An important task for a modern design school is to bring people together who are looking to share and seek new knowledge. The School of Design welcomes guests from all over the world to give lectures in an open network, where ideas are exchanged across environments and disciplines. Over the past year, several prominent guests have visited, contributing to the school’s exuberant learning environment at Holmen:
Design and CSR In December 2010 we hosted a workshop on the systematic efforts of the company Social Action and the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs to address corporate social responsibility (CSR). Two open lectures focused on Massive Change and the link between CSR and sustainability.
Seminar: Infrastructuring & strategies of democratization In April and June 2011 The School of Design hosted three Ph.D. seminars titled “Design & The Social”. The seminar series, which featured international guest speakers, discussed design development and design research in the field of user-driven design in relation to social, cultural and technological innovation in the public sphere. The three well-attended seminars put user-driven innovation to the debate: “How can designers work with infrastructures of social innovation in public space?”, “What is the role of the designers who engage in creating infrastructures of participatory design?” and “How can participatory design traditions and methods contribute to a democratization of innovation?” 14 April, 14 June and 16 June 2011.
Taking responsibility for sustainable products Sustainable solutions are part of the answer to society’s future challenges. And it is essential for a modern design school to address pressing contemporary issues. But how can design make a difference? On 11 April 2011, Chief Design Officer Chris Hacker of the pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson visited the school for a talk on “making the world a better place”. Students, the school’s Co-Design cluster and other interested participants met the engaging chief design officer for a debate about designers’ and companies’ responsibility for sustainable products.
Moving Brands and magazine design The School of Design, Centre for Communication
Design has been the venue for some of the school’s open lectures, including the workshop “Moving Brands” on 7 April 2011, when Senior Designer Jon Hewitt of Moving Brands gave a lecture and a workshop on open-source approaches to design in a worldthat is becoming increasingly social, mobile and interactive. The School of Design also has a long-standing collaboration with Mervyn Kurlansky, former head of the design firm Pentagram, which in 2011 led to a series of workshops and lectures at the school. For the third consecutive year, Visual Communication carried out a successful week-long workshop with Art Director Arem Duplessis of the New York Times Magazine. The resulting proposals for covers and spreads were very well received.
Car design in 2011 More industrial topics are also put to the debate. On 25 February, The School of Design hosted an event with Phillipp Haban of the Art Center College of Design and industrial designer Mikkel Venge of Bang & Olufsen Automotive, which looked at car design in 2011, a theme that the school also addressed in 2010 in a project to design charging stations for electric cars in cooperation with ChoosEV.
Around the world from Milan and China to Greenland While visitors from all over the world come to the school, the school’s areas of specialization also take to the road to visit relevant trade fairs, individuals and creative hubs. In 2011, a group of students visited leading textile manufacturers, showrooms and events in Milan. China continues to attract students, for example to visit the school’s partner institutions – and in 2011 a group of students went to Greenland to do a ten-week design project.
CONTA CT FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Head of Centre Tine Kjølsen, tkj@dkds.dk
International Coordinator Marianne Gyldendal, mgy@dkds.dk
