{"id":37,"date":"2025-06-05T13:28:59","date_gmt":"2025-06-05T13:28:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/civicixdproject.com\/civicprotocoleconomies\/?post_type=project&#038;p=37"},"modified":"2026-02-05T18:11:14","modified_gmt":"2026-02-05T16:11:14","slug":"join-us-for-a-design-charrette-on-civic-protocol-economies","status":"publish","type":"project","link":"https:\/\/civicixdproject.com\/civicprotocoleconomies\/projects\/join-us-for-a-design-charrette-on-civic-protocol-economies\/","title":{"rendered":"Design for Civic Protocol Economies"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"project__slider wp-block-slider swiper \">\n  <div class=\"swiper-wrapper\">\n      <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns project__lead is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column project__introduction is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:66.6666%\">\n<p><em>A three-day design charrette exploring digital mediation for civic economies<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column project__meta is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:33.3333%\"><div class=\"wp-block-meta\" style=\"\">\n      <ul>\n              <li>\n          <h5>Date<\/h5>\n          <p>September 15 &#8211; 17, 2025<\/p>\n        <\/li>\n              <li>\n          <h5>Time<\/h5>\n          <p>9:00-18:00<\/p>\n        <\/li>\n              <li>\n          <h5>Location<\/h5>\n          <p>Amsterdam<\/p>\n        <\/li>\n              <li>\n          <h5>Apply by<\/h5>\n          <p>July 6, waiting list available<\/p>\n        <\/li>\n          <\/ul>\n  <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why this, why now?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1440\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/civicixdproject.com\/civicprotocoleconomies\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/06\/CPE-Design-charrette-vs1-2.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-74\" style=\"width:481px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/civicixdproject.com\/civicprotocoleconomies\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/06\/CPE-Design-charrette-vs1-2.png 1440w, https:\/\/civicixdproject.com\/civicprotocoleconomies\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/06\/CPE-Design-charrette-vs1-2-300x169.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1440px) 100vw, 1440px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Across the globe, communities are reimagining how to organize economies that serve collective well-being rather than profit alone. At the same time, new digital tools\u2014blockchains, smart contracts, protocol-based infrastructures\u2014are transforming how we coordinate, govern, and exchange value. But how do we ensure these tools support civic life, rather than replicate extractive systems in new forms?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This design charrette invites you to explore that question through hands-on experimentation, case-based design work, and design fiction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What we\u2019ll do<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>In this three-day gathering, we\u2019ll bring together designers, technologists, researchers, and civic practitioners to prototype futures for what we call the <strong>Civic Protocol Economy<\/strong>\u2014the intersection of community-driven economies and programmable, protocol-based infrastructures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Together, we\u2019ll investigate:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>How can digital media\u2014like tokens, local currencies, or governance protocols\u2014support collective care, commons-based organizing, or neighborhood-scale collaboration?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What kinds of rights, roles, and value flows emerge when we design from civic principles?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How might we prototype such civic futures?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>We\u2019ll work hands-on with real-world cases, using design fiction and rapid prototyping to build <strong>provotypes<\/strong>\u2014provocative prototypes that bring speculative civic protocols to life and test their practical viability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Who we\u2019re looking for<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>We welcome applicants from diverse fields\u2014designers, developers, policy-makers, researchers, students, artists, activists\u2014working at the intersection of:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Civic economy &amp; community-led initiatives<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>HCI and Digital Design<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Platform &amp; protocol technologies<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Commons-based organizing<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Doughnut, solidarity, or regenerative economic models<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Speculative or critical design<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Whether you\u2019re building local infrastructure, imagining post-capitalist alternatives, or experimenting with protocol-based governance\u2014we\u2019d love for you to join us. There will also be room in the program for participants to share their own projects and discuss themes and questions with the group.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Organizer &amp; Goals<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>This workshop is organized by Civic Interaction Design, an interdisciplinary research group at the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences. Together with students, designers, technology developers, policymakers, (local) governments, academic researchers, and citizens, we explore how design &amp; technology can contribute to civic life: the numerous and varied interactions through which people in a society come together to strive towards collective well-being.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 2024, the Civic Interaction Design lectorate, in collaboration with the Centre of Expertise Economic Transformation (CET), organized a research residency titled \u201cWhat happens when the Civic Economy meets the Protocol Economy?\u201d In this initiative we explored how these two significant economic and technological developments might complement and strengthen each other. Building on a report concluding this project, we would like to further explore this theme in this design charrette. Our goal is to explore real-world cases, identify opportunities and knowledge gaps for future research and design work, and build a network of people interested in these themes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Thematic background: Mediation for civic economies<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Civic economies aim to prioritize <strong>collective well-being<\/strong>, not shareholder value. Protocol economies introduce programmable governance mechanisms, often grounded in decentralized technologies. Could these two logics reinforce one another?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>During a 2024 research residency, the Civic Interaction Design group explored this question. From that work, we developed a conceptual model that distinguishes <strong>three types of media<\/strong> for civic economies:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Currencies<\/strong> to store and exchange value<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Tokens<\/strong> to govern rights, roles and privileges<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Current-sees<\/strong> to express states and signals within a system<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>These media allow us to encode and mediate civic values\u2014relationality, reciprocity, shared responsibility\u2014within economic and technological infrastructures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In this workshop, we\u2019ll explore how these can be <strong>operationalized<\/strong> through design: as mechanisms, interfaces, rituals, or systems that support civic life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The full report from the research residency can be found <a href=\"https:\/\/civicinteractiondesign.