#distributed design #platform ecosystem #open design #creative collaboration
It’s Here: (our website, revitalized) Platform Ecosystem
If you’re reading this blog post, that means that you’re seeing our newly revamped website! Oops! Still getting used to that: our new Platform Ecosystem. After much planning, programming, and creative conversations, we’re so excited to share it with you.
Wait, a platform WHAT?
Since the Distributed Design Platform’s inception in 2017, our community has evolved significantly. While our web’s last version wasn’t broken, it was clear that our website could better represent and support current facets and needs of our community. In addition to providing resources on open design, tools for capacity building and professional development, or information about open calls, our virtual space also needed to play another role – to support the nature of our distributed ecosystem – and a website just wasn’t cutting it anymore.
So we pivoted, from a website to a Platform Ecosystem, a virtual space that acts as an amplifier for connections, value creation, and reach within and beyond our community. With our Platform Ecosystem, we aim to enhance our members’ and creatives’ ability to transfer and exchange knowledge, learn about one another, and find opportunities to collaborate both in Europe and beyond.
So what’s new exactly? You may have already seen some of the big changes. Keep reading to learn more about them.
Meet our updated and newest pages
The Impact Page. The Impact Page is a new section on our website that offers a snapshot of our efforts to understand the social and environmental impact of the Distributed Design Platform. As a visual and graphical representation, it works to highlight our outreach, diversity, growth and key learnings in an approachable way so that folx within and beyond our community can more easily cite and understand the value the Distributed Design practice and community create. There’s also a larger written report accessible on our community’s impact.
The Learning Hub. A space to discover curated resources from the Distributed Design community, the Learning Hub shares 100+ resources in 10 thematic areas to support Creatives in your design practice. This new feature is part of our forever commitment to supporting open knowledge exchange within and beyond our community. Additionally, our Learning Hub uses a Large Language Model (LLM) to help compile information based on your questions or topics of interest. Why and how we ethically deploy a LLM to support the Learning Hub is carefully considered and addressed here.
The Members Page. Our Platform is made up of an incredible network of member organisations and community hubs: the Members Page showcases the work of each partner and the role they play in supporting our community. By better featuring our members, we also showcase the diversity of approaches and experiences found within our community as well as the geographic diversity of our network. Lastly, the Members Page supports Creatives in connecting with local nodes within our network.
The Services Page. Since 2017, our networked community has been effectively creating value economically, socially, and culturally at local and global levels. Offering our services in a more systemised and open format is a direct invitation to people, collectives, municipalities, educational institutions, and more to partner with our ecosystem for bespoke support and opportunities. Partnering with us can help you create multi-faceted value in your spaces and communities while also promoting the economic regeneration of our Platform’s ecosystem.
Fresh features and functions
Aside from new pages, we’ve introduced features and functions to improve navigation and make our information more accessible. The goal is that you can spend less time searching and more time connecting with information, Creatives, and opportunities you’re interested in.
The Home Page. From color and graphics to how the page is sectioned, we’ve given our homepage a tune-up to make the information there more accessible to a diverse range of audiences. This is not only helpful for our community: making our work easier to understand also supports us in engaging with new folx on the power and necessity of the Distributed Design and maker movements.
The Map. Okay we’ve said the Distributed Design community is everywhere, but now you can more easily visualise it. This map helps us demonstrate the geographic plurality of our network. You can also use it to find Creatives and community hubs you might want to connect to or collaborate with.
The Filtering Features. Have you ever gotten overwhelmed when trying to find a Creative or a particular open call? Us too. Now you can filter Creatives here using thematic areas to help you find and connect with those working in certain areas. Creatives are listed either through a specific project or their name. Meanwhile, you can now also sort Blog Posts, Open Calls & Events here to find the news and opportunities you’re looking for.
Time to explore
We’re thrilled to share our transition to a platform ecosystem with you. It was an essential step to continuing to best support and showcase our vibrant community and a tangible way for us to put our values – open, collaborative, regenerative, and ecosystemic – into practice. Now it’s your turn to engage and explore!
