Madrid Design Week 2026

Where the leading voices of design come together

Faced with the complexity of social challenges in a globalized world—where their impact crosses borders and threatens identity and social cohesion—it is essential to promote citizen participation and collaboration among authorities, organizations, communities, and designers. Social design focuses on creating platforms for communication, interaction, and development that foster debate, problem-solving, and new tools and spaces.

This session will explore the evolution, present, and future of social design and its potential to create global, local, personal, and professional opportunities, based on the speakers’ areas of focus: product design; communication and visibility; design for social innovation; and design and education with community-based projects.

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Marta Pascual – Founder of U-ak Studio
Designer using design as a social and sustainable tool, collaborating with reintegration workshops and exploring biodegradable materials.

Yanki Lee, PhD – Social Designer and Researcher
Architect and researcher specialized in participatory and inclusive design, founder of DESIS Lab Hong Kong and Enable Foundation.

Petra Janssen – Designer, Initiator, and Educator
Founder of Studio Boot and Social Label Foundation, promoting collaborative design with groups at risk of labor market exclusion.

Cecilia Casas – DESIS Lab Coordinator, ESDA
Specialist in social design education, coordinating the DESIS Lab at ESDA and co-founder of international networks for design for social change.

Sofia Agerberth – Commercial Director, Teixidors
Leads Teixidors, a social project integrating people with disabilities into the artisanal production of sustainable, high-quality textiles.