Over the past year, the Distributed Design Platform has been developing a system to recognise and acknowledge the contributions of its community members through the introduction of a value-based Quality Label. The Quality Label – Open Badge System aims to acknowledge and celebrate individuals or collectives of practitioners, and organisations actively participating in and embodying the values of the Distributed Design Platform.

The Distributed Design Platform Quality Label through the Open Badge System, validates the commitment of individuals, collectives, practitioners, and organisations to the core values of the Platform: Open, Collaborative, Regenerative, and Ecosystemic.

The Quality Label was developed collaboratively with members of the Distributed Design Platform community to ensure alignment with its values and a deep understanding of the evolving needs and objectives of its community. The testing phase over the last few months started with those closely involved with the platform and is now progressing into the external testing phase via the Open Badge System. This phase closely aligns with the ongoing activities of the Distributed Design Platform, facilitating connections and fostering the growth of both the existing community and its extended network.

From a technical point of view, Open Badges are digital certificates containing metadata that indicate who has issued the badge, to whom it was issued, and on what basis. They serve as evidence of the efforts and dedication to the values of the Distributed Design Platform acknowledging the active commitment of the community to shaping the Platform ecosystem through programs and activities, while the latter highlights exemplary projects aligned with the platform’s values.

Through the past collaborative design sessions, two key entry points for the Platform community have been identified and formalised into badges:

1. The “Ecosystem” Badge: This badge recognises community members actively involved in participating, supporting, developing, and executing Distributed Design Platform programs and activities. To earn this badge, individuals, collectives, or organisations must actively participate in and support the platform community’s activities, events, programs, etc.
2. The “Impact” Badge: This badge highlights best practices and champions within the Distributed Design Platform, focusing on projects or programs that inspire others or make a tangible impact in their communities. To be eligible for this badge, individuals or organisations must have developed a project or implemented programs aligned with the platform’s values.

The process to earn both badges is a simple 3-step process:

1. Applicants must provide documentation of their work and progress as evidence for validating their submission. This could include links to websites, programs, activities, or shared drive folders.
2. The submission is verified by a member of the Distributed Design Platform through a peer-review process.
3. The final step involves validation by the advisory board, after which the badge is issued by IAAC | Fab Lab Barcelona.

After obtaining them, these badges can be showcased on social media profiles, personal websites, or digital resumes, acknowledging and celebrating the community of the Distributed Design Platform.

If you’re curious about the Badges, head over to our Resource Page and give the Guidebook a read. It’ll get you all set to earn the Ecosystem or the Impact Badge!