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Who we are

A social design studio pioneering the use of co-creation and design thinking in international development

We're here to create a world in which people have a say in the future they want. Building on more than 20 years of experience in over 25 countries on 50+ projects and 100+ partners, we create education and communication solutions for social impact. We act as the innovation, research, technical and human-centred design partner for social organisations worldwide. By co-creating with stakeholders, every solution is based on shared values and people's needs. It means that all our work is tailor-made; never copy-paste, always human-centred.

Get inspired and collaborate

Looking to share your experience, learn new skills and grow your network of design thinkers globally in order to create positive social change? Join our Butterfly Community!

In 1999, Emer Beamer, Hester Ezra and Ineke Aquarius foresaw the potential of digital developments for social change. They founded Butterfly Works and started a digital design training with 20 young people from the slums of Nairobi. Youth who had never seen a computer or touched a mouse before, were now creating logos and websites from scratch. The works were exhibited in the National Museum of Kenya and the project resulted in the Bits Academy – training thousands of youth across Africa and South Asia. Over the years, Butterfly Works has developed into a full-fledged social design studio, creating education and communication solutions with social impact across the world.

EXCITING MILESTONE!

The Butterfly Works brand has officially migrated to the Design Innovation Group (DIG)! Butterfly Works will retain its distinctive identity as a methodology for cross-cultural co-creation under the umbrella of DIG. 


Amsterdam Team

We are co-creators and thinkers connected by curiosity, dedication and endless imagination. Working locally from the Butterfly studio in Amsterdam, we have the skills to work on any social topic in any country.

A butterfly's world is one without boundaries. Spreading seeds across long distances, they connect the places they visit, meaning that a small action by anyone can make a big difference everywhere. Some call this the Chaos Theory, others the Butterfly Effect; we call it Butterfly Works. The world may not be perfect, but look around and you will be overwhelmed by people's imagination, beauty and courage. It's these small treasures that form the seeds of change, and it is the thrill of their discovery that keeps us flying.

Hanja Holm

New Business & Partnerships

Merel van der Woude

Creative Strategy

Rianne Doorneweerd

Project Navigation

Raymond Kos

Finance

Lia Schalkwijk

Administration and Office

Andrea Tauta Hurtado

New Business & Partnerships

Fisha Katugugu

Copy and Online Marketing

Irene Conversano

Design Research

Jojanneke Hendriks

Programme Navigation

Léa Cruard

Learning experience Designer

Aline Alonso

Project-based | Design Research

Cédric Ceulemans

Project-based | Learning Experience Design

Merel Sas

Project-based | Art Direction

Discover design thinking

Social problems are complex and finding effective and inclusive ways to tackle might be a challenge. Organisations are beginning to embrace design thinking as a way to address social challenges in an innovative way. Join our workshop, and find out why design thinking is the best approach to spark social innovation!

Board Members and Founders

Anita van Duin

Board Member

Arnoud van der Zee

Board Member

Bas van Berkestijn

Board Member

Edith van der Spruit

Board member

Susan van Esch

Board Member

Emer Beamer

Founder

Ineke Aquarius

Founder

Hester Ezra

Founder

International Network

From our Amsterdam studio we connect to partners worldwide. We work with them, train them on our approach and together evolve the method. It means we have local feet on the ground, relevant expertise when needed and that we can promise high quality results with smooth collaborations.

Creative Network
Project Partners

Partners

We are the design thinking and co-creation partner for social organisations worldwide. We enjoy collaborating with organisations in the business, development, humanitarian and public sectors to create social impact. 

"Butterfly Works is a strong partner you can count on. We worked together on a difficult project to support the peace process in Yemen. Through a participatory approach, we integrated the target group to design innovative, tailored solutions for this very sensitive context. Butterfly tackles problems from a different point of view and keeps the overview about what is important and what is not. The people I know working there are creative minds that are honestly addicted to the project, seems to have a strong intrinsic motivation to get the best output. Apart from their professional work, it is the friendly and collaborative atmosphere in the partnership that makes me strongly recommend Butterfly Works."

Philipp Busch

GIZ

Create a positive chain of events

We like to talk about your projects and think along. We are always looking to explore social solutions, new themes and exciting work. Get in touch for a friendly chat, an afternoon brainstorm or a full collaboration.