How can you, as a graphic designer, have an influence on society, or change something about the political landscape? Nine years ago, this question drove Studio Renate Boere in the direction of generating self-initiated projects. After seeing a gradual increase of populism and polarization, we got involved in designing interactive installations to inform citizens about politics in a neutral and entertaining way in a.o. The Netherlands, Belgium and Germany. From this the desire to create self-initiated projects blossomed.

We discovered it’s all about generating visibility by telling a current and innovative story, timing, and a solid collaboration with stakeholders that have the knowledge, network and money you need to reach the your goal. We learned the hard way… Nowadays, we’ve managed to channel these findings into our own method which we use in our practice. From bookdesigns that put subjects on the political agenda (No Guts No Glory), to setting up a (hybrid) archive about the rise of the new protest generation (e.g. Youth for Climate), and from writing a book (I ask you to find your courage) to winning international design prizes. Every project is a designed trial and error process that simply starts with a great idea.

During this lecture, Studio Renate Boere (Renate Boere and Quirine Dob) will take the audience through a 20 minute journey that investigates the limits of graphic design and beyond. With examples from our practice, Studio Renate Boere will show the struggles, the failures, the unexpected and the lessons learned whilst trying to launch self-initiated projects.

photos by Jelle Jansegers, Integrated