No Future Without a Past: The Dutch National Design Archive (NDA)

摘要

The Netherlands is quite proud of its creative industries and even regards them as among its most important export products. For the past few decades, the Dutch government has firmly supported the creative industries and hence the design sector, not least because of its innovative and promotional character. In their most recent letter on the creative sector the Dutch Government even stated that Dutch design is characterized not only by innovative products and services with artistic and economic value, but stands also by its method.1 Design methods can provide solutions for future problems. The creative industries are capable of understanding complex issues and can devise unexpected solutions, often using the latest technologies. Therefore it seems perfectly logical that the Netherlands should also handle its design heritage with great care. After all, without an understanding of how previous problems were solved in the past, future problems become more complex. Historical sources could provide the key to discovering a solution.