The impact of design
Design as a driver for value chain transformation
Within the creative industry, the company is known as a blueprint for how design can serve as a strategic tool for systemic change. While some companies see design as shaping a final product, Secrid approaches product design as the design of the entire value chain: from local production to social inclusion.
Local manufacturing and economic impact
At a time when mass production was shifting to low-wage countries, Secrid had the courage and vision to bring production back to the Netherlands (reshoring). Through the power of design, Secrid looks not only carefully at what it produces, but also at how it is produced. By intelligently designing the production process, it became possible to operate competitively within the Netherlands.
This choice has direct economic and societal impact. Secrid works closely with social workplaces in the Netherlands, where hundreds of people with a distance to the labour market are responsible for the assembly process every day. Secrid demonstrates that commercial success and social entrepreneurship do not have to be at odds, but can in fact strengthen one another.
Industrial evolution
Secrid invests 1% of its revenue through the Impact Fund in talented designers who are initiating sustainable change within their fields of industry. This initiative aligns with the vision of founders René van Geer and Marianne van Sasse van Ysselt, who believe that industries do not necessarily need to stop, but often do need to change. They refer to this as “industrial evolution”, a philosophy in which designers play a key role by developing products that have both aesthetic value and a longer lifespan.
By supporting a new generation of makers through the fund, Van Geer and Van Sasse van Ysselt aim to pass on their conviction that good design contributes to a better world and to a healthy balance between people and planet.
Investing in the future of design
Secrid’s vision extends beyond its own product portfolio. During DDW, the company also positions itself as a driver of new talent, among other things through the Secrid Talent Podium. Through this platform, young designers are offered not only a physical workspace and financial support, but also a coaching programme that helps them find a balance between creativity and the broader impact they can make as designers.