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Smart enough to be MAD about design

MADres is a strategic initiative by BEDA and co-funded by the European Union. MADres advances design as a key enabler of Europe’s transformation for sustainable growth and economic value.

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What’s New?

European Design Policy Survey 2026

The European Design Policy Survey 2026 provides a Europe‑wide, practitioner‑based assessment of how design is currently recognised, integrated, and implemented across national policy systems. Conducted among members of the Bureau of European Design Associations (BEDA), the study complements the earlier Design Policy Mapping in Europe report by shifting the perspective: from analysing policy documents to understanding how national design organisations experience the reality behind them. The results reveal a clear and... read more

MADres Focuses on three Areas to Strengthen the European Design Community:

AI Competencies & Digital Ethics
Planetary Design & Accessibility
Living Design Policy Framework

Those Focus Areas are Built on Existing Skill Sets to Foster #impactbydesign.

By embedding values of responsibility, inclusivity, and sustainability into the pan-European design practice, MADres empowers design professionals to drive transformation and innovation in combination with business cases.

To achieve this, MADres creates the products and actions necessary to foster a prosperous and sustainable future. For long-term impact, MADres aims to develop a Living Design Policy Framework—a flexible, adaptive model that asks our governments and institutions to integrate design into national and EU-level policy agendas.

As we are inspired by the ‘Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy’ by Douglas Adams, here is a more fun way of explaining MADres.

In Europe — a space where the pursuit of unanswered questions has fuelled growth and peace for decades — a strategic initiative is taking shape. It is designed to foster insights into the complex challenges posed by AI and its implications for ethics, Accessibility as an Extraability, Planetary Design as there is no Planet B yet, and design policies, with the aim of unlocking future sustainable growth and prosperity.

MADres addresses the answer: ‘How designers can be better prepared for current challenges to create an equitable and sustainable future for Europe’
A group of people gathered around a table in a meeting room, engaging in a workshop or collaborative discussion. The table is covered with a large paper filled with drawings and notes, surrounded by drinks and snacks. One person is speaking while others listen attentively.
BEDA Design Forum | 2022 | Kaunas | © Darius Gumbrevičius

Your Opportunities

As a Designer, educator, or creative citizen, you will soon find the project’s first products here – such as playbooks, actions, and coaching opportunities. Stay informed.

Do you, as an expert, have professional and/or academic knowledge in one of our core objectives? We have an interesting opportunity for you. It includes being part of a fascinating top-tier network, meeting some of the most interesting design protagonists, creating business opportunities and travelling within Europe.

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Several people gathered around a table during a workshop, watching a woman with blond hair point to drawings on a large sheet of paper. The table is covered with pens, paints, brushes, and drinks, suggesting a creative group activity.
BEDA Design Forum | 2022 | Kaunas | © Darius Gumbrevičius

Benefits for BEDA Members

As a member organisation of the BEDA, you will benefit from direct access to services provided by MADres. It ranges from priority access to the Glorious 42 international expert pool, four funded national policy labs, train-the-trainer workshops and the acceleration programme for your members or designers you represent.

If you are not a member of BEDA but want to profit from MADres, contact [email protected] for further information.

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A person uses a halved potato dipped in yellow paint to stamp a wavy line on a white surface, likely as part of a creative or artistic activity. The surface features a handwritten “BEDA Members“ in blue ink, with faint pencil markings. Surrounding objects like a drink, a plate of food, and paper cutouts suggest a relaxed, workshop-like setting.
BEDA Design Forum | 2022 | Kaunas | © Darius Gumbrevičius

Why MADres?

BEDA has a clear vision: for Design to be embraced in Europe as a driver for sustainable growth and prosperity. MADres, a strategic initiative by BEDA and co-funded by the European Union, works to realise this vision by strengthening the design community throughout Europe.

MADres builds on existing skills and supports additional skillsets in today’s key areas, such as digital ethics, planetary design, and accessibility.

These fields are not just technical—they’re vital to foster responsible, inclusive design practices that support Europe’s competitiveness and sustainable growth.

To make those efforts stick, MADres aims to develop a political framework that strengthens design and its methodologies at both national and European levels. This includes advocating for a more flexible and responsive policy environment—one that acknowledges the sociological, economic, and ecological challenges of our time and uses design as a key enabler of systemic change. In doing so, MADres not only empowers individual design practitioners but also reinforces the strategic value of design in shaping Europe’s future.

A man stands beside a flip chart in a room with teal curtains, holding a white card and addressing a seated group. The flip chart displays handwritten topics in colourful ink, including “DATA + AI,” “DE-GROWTH,” “ETHICS,” “INDUSTRY,” “EDUCATION,” “IMPROVE COMMUNICATION,” “BETTER LIVING LOCALLY,” “WELLBEING,” and “DEMOCRATIC REFORM,” each annotated with notes and star ratings. The setting suggests a collaborative workshop or brainstorming session focused on social and technological themes.
BEDA Design Forum | 2022 | Kaunas | © Darius Gumbrevičius
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