I am Thomas van Arkel, a design/researcher from Rotterdam who works at the intersection of design and research for societal change.
Currently PhD candidate at TU Delft
About me
I’m a designer and researcher working at the Delft University of Technology. As a designer and researcher I try to understand how designers can foster systemic change in society through the act of design. I do this on the one hand by integrating various fields of research to understand and support the design process, and on the other hand by working on real-world social issues by turning theory into concrete design artefacts. In my free time I am an avid collector of books and records—as well as reading and listening 🎵 to them.
Work in progress
I am currently finalising several projects, among them a project A precarious equilibrium ↗︎ where we explore a new approach to interactions between professionals and people with temporary disability benefits, focusing on self-awareness and collaborative decision-making to stimulate a more sustainable road to employment. Next to that I am finishing an article on Defining design practices for societal challenges ↗︎ where we explore the repertoire that designers bring to the table when working on complex societal issues.
A precarious equilibrium
design research, systemic design, social designDefining design practices for societal challenges
design researchPublications
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What do designers bring to the table?
2024 -
Een ontwerpende aanpak voor maatschappelijke opgaven: waar hebben we het over?
2023 -
Bouwen aan synergetische samenwerkingen
2023 -
IDOLS* Langetermijneffecten—Sociale innovatie met de culturele en creatieve sector
2022 -
Designing appropriate things
2022