The first International Design Alliance (IDA) Congress opened in Taipei City yesterday, drawing more than 3,000 designers and experts.
“Our goal is to provide a forum that engages designers and leaders from other sectors, with a shared belief that design can offer new insights about our most pressing global issues, in order to create a world that is balanced, sustainable and inclusive,” said Mark Breitenberg, president of the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design (ICSID).
He said he hoped the three-day congress, organized by the world’s three largest design organizations, would inspire dialogue leading to future actions, political and social commitments and long-term collaboration between design and other spheres of knowledge and practices.
Photo: CNA
Taiwan exemplifies the “transformative power of design” and has embraced design as a force for its economic and social development, he said.
“Made in Taiwan,” which symbolizes the country’s manufacturer role, has been transformed into “Designed in Taiwan,” he said.
International Federation of Interior Architects and Designers president Shashi Caan touted Taiwan’s transformation over the past 100 years.
“We have seen a 100 years of creativity evolve from the craft of making to the art of design,” Caan said.
International Council of Graphic Design Associations president Russell Kennedy called on designers to address the opportunities and challenges of the global community.
The design industry has the potential to “generate income, jobs and export earnings, while at the same time contributing to social inclusion, cultural diversity and human development,” he said.
At the opening ceremony, Vice President Vincent Siew (蕭萬長) said the government had helped local businesses to focus on design, creativity and new marketing models to build an international reputation for products “Designed in Taiwan,” rather than “Made in Taiwan.”
Titled “Design at the Edges,” the forum will include keynote sessions on the themes of economic development, the Internet, biotechnology, urbanism and international migration.
It will also feature interactive design salons, regional reports, professional practice sessions, opportunities for exchange between young designers and an education symposium.
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