaboration with House of Denim, a non-profit striving for a more sustainable denim industry, investigates how low-cost brands and retailers can adapt their Sustainability Communication to ultimately increase the popularity of sustainable jeans.

To find a solution, this thesis examines the inter-organisational relations in the current system for SC, the brand's and retailers’ experience of the system and future notions by means of interviews and a literature study.

The investigation of the current system uncovered the multifaceted complexity that causes the SC shortcomings of low-budget brands and retailers. The inter-organisational challenges that contribute to this complexity are the indefinite and incomplete means of authorities that fall short in offering the industry constructive guidance. In addition, internal challenges from brands and retailers contribute to the complexity as their commercial strategy is in conflict with sustainability efforts; they operate individually and end up discouraged. On top of that, the competitive nature of the fashion industry, driven by seasonality, and fast-changing trends on low price points makes it challenging for low-cost brands and retailers to prioritise sustainable efforts.
Nevertheless, upcoming European legislation and showcasing eco-efforts to consumers are the predominant motivators for these businesses to invest in sustainable practices.

To overcome the complexity, brands and retailers must collaborate to level the playing field for SC towards consumers. Therefore, the final design is a proposal for a Dutch Denim Coalition. It presents the vision in a storytelling poster, suggests a strategy to build the coalition and offers dialogue starters. The coalition unites brands and retailers and connects them with knowledge and experts. The goal is to encourage managers from brands and retailers to adopt the same principles for sustainable denim and collectively work on improving the current system for SC.

This thesis highlights the fundamental issues that hinder the change of these low-cost clothing brands and retailers. It emphasises the significance of involving non-sustainable brands and retailers in sustainability discussions, as they represent a large part of the denim market and cannot be ignored. Hence, the design suggests a new direction for House of Denim which revives and enlarges the impact of their resources with a more inclusive view of the denim industry. Ultimately, it brings them one step closer to their vision; a Brighter Blue.
... Read more

With nearly 70% of people living in cities by 2050 (United Nations, 2018), our urban environments are being put to the test, with more severe and frequent heat waves, droughts, floods, ongoing biodiversity loss, air pollution, and land subsidence. To sustain and increase the liveability and climate resilience of cities, the design and implementation of urban green infrastructure, with the urban forest as its backbone, is one of the most critical solutions (Spronken-Smith & Oke, 1998; Rosenzweig et al., 2015; Norton et al., 2015). However, the current indifference that runs through the veins of the anthropocentric political, economic, and socio-technical systems limits the urban forest from being a central part of the built environment.

As an attempt to put urban trees on the political agenda, the USDA Forest Service developed and launched the i-Tree software in 2006 to quantify the ecosystem services provided by urban trees (Nowak, 2020). In 2019, the first version became applicable to the Netherlands. This project is part of the three-year-long follow-up, i-Tree 2.0-NL, consisting of a consortium of 28 stakeholders to further elaborate the cooling performance, model growth curves, and synchronise the potential of the software for the stakeholders. This thesis concerns the latter.

The project starts with an understanding of the overarching transitions, exploring the direction in which the urban green domain should (and currently is) heading to calibrate the compass for change (see Figure 1). The newly proposed paradigm illustrates five societal shifts in how we relate to, integrate, account for, collaborate for and provide access to the urban forest. The ideal is to reposition the urban forest as critical infrastructure. The project is moving towards mapping the current system and processes of the consortium stakeholders, localising the role of the public green sector in urbanisation and discovering interrelationships. The different domains are strategically separated and examined in isolation to explore opportunities for integrating i-Tree into architectural, municipal and nursery processes. From this set of five opportunity areas, the concept of a management dashboard was selected for further development with the aim of linking municipal green space policy and green space management.

The ‘Urban Forest Portfolio’ is created, evolving the use of i-Tree from static assessments to a dynamic portfolio. The dashboard aims to integrate the urban forest lifecycle into planning, management and design, to track progress towards the realisation of long-term quantified targets, and to enable scenario evaluation for just compensation.

The integration of the proposition into the system is discussed, leading to eight concrete new practices and six speculations on a system scale, one of which is the establishment of the ‘Rijksgroenstaat’. Finally, the principles behind these new practices helped to make the new paradigm tangible, operationalise the transitions and bring into focus the parts specific to the domain of this project.

The project aims to discover the systemic granularity of the urban green domain, oscillating between abstract paradigms, concrete practice, and levels in between. A systemic strategy developed side by side with the stakeholders in the green sector.
... Read more

The International Red Cross Red Crescent Movement, ‘The Movement’, is the world’s largest humanitarian network. More than 50% of the 14 million active volunteers are youth volunteers. These youth volunteers play vital roles in humanitarian action and development around the world by addressing needs in their communities. To develop the potential of these youth volunteers and enhance their collective impact, The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) launched an IFRC Youth Innovation Academy: Limitless. Limitless offers youth volunteers a theoretical introduction to the design process and financial support for the development of their ideas. Applying for the programme starts with the introduction of a COVID-19 related problem, followed by a number of workshops to guide projects of the youth volunteers.

