The Social Design Lab is an academic–social body that provides design support for organizations working toward social change. Operating at the intersection of design, research, and civic action, it explores how design can serve as a tool for engagement and transformation. The Lab works from the understanding that design is an active force in society — not merely a reflection of reality, but a means to reshape it. In times of crisis, violence, and uncertainty, it seeks to create connections, open spaces of possibility, and build tools for change.
Based in the Department of Visual Communication at Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design, the Lab integrates research and practice, collaborating with students, faculty, and partners from civil society, the public sector, and academia. It positions visual communication as a strategic tool at the crossroads of information, narrative, and action — turning design into a tangible means for social change.
Working with the Lab
The Social Design Lab is a dynamic ecosystem of connections, processes, and experiments. It operates on the understanding that design is not merely an outcome, but an ongoing process of listening, translation, and action — where an idea becomes research, research becomes action, and action leads to change. The Lab brings together partners from diverse fields — public institutions, social organizations, businesses, community initiatives, researchers, faculty, and students — in a process of shared learning. Each project begins with an open question or a real need, around which a design-research process unfolds, bridging different domains of knowledge: design, society, education, law, health, culture, and the environment.
Functioning as a bridge between academia and the field, the Lab enables students and faculty to engage with real-world complexity — not only analyzing problems but understanding the contexts that shape them; not only proposing solutions but examining how they are received, implemented, and transformed. Partners in turn expand their perspective, using visual thinking and communication to make hidden knowledge visible, accessible, and actionable.
The Lab supports multiple modes of collaboration: applied projects addressing specific challenges; joint research on policy, communication, or social change; interdisciplinary working groups; and tailored programs for organizations developing socially driven design tools.
At its core lies a principle of reciprocity: design is valued not only for its outcomes but for the relationships it creates. Each collaboration builds a shared field where academic and practical knowledge inform one another — fostering learning that generates change: the design of relationships, awareness, and responsibility.
Lab Team
Nomi Geiger
Lead Researcher
Nomi Geiger is a graphic designer, artist, and lecturer, Head of the Design Studies Program and Head of the Social Design Lab in the Department of Visual Communication at Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design. Her role in the Lab combines the initiation and leadership of interdisciplinary research and practice, the development of collaborations with public, civic, and academic institutions, and the supervision of applied projects that promote social change through visual communication.
In the past, she directed the Visual Communication program at Bezalel’s Ultra-Orthodox branch, worked in the studio of designer David Tartakover, and was a co-founder and partner for a decade at Studio Gimel 2 for graphic design. Today she runs her own independent studio. She also curates, leads projects and exhibitions, teaches, and presents at conferences.
Alma Klemes
Research Assistant
Alma Kalms, originally from Jerusalem, grew up and studied at the Hand in Hand Bilingual School — a multicultural and multilingual environment. She is a graduate of the Department of Visual Communication at Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design. Since completing her studies, she has been working as an independent graphic designer. Her work combines design and storytelling, focusing on the ways in which graphic design can serve as a tool for visibility, amplification, and the repositioning of silenced voices — both in the society around us and within our own inner landscapes. She engages in projects that integrate research, visual language development, and content creation, driven by a commitment to fostering new dialogues and expanding the boundaries of visibility.
Dr. Tal Hasdai-Rippa
Head of the Research and Innovation Authority, Bezalel Academy
Dr. Tal Hasdai-Rippa serves as the Head of the Research and Innovation Authority at Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design, Jerusalem. He leads design- and art-based research projects that explore their impact on the economy, society, and technology.
An expert in intellectual property and knowledge commercialization, he works to translate artistic innovation into tangible contributions within the public and professional spheres, advancing applied research, securing resources, and developing international partnerships. Previously, he served as Coordinator of International Collaborations at Tel Aviv University and as a researcher and project manager at the Simone Veil Research Center for Contemporary European Studies at Ben-Gurion University, where he also completed his PhD in International Relations.
Dana Gez
Head of the Visual Communication Department, Bezalel Academy
A graphic designer, creator, and Head of the B.Des Program in Visual Communication at Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design. Her practice focuses on complex design systems, typography, book design, and branding for public, cultural, artistic, and architectural institutions.
She is the co-founder of Studio Gimel 2, which operated in the local and international design fields for over fifteen years. Her work has received several awards, including the Tokyo TDC Award, the DAM Best Architectural Book Award, and the Israeli Ministry of Culture Design Award. She holds a B.Des in Visual Communication from Bezalel and is pursuing an M.A. in Gender Studies at Bar-Ilan University.
Contact
The Lab is open to collaborations with organizations, institutions, entrepreneurs, and communities working in the fields of society, culture, health, and education. We seek partnerships in which visual design can serve as a tool for thinking, research, and action — helping to address social, communicative, and cultural challenges.
hello@socialdesignlab.co.il