Reframing Method

Our world is continuously changing. This means that solving today’s complex challenges does not necessarily lead to meaningful solutions for tomorrow.

The Reframing method, originally developed at the TU Delft, helps organisations, communities and citizens to understand their changing environment, envision alternative futures and to develop sustainable strategies to navigate from the present into a desired future. Based on this new frame we design concrete – yet bold - solutions that are vehicles for social change.

Designing our future is a shared responsibility. The Reframing method enables constructive dialogue between organisations, communities and citizens through the development of a shared perspective on the future.

Hekkert & Van Dijk (2011) Vision in Design, a guidebook for innovators.

Fundamental principles

Reframing is based on three fundamental stances.

Future oriented

Design is in principle a future-oriented, strategic activity. Therefore every project starts with understanding the changing patterns in the concerns, attitudes and behaviours of people in a complex future world.

Designing for impact

The meaning of any design is reflected by the impact and actual change it generates, no matter how small. The meaning of what we design is central to everything we do.

Responsible change

Design is a force for change. Therefore being a designer comes with responsibility.
Within ecosystems of stakeholders we consider the long-term social, ecological and moral impacts of our work and take shared responsibility for the changes we envision.

The Reframing steps

The reframing process goes through several phases and specific steps that provide a clear and design trajectory for each project.

1. Deconstruction

2. Future context

3. Positioning

4. Design

5. Transition

The deconstruction phase is aimed at understanding the why behind the world of solutions that are currently used. The deconstruction phase helps us to understand if current systems, services or products are still meaningful within the current context, the world of today.