This thesis examines whether the design of the Limitless program matched its aim of fostering humanitarian innovation, and based on the research conducted it presents a new human-centered curriculum design to foster innovation through a strong focus on problem framing. This bridges the gap between the (currently unanswered) human perspective and the incentive to facilitate innovation from within the IFRC.

From extensive literature and empirical research it can be concluded that the current programme lacks multiple components necessary for successful facilitation of innovation. Foremost, the initial challenges presented by the youth volunteers were often found to be too broad and ill-defined, therefore making it difficult to come up with a solution within the scope of the programme. Resulting from these initial findings, thorough research on how to facilitate innovation was carried out. Based on this a set of design guidelines and barriers for innovation was formulated. These guidelines formed the starting point of the concept design.

The design phase explored how a strategically designed solution can complement the currently missing components of the Limitless programme. An overarching platform is proposed, which aims to stimulate interaction between multiple stakeholders and creates more growth potential for the youth volunteers’ projects. The first module within the action-oriented curriculum presented via the platform emphasizes
problem framing. A deeper dive into theory and practice around this resulted in a novel workshop format for which a back-end flowchart and a front-end digital prototype were developed. The concept was iterated upon multiple times, in order to create a format that best meets the needs of the youth volunteers. Validation with youth volunteers suggests that the novel workshop does indeed improve the ability to create a well-framed problem statement.

This research contributes to the IFRC’s ambition to support young innovators in their innovation journey. It also highlights more generally how humanitarian innovation can be improved and how growth potential can be designed. For future implementation and further development of the curriculum, a selection of recommendations is presented. ... Read more

This thesis aims to find a new collection method for post-consumer denim garments that fits the future context and the needs of ecosystem stakeholders. The thesis is aimed at all who want to work on a circular fashion industry from a business- or ecosystem perspective. The design solution is aimed at brands and retailers.

In a circular economy, denim is recycled at the end-of-life. To scale up recycling, collecting needs scaling up. Now municipalities grant the right to collect garments to collectors. They use textiles containers. The profitability of this business model is decreasing and many garments still end up in the trash.

Stakeholders in the denim industry were interviewed about the barriers, drivers and ideal situation for collecting or working with post-consumer (recycled) denim. The most critical barriers stakeholders mentioned are: clothing is treated as a waste stream; the company’s scale is too small for impact; (fast) fashion is counteractive to circularity; financial barriers; a lack of transparency in the ecosystem; needing to convince consumers to hand in clothes; and uncertainties around legislation. The most important drivers they mentioned are: legislation (the Extended Producer Responsibility) leads to action; financial incentives (from legislation); more attention for sustainability; and growing consumer enthusiasm for sustainability. Consumers often value attributes like a comfortable fit over sustainability when buying garments. There is a need to educate the consumer on topics like handing in clothes. For an ideal situation, industry stakeholders mentioned: collaboration between stakeholders; sustainability is profitable; brands and retailers take care of different steps in the value chain; more transparency. They also asked: should the future be local or global; and should we create closed loops within a brand or the industry? Trends that impact the ecosystem are trends in logistics and legislation.

Brands and retailers will be impacted by the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and will bear responsibility for collecting garments at the end-of-life. Therefore, the design challenge is to facilitate the collection of worn denim for brands and retailers. The thesis studied the case of De Rode Winkel to learn more about jeans collection in stores. This gave insight into the volume composition of the collected jeans. The retailer kept some of the jeans, which led to a decrease in revenue for the sorter. A different approach to the business model was needed. Therefore, the design challenge was redefined to develop the business case of collection as a service.

In the final design, Textiles2Textiles offers collection as a service (CaaS) to denim brands and retailers. The consumer hands in their garment at a store and receives a discount. The service, called the Collecting Collective, takes care of educating the consumer; providing retailers and brands with the means to collect; and sorting the garments and sending them to the right step in the value chain. The service can exist in a system without and with the EPR. At first, the service will be only for denim garments, but will later extend to the collection of all garments. ... Read more

Cities are in an urgent need to adapt to the impacts of climate change, particularly, high temperatures and heat stress. Urban Forests are the most effective means of climate adaptation. However, the multiple benefits of urban trees are highly undervalued in the urban contexts. This project focuses on positioning urban trees as effective agents in improving the overall liveability of cities. The premise of the project lies in the fuzzy front end of the innovation process where the i-Tree technology is being redeveloped for its effective adoption in Netherlands. The goal of the project is to synchronize the technical potential of i-Tree as a tool and communicate the benefits of trees to multiple stakeholders in the process.

