Experts talk about the impact of design at the What Design Can Do! conference

Apr 20, 2012 | by Robert | Art, Event

About the author

Art director, designer and photographer in the virtual world. What's in a name.

Let me introduce you to the 2nd edition of the international conference about the impact of design: WHAT DESIGN CAN DO! Or even better: What Can’t Design Do? When we think about design we tend to think of branding, clothing or furniture. What if we take design out of it’s box and see how design can aid in solving social and environmental issues? Design has been and is able to change, inspire and solve.

Making use of design to improve things is not new, check out some great examples by Tibor Kalman. In recent years, designers have being challenged to work out issues outside their comfort zones, and find sustainable solutions in unfamiliar places. This new way of thinking also made it to Silicon Valley where start ups with designers as founders are being funded more heavily.

This years theme is about exploring the positive and negative sides of a connected world and looking into the role of the designer as a connector.

Some questions that might be asked are:

Can fashion be green and hot at the same time?
H&M’s Trend Coordinator Catarina Midby sees sustainability as one of the biggest trends in the fashion industry right now, and will be present to try and answer this question.

Can architecture exist without building?
Since the mid-1990s the London based architecture/art collective muf has propagated a refreshing approach to architecture. It doesn’t focuses on buildings but on effecting change in problematic urban areas through investigation, negotiation, diplomacy and play. They will try and answer this question.

Can intuition lead the way?
In her designs, Pentagram partner Paula Scher knows how to connect with the public through intuition. At WDCD she will present examples of her work, which she describes as serious play.