International Symposium on Social Design
CREAT supported the organization of the first international symposium on social design in Quebec, an event co-organized by the Culture in the Regions and Discoverability research axes, in collaboration with ÉTS, UQO, and several academic and institutional partners.
Entitled Beyond Social Innovation: Social Design?, the symposium brought together researchers and practitioners from Quebec and abroad to examine the role of social design in addressing the major challenges of our time: socio-ecological transitions, social justice, accessibility, the transformation of professional practices, and the strengthening of citizen agency. The presentations explored both the theoretical foundations of social design and its concrete applications in community, cultural, and territorial contexts.
The event unfolded in two complementary components:
> October 23 and 24, 2025 at ÉTS (Montréal), where conferences, workshops, and the opening of the exhibition Messages/Images: Graphic Design for the Public Interest took place;
> October 27 and 28, 2025 at UQO (Gatineau), where the exhibitions Social Design Is Lived!, The Politics of the Image, and Graphic Design for the Public Interest extended the reflections initiated during the symposium.
Jointly organized by ÉTS and the Université du Québec en Outaouais (UQO), and carried out with the participation of ésad Valenciennes, the Consulat général de France in Québec, and SSHRC, the event brought together close to one hundred researchers, practitioners, and students around a central question: what role can design play in responding to major social and environmental challenges?
The program highlighted a diversity of approaches—lectures, case studies, exhibitions, and workshops—articulating critical reflection with experimentation. The inclusion of these exhibitions enriched the scientific component by fostering dialogue between research, creative practice, and fieldwork, revealing the vitality and plurality of approaches in social design.