The overall design direction aims to address these problems through a series of interventions across the system of urban forestry. The concept introduces a public awareness campaign to bridge the knowledge gap between citizens and other stakeholders. The campaign is proposed to stretch over a duration of 10-11 months with several touchpoints along the way for citizens to get enthusiastic about the idea of maintaining and taking care of urban trees. The touchpoints aim to target events like Dutch Design week, Boomfeestdag (Tree Festival) and Springsnow festival. To make the awareness program desirable and interesting. A podcast series and a guide is developed called “How to befriend a Tree?”. A concept for the i-Tree Eco tool is proposed which communicates tree benefits in a way that is comprehensible by all the citizens. All the touch points lead the audience of the campaign to the digital platform of i-Tree Netherlands which helps people become caretakers of trees easily. ... Read more

The explosion in e-commerce has been undeniable. Our current global situation has urged the different industries to adapt the way they provide their services & products, creating a higher demand for home delivery. With 66% of Europeans claiming to have shopped online more since the initial lockdown in March 2020 and 82% planning to shop online at the same level or more post lockdown (Samat, 2014), online shopping will remain in the consumption behaviour of potential customers. Even if consumers considered receiving their packages at their home or decided to pick them up, some other concerns may arise with this new way of purchasing, especially with the packaging system and the further waste disposal issues that the Netherlands has been facing. The high demand for packaging material and the tight supply of waste paper are pushing up cardboard prices (Velden & Stooker, 2021). Thus, there is an inconsistency in the collection of material for repurposing, leading to an increase in the price of recycled material [ + 214% in May 2021 (TMR, 2021)] and leaving the use of virgin material as a better alternative to meet the demand for cardboard. With a market estimated to be valued at ~US$ 237 billion by the end of 2019 and anticipated to reach ~US$ 333 billion by 2027 (TMR, 2021), wood pulp became a relevant subject of analysis in this project. Without a proper strategy to ensure collection and prevent the material from being contaminated, the packaging sector will be forced to bring new virgin material into the chain, which may affect our natural resources in the medium term. This thesis aimed to identify the potential points where paper-based packaging may become waste. Therefore, a systemic design approach is used to identify the different actors. Then, a strategic solution allows them to set shared needs & impacts and collaborate towards the proposed goal. As a result, a program that incorporates logistic providers, packaging producers and waste collectors was created. Moots (from the Mayan word that means “roots”) puts the waste collection system closer to the consumer and, in this way, successfully recover, measure, and repurpose waste paper and cardboard. It also evolves the role of the waste collectors where they became a facilitator to enhance collaboration, goal development, implementation, and measurement of objectives with the final aim of reducing the idea of waste. ... Read more

Public organisations are shifting their focus towards the implementation of sustainability into their projects through sustainable public procurement, but recent studies indicated that the implementation is still lacking. Sustainable public procurement is only implemented in around 10% of the Dutch public procurement tenders (Yu et al. 2020). One of the reasons for the lack of implementation is the added complexity to the job of the procurement specialist. MVI platform helps these procurement specialists by guiding them through this complex task. During their work they found out that a lot of potential positive impact is lost at the start of a project. The most potential for impact is found in the civil construction sector, due to the size of its projects. Because of this potential, the graduation project is aimed at stimulating sustainable public procurement for civil construction projects. This graduation project focusses on the design of an intervention at the early stages of a project in order to start creating more positive social and environmental impact. This is done through the design of practices that support a pragmatic and collaborative approach. During these practices, a mix of vision, management and execution stakeholders come together to share ideas, discuss and prioritize in order to decide which role sustainability should play within the project. The community of practice theory and boundary object theory as well as the SDG procurement compass from MVI platform were used to give shape to the practices. During the graduation project, two practices were created in the form of online workshops. The first workshop focussed on the definition of sustainable ambitions within the project. During the second workshop, the participants formulated measurable goals and made a list of actions and key stakeholders. The workshops were tested during multiple case studies, and iterations on the workshops were made based on the received feedback. After iterations, the early stage intervention, also called SDG impact kick-off, is designed to be a set of three workshops. The ambitions -, actions -, and stakeholders workshop. Although it was not possible to measure the actual impact of the workshops on the projects that were used as case studies, the feedback and results from the workshop seemed promising. The workshops clarified how sustainability could be implemented and helped to create a concrete implementation plan. A plan that helps project leaders with integrating sustainability and helps procurement specialist with setting up sustainable public procurement procedures. All in all, these collaborative practices are believed to aid in the creation of more positive sustainable impact in construction projects. The workshops of the SDG impact kick-off form a beginning of a practice that makes sustainability an integral part of any project. ... Read more