The State Secretary for Culture and Media in those days, Rick van der Ploeg, them ordered a government advisory committee to determine how the design sector in the Netherlands could be supported.
In order to establish some effective government control over the sector it was thought that a new institute should cover multiple specialisms in the field.
"[5] The center was located in the renovated St. Nikolaaskapel in the Prinses Irenestraat, and contained spaces for exhibitions, and for lectures, debates and workshops.
[5] In those days there were plans as well for a new design museum about 6.000 square meters located near the World Trade Center (Amsterdam).
[5] In 2010 the Amsterdam conference on Redesigning Design was organized in cooperation with Creative Commons Netherlands, and the Waag Society.