Innovation is currently expanding from the design of products, technologies and services to the broader social innovation. Design still stays at the core of innovation, but the often functional approach of design and designers may be too narrow for these contexts. Therefore, participation and co-creation are becoming the norm in complex situations where cross-disciplinary teams add more value than entrepreneurial superstars. Stakeholders from governments, organisations, companies, as well as users participate and contribute to innovation in novel ways. When it comes to approaches, innovation is influenced by the hype of design thinking, by creativity, and by the arts.

Are the current forms of participation sufficient to ensure long-term, sustainable change? Who initiates participation, what roles do companies and organisations play? And is design the solution to all problems – can we really design society, democracy, life? To adapt design to these new conditions requires constructive dialogue at another level of reflection. Only in participating with a range of disciplines, varying from the humanities, business, and arts, we would be able to change our innovation practices.

PIN-C 2015 will explore the role of participatory innovation and design throughout society.  The scope of the conference expands beyond the typical notion of design to point out new areas, challenges and approaches – in short, the theme is  reframing design.

The 4 ^th Participatory Innovation Conference, PIN-C will be held in The Hague, The Netherlands on 18-20 May 2015. Organised jointly by The Hague University of Applied Sciences and the University of Southern Denmark, Sønderborg, this conference will bring together researchers, artists, designers and practitioners.