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Civic-Protocol-Economies_report-250514.pdf\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/civicinteractiondesign.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Civic-Protocol-Economies_report-250514.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Outline of the program<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Day 1: learning as foundation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Keynote speakers and case owners share their insights and perspectives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Keynotes are by Indy Johar of (Dark Matter Labs) and Venkatesh Rao (Summer of Protocols).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Cases from TU Delft\/LIFE Arena, Dark Matter Labs, MeentCoop\/Becknprotocol, and more to be announced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Indy Johar<\/strong> is an architect by training and a maker by practice, he is a Senior Innovation Associate with the Young Foundation. He, amongst other organisations &#8211; co-founded Impact Hub Birmingham and Open Systems Lab, was a member of the RSA\u2019s Inclusive Growth Commission and a good growth advisor to the Mayor of London. He is an explorative practitioner in the means of system change &amp; the dark matter design of civic infrastructure finance, outcomes, and governance. Indy is a Director of 00 and Dark Matter Laboratories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Venkatesh Rao<\/strong> is a writer and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/venkateshrao.com\/#consulting\">consultant<\/a>&nbsp;based in Seattle. His current writing can be found on the the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/contraptions.venkateshrao.com\/\">Contraptions<\/a>&nbsp;newsletter. Since 2023, he has been the program director of the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/summerofprotocols.com\/\">Summer of Protocols<\/a>&nbsp;program. Between 2007-24, he used to write a popular blog called&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/ribbonfarm.com\/\">Ribbonfarm<\/a>&nbsp;(now archived) Several curated collections of his online writing are available as&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/ribbonfarm.com\/books\">Kindle ebooks<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In a separate session, workshop participants are invited to present their own projects, and discuss their underlying themes and questions with the group.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Day 2: design to unpack<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The second day is dedicated to applying protocol mechanics with civic principles to explore specific elements per case (subject to change):<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>How to scale up a hyper-local energy cooperative as a collective entity in a complex energy balancing system?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How to achieve a community-stimulating mechanism within governance-oriented social software?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How to leverage data in a protocol-based service design?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How to design an economic layer on a strong collaborative neighbourhood fabric?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>We will have two tutors with backgrounds in social design and protocol design who support the design activity with inspiration and critical, creative directions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We end the day by pitching the outcomes to stakeholders from the actual case owners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Day 3: reflection and making plans<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The third day is dedicated to capturing the learnings and questions that will drive new knowledge. We take time to reflect on the learnings in a structured way, and explore how these could be addressed in follow-up design or research projects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Practical details<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Dates:<\/strong> Monday\u2013Wednesday, September 15\u201317, 2025<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Location:<\/strong> Amsterdam (De Ceuvel)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Included:&nbsp;<\/strong>Three workshop days, lunch &amp; refreshments. Monday dinner is part of the program, Tuesday dinner optional.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Costs:<\/strong>&nbsp;50 euro<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Commitment:<\/strong> Full participation across all three days is expected.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Participants:<\/strong> 15\u201320 selected applicants<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Report<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>We had a very successful and insightful design charrette. We made a report with all findings and follow-up plans, which you can download here:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\">Download the Design Charrette report<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>For additional information about this research or to discuss potential collaborations, please contact&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/civicinteractiondesign.com\/people\/iskander-smit\/\">Iskander Smit<\/a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/civicinteractiondesign.com\/people\/martijn-de-waal\/\">Martijn de Waal<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>This research was conducted as part of the ongoing work of the Civic Interaction Design research group at the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences.<\/em><br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":74,"parent":0,"template":"","class_list":["post-37","project","type-project","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","content_type-events"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/civicixdproject.com\/civicprotocoleconomies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/project\/37","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/civicixdproject.com\/civicprotocoleconomies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/project"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/civicixdproject.com\/civicprotocoleconomies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/project"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/civicixdproject.com\/civicprotocoleconomies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"version-history":[{"count":21,"href":"https:\/\/civicixdproject.com\/civicprotocoleconomies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/project\/37\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":89,"href":"https:\/\/civicixdproject.com\/civicprotocoleconomies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/project\/37\/revisions\/89"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/civicixdproject.com\/civicprotocoleconomies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/74"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/civicixdproject.com\/civicprotocoleconomies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=37"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}