Design can benefit everyone, so in turn, everyone can help improve design. Embedding a design democracy in your project is both socially responsible and commercially sound.

Everyone who uses a professionally designed object or space can help inform its future development by feeding back to its designers. Likewise, every designer, client or consultant working on a new proposal must be conscious of and promote user feedback. Effective collaboration and knowledge exchange can positively impact design.

If you think about design in terms of either open or closed processes, and about the level of engagement and feedback supported from professional design suppliers, commercial stakeholders and project end-users, it is clear that every design project has an underlying bureaucratic framework, one that could be justly altered through democratic ideals.

Whilst many people have preconceived notions about what democratic design is or represents, we remain open as to its detailed implementation and evolution. Our interest lies in helping clients identify the most appropriate level of inclusive democratic design, leading to the most holistic project outcomes. To support this process, we have developed various participatory approach methodologies.

From the most bottom-up community projects, to more private commercial, or even small scale developments involving friends, family and a good builder, Slider can offer creative leadership using our democratic design tools, or lend support to other professionals implementing our tools and methodology in the collaborative search for good design.