photo: Lennard Heijer
Since October 2017 Ineke Hans is professor Design & Social Context (ID2) at UdK
Our world rapidly changes and with it the position of the designer.
This position is more and more that of a hybrid who works in many different contexts; varying from mass produced industrial work, digital produced, or handmade and craft related products, to working for contract and domestic markets as well as on community projects.
Working in each context has specific social impacts on global or local levels and to realise products, projects and solutions that are clever these have to connect to all kinds of realities. To operate successfully deep knowledge of the context that you work in is needed with an understanding of the strategies, politics and history that are part of it.
Design and Social Context explores these realities and prepares designers to be critical and actively engaged in future design processes.
Vita
Ineke Hans (NL) set up her studio in the Netherlands in 1998 after studying Product Design at ArtEZ Arnhem and graduating with an MA in Furniture Design from the Royal College of Art in London. She started off by initiating furniture and product collections herself, such as her Ordinairy Furniture series from recycled plastic which became a classic for many museum collections and is still sold via INEKEHANS | COLLECTION today.
STUDIO | INEKEHANS designs industrial furniture and products as well as handmade items produced in smaller batches for leading manufacturers and special communities. Next to that they work on exhibitions and architectural commissions and explore new design strategies.
In 2015 Ineke moved back to the UK to set up INEKEHANS | SALON. With round table conversations between designers, manufacturers, retailers, curators, writers and thinkers from the entire field of design she explored the future of furniture design and the changing position of the designer. In 2017 she wrapped up the London Salons with several events and a pamphlet. End of 2019 she left London and started a small personal workplace in Berlin.
Personal work:
STUDIO – www.inekehans.com
COLLECTION – www.inekehans.com/collection
Personal research:
SALON – www.inekehans.com/salon
For a full cv: see and publications: see
All on the UdK project group: Design and Social Context