Design Action Bandung, or DesignAction.Bandung, the city of Bandung’s annual workshop-conference on design thinking to find innovative solutions for urban issues, was held for the fourth time on 21-22 November 2017 at Pendopo Kota Bandung, a historic building located right across the Bandung’s Alun-Alun. Fully sponsored by Bandung City Department of Culture and Tourism (Disbudpar Kota Bandung) in collaboration with BEKRAF, Ekraf.bdg, and Bandung Creative City Forum, the theme for Design Action Bandung this year is SERENDICITY.

In Design Action Bandung 2017, more than 250 people take part in activities that include Design Thinking Crash Course, Ideation, and Prototyping, with guidance from internationally-known figures in the creative field that include Dr. Dwinita Larasati, Dr. Dwi Purnomo, Adi Panuntun, Claire Dufour from Creative Dundee, Lynn-Sayers McHattie, Ph.D from Glasgow School of Art, and Katelijn Verstraete from British Council.

Design Action Bandung 2017’s theme, SERENDICITY, is a portmanteau of the words *serendipity* and *city*, conveying an image of the city of Bandung being a place where its talented citizens synergize with supporting parties and facilities as an effort to nurture creative growth. As a city that has long been known as a city of creative talents, Bandung has borne witness to independent talents in a wide range of creative sectors, from fashion to music, culinary experience to design, digital creatives to media arts, and more. These talents spawn a palette of colorful subcultures that gives Bandung its unique mix of local characteristics for which the city is known. Supporting these subcultures is key to create solutions and improvements for Bandung’s communities and society.

Design Action Bandung is an initiative of Bandung Creative City Forum (BCCF) held for the first time in 2013. Real-life implementations of Design Action Bandung include improved city buses, improved zebra cross, the free school bus program, the “Bandros” tourist buses, bike sharing system, and more, which can be enjoyed by both citizens and tourists alike.