Healthy tension
Do you remember that feeling — the excitement of something new about to happen? Your birthday, learning to ride a bike, playing a match or taking the lead in a school play. You don’t know exactly what will happen, but you feel it building. A sense of anticipation. Children understand better than anyone how exciting uncertainty can be. Curious and eager, they dive into new experiences — often more than you’d like. It may seem naïve or bold to do something you cannot yet do, and to insist on doing it yourself. But how else do we grow and learn, without stepping into the unknown? Challenging ourselves, following curiosity and exploring new paths?
In elderly care, there is also uncertainty about the future. The sector is changing. Demographic developments call for new ways of working, challenging care professionals to let go of routines, adopt new technologies and rethink their role in collaboration with families and communities. These changes bring tension — doing things differently without knowing exactly how it will unfold. And yet, across the field, care professionals are stepping into that challenge.
Increasingly, they do so together with designers. Designers — like children — often embrace not knowing. With curiosity and dedication, they explore the unknown, look beyond what seems logical, uncover blind spots and test new directions. Their persistence and imagination can be contagious, inviting others to see differently.
With the exhibition Healthy Tension, ActiZ and Dutch Design Foundation show how energising and promising this tension can be in elderly care. We are looking for five bold projects in which care professionals and designers embrace this tension and experiment with new approaches — from first steps to surprising interventions that invite others to take part.
Do you have such a project? And would you like to share it with a broad audience of professionals and visitors? Apply here.
Dutch Design Week
Dutch Design Week is one of the world’s leading design events. The nine-day event in Eindhoven explores the design of the future and the future of design. It opens up, inspires, shares and connects, attracting over 300,000 international visitors.
The exhibition is part of Designing for Society, a pavilion within DDW showcasing the power of design for societal challenges. Powered by ActiZ, the exhibition presents real-world examples that offer new perspectives on living together and caring for older people.
Open call
We are looking for five design projects to present during DDW. We invite care organisations and their partners, designers and innovative companies to share their best practices: concrete design concepts, ongoing innovations and products, real-life experiments and proven interventions.
We are looking for examples — already in use or emerging — where care professionals and designers work together to explore new directions with courage and curiosity. Projects that challenge conventions and contribute to a sustainable future for elderly care.
Are you working on doing things differently? Collaborating with designers on new solutions in elderly care? Or do you know colleagues pushing boundaries in their work? Submit your best practice.
Why take part?
By participating, your project will be presented to an international audience of care and design professionals. It will be featured in a professionally curated exhibition highlighting leading initiatives in the field. You will have the opportunity to inspire peers, expand your network and engage with visitors who share feedback and insights.
Participation is free of charge. Project management, production and exhibition costs are covered by ActiZ. Both ActiZ and Dutch Design Foundation will actively promote the projects and the exhibition.
How does it work?
The open call runs from 24 April to 22 May 2026. You can submit a project as a care organisation, innovation company or designer/design studio via the submission form.
From all submissions, a maximum of five projects will be selected. You will be informed by 29 May whether your project is included.
From 1 June to 15 September, you will be involved in developing the exhibition. This includes two online sessions (1.5 hours each) with all selected participants. During these sessions, the exhibition designer will guide you through the concept and execution, including what materials are needed. The first session takes place in early June, the second in early September (exact dates to be confirmed).
Additional materials may need to be developed. Designers or organisations working with designers can create exhibition materials in coordination with the exhibition designer. A budget is available for this.
For projects without a designer, materials will be developed in collaboration with the exhibition designer. This requires active input from participants, including meetings, providing content and visuals, and involving colleagues where relevant.
DDW26 takes place from 17 to 25 October. Participants receive two tickets. The exhibition is open daily from 11:00 to 18:00. Selected participants are expected to be present for two half-days to engage with visitors and present their projects.
Questions
For questions about the open call or exhibition, contact Lab Manager Paulien Melis at paulien@dutchdesignfoundation.com or +31 6 24 585 706.
