What we do

Activities

Courses, books, networks and research initiatives across the Danish design research community.

INSIGHTS INTO DANISH DESIGN RESEARCH

Would you like insight into fresh, cutting-edge design research? Join us as the Danish Centre for Design Research (DCDR) explores future initiatives and responsible design through four thematic entries into the latest design research.

Researchers: Anna Vallgårda, Eva Brandt, Morten Krogh, Sissel Olander, Bo Christensen, Thomas Markussen, Eva Knutz, Linda Nhu Laursen, Anne Louise Bang, Sophia Møller, Nikoline Sander, Louise Søs Meyer, Nicklas Engelbrecht Ravn, Safra Martinussen

02Research

Responsible stakeholder engagement in design education: A gobal survey of design programs

Design education increasingly recognizes responsible stakeholder engagement yet lacks clarity on what to teach and how. Applying stakeholder theory, we define Responsible Stakeholder Engagement Competences (RSEC) and its dimensions (Balancing Perspectives, Negotiating Power Relations, and Managing Resources Responsibly), and map how programs teach them. A global survey of design programs (N = 167) measured teaching focus toward four stakeholder groups (users/clients, inter- and intraorganizational, social/cultural, planet) and modeled associations with RSEC using Structural Equation Modeling while controlling for institutional/program factors. We find programs emphasizing inter- and intraorganizational stakeholders report higher RSEC, with strongest gains in Managing Resources Responsibly and Negotiating Power Relations; attention to social/cultural stakeholders shows benefits for Balancing Perspectives. User/client and planetary focus were not significant predictors of RSEC. Program types display distinct stakeholder teaching profiles, and some institutional factors (e.g., degree level) matter. We argue for deliberate, program-level prioritization of organizational stakeholder engagement to build RSEC across design fields.

Researchers: Bo T Christensen, Luke Feast, Kasper Merling Arendt, Linda Nhu Laursen, Peter Gall Krogh, Colin Gray, Kasper Tang Vangkilde

PhD Summer School at the Anticipation 2026 Conference

A two-day doctoral program at Politecnico di Milano (29–30 June) exploring Designing within Paradox — governance, institutional challenges, and ethical dimensions of design.

Researchers: Eva Knutz, Thomas Markussen

04Book

Tinkering Responsible Design

A book project examining what responsible design is — its implications and how it may be practised across sustainability, inclusivity, climate action, and ethical business.

Researchers: Linda Nhu Laursen, Eva Brandt, Thomas Markussen, Eva Knutz

Design Thinking, Design Research, and Design Experiments 2025

A newly developed PhD course exploring how professionals relationships with design methodologies have evolved, discussing selected concepts through reflection and critical examination.

Researchers: Linda Nhu Laursen, Peter Gall Krogh, Hans Jørgen Andersen

Responsible Design Education

A survey and research initiative developing theoretical frameworks for teaching responsible stakeholder engagement in design programs, with a global survey of design education.

Researchers: Bo Christensen, Linda Nhu Laursen, Peter Gall Krogh, Kasper Tang Vangkilde

07Network

ResQ Danish Design

A national research network uniting senior design researchers from all Danish university institutions to question and advance responsible design practices.

Researchers: Linda Nhu Laursen, Anna Vallgårda, Bo Christensen, Peter Gall Krogh, Sissel Olander, Eva Brandt, Thomas Markussen, Eva Knutz, Kasper Tang Vangkilde, Karen Waltorp, Morten Krogh Petersen, Tom Jenkins