design for a better quality of life

Volume 2 Edited by Peter Zec on behalf of Icsid
hall
of
fame
design for
a better
quality of life
International Council
of Societies of Industrial Design
A Partner of the International
Design Alliance
Hall of Fame
Volume 2
Design for
a better
Quality of Life
Review
6
Preface
Companies
68
Argentina
Brion Arte Industrial
Belgium
manzana
11
Design for a better
Quality of Life
Peter Zec
42
The Tomorrow of Design
Simplicity is the ultimate
Kenji Ekuan
72
78
Brazil
Indio da Costa Design
Lumini
46
Scenarios for the Region
A review of the Latin American
design industry and the
challenges it faces
Carlos Hinrichsen
80
82
84
Canada
Alto Design
BRP
Pointe-à-Callière
86
Chile
Mechanical Studio
88
90
Czech Republic
mmcité
mminterier
54
Designing for Quality of Life
Bringing creativity to business
transformation and growth
Stefano Marzano
60 Design Education for the
Twenty-first Century
Challenges and opportunities
Mark Breitenberg
70
Denmark
92 Bang & Olufsen
96
Contents
98
100
102
104
106
108
112
Finland
Metso Corporation
France
Airbus
Arnould
Decathlon
Didier Saco Design
Legrand
Schneider Electric Industries
Tim Thom
116
122
124
126
132
134
Germany
adidas
Hansgrohe
Loewe
Mercedes-Benz /
DaimlerChrysler
Poggenpohl
WMF
136
138
Great Britain
Philip Watts Design
Virgin Atlantic
Icsid
142
144
146
148
152
154
160
162
Italy
Boffi
BTicino
Fondmetal
Italdesign Giugiaro
Nussbaumer Design
Pininfarina
Christopher Redfern
Total Tool
164
Japan
Kenji Ekuan
GK Design Group
166
172
Korea
LG Electronics
Samsung Electronics
178
Mexico
Grupo di
182
Netherlands
Philips Design
184
Norway
Odd Thorsen
186 188
192 194 200 Portugal
Brandia Central
Ietadesign
Julcar
Larus
Porcel
202
Singapore
Stikfas™
204
Slovenia
Gorenje
206
210
Sweden
A&E Design
Ergonomidesign
214
Taiwan
Nova Design
220 226 232 234 USA
Apple
Bose
Continuum
Samsonite
240
The History of Iscid
A review of the past 50 years
Dilki de Silva
244
The World Design Capital®
Programme
Design as an engine for
urban development
250
255
256
256
257
258
260
262
263
Icsid
The Executive Board
Icsid Senate
Icsid Members
Associate Members
Corporate Members
Educational Members
Professional Members
Promotional Members
Promotional / Professional Members
Biographies
Mark Breitenberg
Kenji Ekuan
Carlos Hinrichsen
Stefano Marzano
Dilki de Silva
Peter Zec
264
264
264
265
265
265
266
270
271
Appendix
Addresses
Picture Credits
Imprint
Design Education
for the
Twenty-first Century
Challenges and
opportunities
Poster 2007 Young Designers’ Exhibition
(YODEX)
YODEX is a degree show which brings
together all of the design graduates’ works
under one roof and attracts more than
80,000 visitors from Taiwan and abroad
every year. This year’s edition of YODEX will
be held at the Taipei World Trade Center
in Taiwan.
Mark Breitenberg Dean of Undergraduate Education Art Center College of Design. Icsid Executive Board Member and Chair, Education Committee.
In my role as Dean at Art Center College of Design and as a member
of the Executive Board of Icsid, I have the opportunity to visit many
design schools around the world. Based on this experience, I would
like to offer my thoughts on the challenges and opportunities for
design education in our still young twenty-first century. Without a
doubt, we are living in a time of unprecedented growth and influence
of the design professions. This means that design education faces
the challenge of preparing students for increasingly complex and
diverse design practices, but at the same time the opportunity to
shape our practices in meaningful ways. Like many others, I believe
that the most critical objective of design education should be to pre­
pare students to play an active role in using innovation to create a
better quality of life on a global scale. Everyone agrees with this ob­
jective, but the diversity of approaches to design education around
the world suggests that there is no agreement on the best way to
accomplish it.
