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Comment by Alexandra Velnidou on June 21, 2012 at 1:13

Arne, first of all thank you for your comment!

Briefly, I think that the role of service designers is critical in both cases you have described.

Based on my experience, I believe that the extend to which (local) societies develop initiatives in order to confront emerging problems or the related consequences, as well in order to utilize the "collective knowledge" (i.e. the skills of their citizens) for the improvement of daily social performance, depends on the rate that the current culture of each society includes solidarity and creativity.

Therefore, I think that we could and should enhance the growing of that kind of attitude where we see that this is needed through our personal paradigmatic action, that is to say working as "leaders-builders" for communities, while on the other hand we are responding to the challenges, as you rightly said, by "facilitating, steering and helping to materialize" solutions.

Also, I have to note that in my opinion the designers' offer should be voluntary for the purpose of social relief - improvement - innovation, as far as possible.

Network Guide Comment by Arne van Oosterom on June 20, 2012 at 20:19

I agree on the challenge, and that the solution lies in communities. But do you think we are going to have to design and build these communities? Or do you think we are responding to a shift (in culture and behaviour), already taking place and fuelled by urgency, and we are more in the role of facilitating, steering, helping it to materialise?