Book Launch - the design village
Dear friends of the design village, and of Mridu and Paul,
We warmly invite you to the launch of a book that shares the philosophy and journey behind the design village. More than a celebration, our intention is that it kindles a conversation on radically rethinking design education, moving us closer to 'educating the next generation of designers for social transformation'.
Looking forward to seeing you there.
With love and excitement,
Mridu, Paul and Eline
This year, TDV takes part in the Class of '26 exhibition at Klokgebouw. You could visit it before the book launch, but make sure you have a DDW ticket.
About the book:
As the world faces numerous challenges, designers must be prepared for their role and responsibility in transforming society. The design village embodies a new vision for design education, advocating for a radical rethinking of how we nurture designers. In this book, co-founders of the design village Mridu Sahai Patnaik and Paul Hekkert draw on their decade-long experience of establishing this pioneering school in India.
Rather than simply adding courses aimed at impact, they propose different educational frameworks, pivoting towards values that matter in today’s world: how to become a villager. At the heart of this book are three guiding principles: Impact First, Pedagogy Centric, and Unreasonably Reciprocal. These address key aspects from breaking down silos to promoting collaboration among facilitators, learners and partners, all while fostering a shared commitment to social responsibility locally and globally.
Through a combination of interviews and research-based essays rich with practical examples, you’ll explore how to instill key values like compassion and courage in learners, how to shift teaching from mastering fast-changing skills to critical self-direction, how to unlearn and challenge systemic assumptions, and how to create a multitude of learning environments.
This book is for anyone who cares about design education. Whether you are a design school manager, an academic, a teacher or student of design, we trust you will enjoy the extraordinary journey of The Design Village. And like with every journey in life, you will learn on the way, invariably, by surrendering to the experience, stop at moments, turn inwards and move on.