60
Mark Breitenberg
The expansion of design education around the world has been driven by
the realization that innovation and creativity are the keys to economic and
social growth today. Not content with its manufacturing base, China has
launched many new design schools in the last decade, and recently the
Indian government committed to expanding the National Institute of Design
to seven campuses. Design education in Korea has also achieved new
prominence: Seoul’s progressive Mayor Oh Se-hoon is the first metropolitan
leader to create the position of Chief Design Officer (CDO) in his govern­
ment. New educational programmes and government-sponsored initiatives
have also been established in Hong Kong, Taipei and Singapore in the last
five years. Dubai will hold its first international design summit this year,
sponsored by the government. The United States has also seen an expan­
sion of existing programmes, while Australia and much of Europe leads the
way in developing the doctoral level of design education. Icsid has been at
the forefront of this expansion of design education, especially in the devel­
opment of the new web-based Education Network, an initiative started by
previous executive boards and completed in 2007. The network displays
student work from Icsid members around the world, connects students and
teachers to our corporate and professional membership, shares ideas and
teaching strategies, and promotes our member schools. It is interesting to
note that in the last five years, the greatest new interest in Icsid has come
from the education sector, especially from China, Taiwan, and South Amer­
ica. As a result, our education membership has risen steadily over this
period.
This remarkable growth in design programmes validates BusinessWeek
design writer Bruce Nussbaum’s claim that we live in a “Creativity Econo­
my”. As Nussbaum wrote two years ago: “The game is changing. It isn’t
just about math and science anymore. It’s about creativity, imagination, and,
above all innovation.” (BusinessWeek, August 1, 2005). So the opportunity
is clear: creativity and innovation are more valued now than ever before. But
this raises difficult challenges for education in many parts of the world that
do not have a tradition of open enquiry and personal expression. China may
have built a lot of new design schools in the last decade, but open informa­
tion sources like Google still receive government censorship. In terms of
secondary education in much of Asia, rote learning and memorization are
still the most valued forms of pedagogy, and strict obedience to the author­
ity of teachers is a deeply held Confucian tradition. At a conference last year
in Taipei, students asked me how to become more creative. When I replied,
“Challenge everything your teachers tell you,” the silence in the room was
palpable. And, as I learned at the “Designing With India” summit in 2006,
endorsed by Icsid, India’s secondary educational system, developed under
British colonialism, discourages individualistic thinking. Since innovation
begins when the status quo is questioned, such historical legacies will have
to be changed if these countries want to become innovation leaders. ­De­
spite its historical leadership in innovation and entrepreneurship, under the
current Bush administration the United States has taken a dangerous step
backward by giving economic incentives to schools whose students score
high on quantifiable, standardized tests, while art programmes and peda­
gogy based on creative skills are cut from the curriculum. Innovation can be
taught in design schools, but only if students are encouraged to question
the status quo from an early age and to think independently.
A second area of opportunity and challenge in design education involves
new kinds of partnerships. There are many educational organizations, such
as the European-based Cumulus, that provide an important network for
design educators and students. But I believe it is vitally important for design
schools to collaborate with schools and organizations outside the field of
design. Design is becoming the lingua franca of our time, and that means
we must forge partnerships and alliances beyond our own borders. To
begin, every design school should establish an ongoing, curriculum-based
collaboration with a business school where design and business students
can work in teams on shared projects. Many schools have already done
this. Art Center’s programme with the Insead business school serves as an
interesting case study. Our design students were initially met with scepti­
cism because the perception was that they were less serious, “artsy” types
61
Italdesign Giugiaro
Italy
Italdesign Giugiaro S.p.A.
