DDW director Martijn Paulen says the Old West is grinding to a screeching halt because of the recent crises and downward trends, and that the way forward is paved with the new creations of 2,400 DDW designers who present their work to 400 journalists and hundreds of thousands of visitors this week. However alluring his statement may be, it’s a little short-sighted. The ideas and essential values of Socrates, Aristotle, Descartes, and Spinoza still apply and have not lost any of their power. Europe’s academic power is relevant still. There are, however, a number of social institutions and social patterns that are in dire need of revision, because the transparency of the connected world and the global availability of knowledge are heralding in a revolution of our social system.

This duality of wanting to holding on to known values and the thrill of innovative change catches me off-guard every time I see modern design and experience its world. In the buildup to DDW, many TU/e people have worked very hard to finish their contributions. Things did not go according to plan, which made me say: “The preparations make a ‘flexotic’ impression on me”. It was with that skepticism I started the week, in which I attended several events where I was immersed completely in the brimming DDW melting pot.

My impressions and contemplations vary from self-affirmation that part of what’s on display isn’t worth my time, to open-mouthed surprise at how people come up with their ideas.

I love seeing Leonie Tenthof van Noorden’s clothing design: it combines design, 3D techniques, pattern design through mathematical generative algorithms, and laser cutting. Or the ambulance drone. These are just two examples of many designs at Mind the Step. I have entered an igloo made of cardboard boxes with an ingenious system of electric motors, wires and small balls creating an avalanche of pleasant drumming sounds. Complete uselessness can be captivating, too. A low-production popcorn factory at Van Abbe Museum: in an ingenious construction, a single corn grain and a drop of sugary syrup are made into one popped corn.

I have to admit that of the small selection I saw, the things that combined a surprising trouvaille, an aesthetically appealing object, and modern technology fascinated me the most. Maybe that’s just telling of who I am.

Then again, maybe it’s not that surprising for the Executive Board Chairman of a university of technology. After all, isn’t that melting pot of youth, creativity, original thinking, technology and practical innovation exactly what TU/e aspires?

The youth is the future, and DDW is on its way to becoming a world famous example of that adage.