What's so special about Danish design anyway?
14. Sep 2021Danish design. Most of us probably have an idea of what that entails, but what are the essential features that are always implicit across products and services? We joined forces with the key players of Danish design to identify its unique DNA
Design is so ubiquitous in Denmark, it’s almost something we take for granted. Historically, design has in fact helped shape our entire welfare society; from our furniture and lifestyle to our liveable cities and urban spaces. It’s the glue that holds it all together and makes a product, service, or system desirable. But how is the Danish design DNA unique to Danish creativity, and what exactly is its DNA?
Those were the key questions of a 2016-2017 survey by DDC, the Danish Design Council, The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts Schools of Architecture, Design, and Conservation, and Design Museum Denmark.
Why is the Danish Design DNA essential?
Identifying 10 essential values, from social and simple to human and holistic, the survey became a rediscovery of Denmark’s unique design DNA, solidifying design as a competitive asset for Danish businesses and as a tool for addressing some of the world’s greatest challenges.
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The survey found that the majority of Danish design solutions – from furniture to public services – reflect some, if not all, of these values, reaffirming the hypothesis that a distinctly Danish design DNA does in fact exist across industries, products, and services.
Explore the values and case studies on designdna.dk.
Design as a strategic tool
Over the past decades, design for service and strategic development of companies and organizations has flourished, because it offers a fresh approach to creating value. It can still be a challenge to pinpoint the exact value, and the survey also identified the need to update the concept of “Danish design” to include the added value experienced by companies that work strategically with design.
Christina Melander
Director of Digital Transition
| cme@ddc.dk | |
| Phone | +45 2946 2922 |
| Social |
Reach out to Christina if you want to hear more about the Danish design DNA
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