Via Achille Grandi, 25
I-10024 Moncalieri (TO)
Born on 7 August 1938, Giorgetto Giugiaro influenced car design in the late
20th century to a greater extent than almost anyone else. More than 200
models, from the Fiat Panda to the Alfa Romeo Brera project (2005), bear
the distinctive stamp of his work. In 1999, a jury of more than 120 automo­
tive experts from more than 30 countries voted him the Car Designer of the
Century. Italdesign Giugiaro is focused on providing creativity, engineering
and prototyping services to global car manufacturers. Giugiaro Design devel­
ops product-design solutions and works in the fields of transport design
and architecture. In every product, irrespective of whether it is a camera or
a motor scooter, Giugiaro Design expresses functionality. Finely tuned,
state-of-the-art technology enables all stages of product development to be
quickly and accurately monitored.
Giugiaro’s career began in the mid 1950s: he enrolled in a Fine Arts pro­
gramme with technical planning courses in Turin in early 50s. At the age of
17, he was admitted to the Fiat Style Centre as a designer under the guid­
ance of Dante Giacosa - father of many successful Italian post-war cars. In
1959, Nuccio Bertone entrusted the young designer with the management
of his Style Centre. There, Giugiaro designed his first masterpieces. In
1965, he was appointed head of the Style and Project Centre of Carrozzeria
Ghia, where he created two designs destined to become classics in the
sports car domain: the Maserati “Ghibli” and the De Tomaso “Mangusta”. In
1968, he established the independent company Italdesign with his tech­
nological partner, Aldo Mantovani. The aim of the company was to provide
creativity and engineering support to the world’s car manufacturers, who
refer to the company for turnkey projects developed in the Virtual Reality
Centre and Technology Divisions, where more than 800 technicians and
engineers dedicate their efforts to computer-simulated feasibility studies
and practical testing for international certification. 200 specialists in the
Design, Model, and Prototype Construction Centre work under the guid­
ance of Giorgetto Giugiaro and his son Fabrizio, who joined the firm in 1990
and is now responsible for the entire style area. The Group has cooperated
with manufacturers in Europe, Japan, Korea, as well as with emerging
Chinese firms and American manufacturers. Over the course of his career,
Giorgetto Giugiaro has become a public celebrity. He is known for his
passion for projects aimed at fostering the socio-economic growth of the
Piemonte region and the “Made in Italy” label worldwide.
Giorgetto Giugiaro
Founder of Italdesign Giugiaro
148
Italdesign Giugiaro
Tel. +39 (0)11 6891 611
Fax +39 (0)11 6470858
[email protected]
www.italdesign.it
www.giugiarodesign.com
Giorgetto Giugiaro and his Ferrari GG50
Concept Plaster Model, 2005
Awards
SIAD Silver Medal (British Society
of Artists and Industrial Designers);
Compasso d‘Oro (ADI) and
Compasso d‘Oro (ADI) / for life­
time’s achievements;
Car Designer of the Century
(voted in Las Vegas by a jury of
more that 120 automotive journal­
ists and experts from all over
the world);
Automotive News Europe (nomina­
tion among other 12 “immortals”
of the European car industry, in the
European Hall of Fame in Geneva
Palexpo, site of the annual Interna­
tional Motor Show);
Place of honour at the Detroit
“Automotive Hall of Fame”;
Autocar award for his life’s
achievements and many others.
Clients
Alfa Romeo, Alstom, Apple, Audi,
Beretta, BMW, Brilliance, Castrol,
Cerutti, Chevrolet, Chrysler,
Daewoo, Daihatsu, Ferrero, Fiat,
First Auto Work, Ford Europe,
General Motors, Hyundai,
Isuzu, Lamborghini, Lancia, LG
Electronics, Lotus, Maserati,
Mazda, Mercedes, Merloni Indesit,
Mitsubishi, Mitsubishi Estate Home
Co., Nikon, Nissan, Okamura,
Renault, Saab, San Pellegrino,
Samsonite, Seat, Seiko, Siemens,
Subaru, Suzuki, Swatch, Telecom
Italia, Toyota, Volkswagen, Volvo,
Vredestein and many more.
