When politicians talk about the subjects and educational programmes that will prepare Denmark for the future, they almost always mention four letters: STEM. This acronym stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. But there is an important letter missing from the list, says Christina Melander, Chief Design Officer at the Danish Design Centre.

‘We should be talking about STEAM instead of STEM. The A stands for Art and represents design, crafts and creativity. You can debate whether Art is the right term, but it is a way of making design and crafts part of a recognised equation and equal to other disciplines.’

And thus also visible in Danish design policy, which is in need of an update. This has long been pointed out by players from many corners of the industry. The first Danish design policy was adopted in 1997 and updated in 2007. Although some growth plans for the area have been made since then, the overall political vision is outdated. This needs to be changed, says Christina Melander.

‘If I may be so bold, I would say that Denmark is one of the countries in the world with the longest experience and most success in design, and this is not just something we say ourselves; people around the world remind us of it all the time. It will not continue on its own. We need an updated design policy that can help raise the profile of the field and ensure that design is incorporated into more contexts.’

The tradition of crafts is important

Christina Melander describes design as a Danish superpower, and she is keen to see aesthetics and craftsmanship become part of a new Danish design policy.

‘Design is our superpower because our social structure and history have given us some special qualities that make us good at focusing on people’s needs. Other countries are also aware of this, but the strength of Danish design lies in our ability to see connections, our social understanding, a high degree of trust and empathy, and our awareness that most people should win, without ending up with the lowest common denominator.’

Crafts is part of the superpower Christina Melander talks about. This is where aesthetics and history meet and help create the classics of the future.

‘The field is wide open, and this is a huge opportunity for crafts. There is great strength in being able to challenge, explore and experiment with materials and keep trying to create the very best, which makes things attractive. It comes with a huge responsibility because it is very tangible, while other forms of design, such as strategic design, are more invisible.’

Design is part of something bigger

As Chief Design Officer, Christina Melander is responsible for providing knowledge and data about the value of design. She also has to explain what the figures mean. The latest study from 2025 emphasises that design makes a difference for businesses. The Danish Design Centre’s work is primarily aimed at the business community, but the information is also shared with the political system, which is informed that there is much to be gained when design and crafts are incorporated into all decision-making processes.

‘It is not enough to have an isolated design policy. The field must be part of initiatives within, among other things, the circular economy, digitalisation and the environment,’ she explains.

It is not only in Denmark that people are aware of this interaction between design and other disciplines. Christina Melander receives input from all over Europe as she is the chair of the board of BEDA – the association of European design organisations.

Here, she can clearly see how design policy is developing across national borders. According to a BEDA report from 2025, design is becoming an increasingly integral part of other policies in the 39 countries surveyed. However, only two European nations currently have a dedicated design policy: Iceland and Latvia.

‘Von der Leyen emphasised that the green transition is not just an economic exercise. It is a social movement. In this context, she said that we therefore need to bring artists, designers and architects into the core where decisions are made. It was an important invitation that gave us the opportunity to mobilise the broad ecosystem around the built environment in one room and say: ‘Now we have to do everything we are already doing, only faster and together, and we have to add what is missing where there is unfulfilled potential. ’ This has created a strong movement in which different actors enrich each other. For me, this is an example of how politicians can put design high on the agenda.’

The latest figures from the EU show that, after five years, New European Bauhaus has developed into more than 700 projects across the continent, driven by networks involving more than 2,000 organisations that are helping to turn the overall ideas into reality.

If Danish politicians can learn anything from this process, it is that design and craftsmanship should always be considered when new projects are launched. It should not be something that is only mentioned in speeches. It must be possible to document that something is actually happening. Christina Melander switches to CBS language and says that if design is not part of the KPIs in organisations, municipalities or the state, even the best initiatives risk dying. KPIs are measurable key figures that show whether a company or institution is achieving its goals.

‘It’s all very fine to have enthusiasts and individuals who remember design, but it needs to be systematised so you can see that something is happening. In addition to the classic KPIs, we should introduce KBIs – key behavioural indicators. Indicators that measure positive changes in mindset and behaviour and can help bring about change. This will also be good for the return on investment in the long term. It’s a bit CBS-like (Business-like, ed.), but I am a ‘DJØF member’ (The Danish Association of Lawyers and Economists, ed.) , after all,’ she says with a smile.

Lessons to be learned from new architecture policy

While we await an updated design policy, the Ministry of Culture has recently launched a new architecture policy. Here, for example, we read that architecture should be a national strength.

‘We can definitely learn something from the architecture policy. The architectural profession has a more prominent position in the landscape than design. There are some leading companies, major players and branches into other industries. I am convinced that we can use the work on the architecture policy to move forward with a design policy. We will work towards that.’

Christina Melander points out that many players are pushing to get the work started. This also applies to the Confederation of Danish Industry, which has increased its focus on design and regularly talks about the need for politicians to get started.

‘It is not surprising that the Danish Design Centre and Danish Crafts & Design Association are pushing to update design policy. This is well known at Christiansborg, but the Confederation of Danish Industry has a different kind of voice, and people take notice when industry speaks. It is good that many are pushing for change. If you are a self-employed designer or artisan and want to influence developments, you should not underestimate the importance of letters to the editor, opinion pieces or participation in debates on the subject.’

She recommends that the work on a new design policy should not focus on why we need a new policy, but rather on the content and the challenges that a new design policy should address.

Theme: Crafts & Design Policy

Denmark needs a new design policy, but what should it include in order to accommodate independent craft artists and designers? Formkraft explores this question through interviews, articles and debates.

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