Building capabilities
Change starts with supporting people to learn and lead. At the heart of Design for Life is the commitment to build the skills, connections and confidence people need to fulfil their potential.
Design for Life
Design for Life Our mission
Economic, social and environmental crises have placed our world in a fragile, unbalanced and degenerative state.
Our mission is to enable people, places and the planet to flourish in harmony.
Our vision is for a world where everyone can fulfil their potential and contribute to more resilient, rebalanced and regenerative futures.
How are we achieving this?
We believe everyone has the potential and creativity to effect change.
We work with people throughout their lives, and across society, to achieve regenerative impact; from children and young people to entrepreneurs, businesses and communities.
Our approach to change involves many different disciplines and perspectives.
Our work focuses on three areas. These are:
Growing hubs
People effect change by coming together. Design for Life grows the connections that organisations, communities, industries and regions need in order to flourish.
Developing infrastructure
We are aiming for systemic, long-term change. Design for Life develops and influences the conditions needed to enable people, communities and organisations to regenerate our world.
Discover more about our Design for Life mission by reading this blog series
Why us?
We are unique. We don’t just generate ideas; we act on them. The RSA has been turning world-leading ideas into world-changing actions since 1754. Our research and innovation has changed the hearts and minds of generations of people. Central to all our work are our mission-aligned Fellows; a global network of innovators and changemakers.
Explore our Circle community to engage with our work.
Engage with our Design for Life mission
Are you a Fellow? Be part of our Circle community and help us shape a world where everyone can fulfil their potential and contribute to more resilient, rebalanced, and regenerative futures.
RSA Fellowship
The RSA Fellowship is a global network of changemakers enabling people, places and the planet to flourish in harmony. RSA Fellows have been at the forefront of significant social impact since 1754. We invite you to be part of this change.
Watch a Design for Life event
-
Design for Life: Creative Corridors
Fellowship events / Design for Life series
The Coffee House (RSA House) and Online via Zoom
Join us for a look at the research and themes that are emerging from our partnership with Arts Council England and the Creative PEC, exploring Creative Corridors - where existing creative clusters have the potential to thrive through better collaboration and coordination.
-
Design for Life: nurturing life-centric capabilities
At the House / Fellowship events / Design for Life series
The Coffee House (RSA House) and Online via Zoom
This summer, the RSA will work with Fellows to craft a series of life-centric learning journeys rooted in our capabilities to test on the RSA’s Design for Life Awards. Jahnvi Singh (Senior Learning Designer) will share more about our vision for the learning experiences that will bring these capabilities to life.
-
Design for Life: Digital badging - skills validation for the 21st century
Fellowship events / Design for Life series
The Coffee House (RSA House) and Online via Zoom
In the 19th century, the RSA invented the modern exam. Now we're championing a 21st century innovation to validate the skills and capabilities that exams miss. Tom Kenyon (Head of Enterprise Design) will share our work with Badge Nation on recognising the skills that aren’t well captured by exams.
Design for Life related content
-
‘One Creative North’ plans finalised at summit ahead of Convention of the North
Press release
The RSA, together with leaders from across government, civil society and the creative industries, finalise bold new ideas for the North of England’s creative industries, to be revealed in full at the Convention of the North on 29 February.
-
Inspired by nature
Blog
Rebecca Ford Alessandra Tombazzi Penny Hay
Our Playful green planet team summarises a ‘lunch and learn’ at RSA House that focused on how the influence of nature can benefit a child’s development.