Publications
Design Giugiaro, Automobilia, 1980;
Catalogue Raisonné, Automobilia,
1987;
Giugiaro Italdesign. How to create
a car, Automobilia, 1995;
Italdesign. Thirty Years on the Road,
Formagrafica, 1998;
Design by Giugiaro, Rindlisbacher &
Co., 2003
Nominated by Icsid
Alfa Romeo Brera Prototype
Design: Italdesign Giugiaro
Left: At the 2005 Tokyo Motor
Show, Giorgetto Giugiaro gave him­
self a present for his fiftieth business
anniversary and designed the pro­
totype of a “Ferrari for the whole
family” based on the 612 Scaglietti
and built in Italdesign. The Ferrari
GG50 not only embodies Giugiaro’s
char­acteristic lines, but with its
fastback, folding backseats and
twelve-cylinder engine it demon­
strates the potentials of a generous
two-seater designed for travelling.
Above: In the Alfa Romeo Brera
prototype, Giorgetto Giugiaro has
brought together the very essence
of creative thinking. The design of
the body is generous both in length
and width while the distinctively
tapered front and rear contribute a
unique compact feature. As in the
cars of the fifties, the hollow-shaped
bonnet slopes downward to the
distinctive emblem badge that char­
acterises the brand identity. The
body form of the underlying struc­
ture led to the air intakes being fit­
ted as near to the ground as
possible.
149
Fiat Grande Punto, 2005
Fiat Group, Italy
Design: Italdesign Giugiaro
Trenitalia New Pendolino, 2005
full-scale mock-up
Alstom Ferroviaria S.p.A., Italy
Design: Italdesign Giugiaro
Fiat Panda, 1980
Fiat Group, Italy
Design: Italdesign Giugiaro
The interior of the practical Grande
Punto is generously spacious. The
model is comfortable for travelling,
with all occupants on board able to
enjoying a noticeably level of gen­
eral well-being. To achieve this, the
designers adopted from the very
start of the Grande Punto project
the most up-to-date ergonomic
criteria when defining the parame­
ters that measure a car‘s ability to
meet the demand for onboard wellbeing and comfort. The end result is
that the Grande Punto achieves
excellent levels for the essential
ergonomic functions of spacious­
ness, driving posture, and access.
The Panda designed by Giorgetto
Giugiaro was intended as a modern
interpretation of the Citroën 2CV
(“duck”), as a simple basic vehicle
without superfluous extras. Giugiaro
wanted “to completely rethink the
term small car instead of modifying
it” (Otl Aicher). Therefore, when
introduced to the market in 1980,
the Panda was characterised by
Spartan, simple interior equipment
and a box-shaped external design
that years later was further devel­
oped by the freelance designer in
the Fiat Uno.
150
Italdesign Giugiaro
Nominated by Icsid
The New Pendolino electric highspeed trains are the first vehicles to
be fitted with Alstom fourth-gen­
eration tilting systems, which cut
travelling times on conventional lines
by 15 to 30%. Innovative features
can be found in the interior and
exterior design, now closer to
customers’ brand strategy, and
improved comfort and services for
passengers. In addition, some
important technical characteristics
have also been enhanced, such as
the power of the traction unit and
component and equipment levels of
“redundancy”, to achieve a better
level of reliability. The new trains will
be produced in full accordance with
new regulations governing inter­
operability and passive security in
case of impact.
151
Kenji Ekuan
GK Design Group
Japan
Kenji Ekuan
GK Design Group
San Ai Bldg., 3-30-14 Takada,
Toshima-ku, Tokyo
Japan 171-0033
Kenji Ekuan, born in 1929, graduated in 1955 from the Tokyo National
University of Fine Arts and Music. In 1957, he founded GK Industrial Design
Associates, which later became the GK Design Group, the chairmanship of
which he holds today. In 1973, he was Executive Chairman of the organ­
izing committee for the ICSID ’73 Kyoto Congress. In 1976, he was ­ap­
pointed President of ICSID and in 1989 was General Producer of the World
Design Expo ’89 Nagoya. Since 1998, he has been chairman of the human­
itarian organisation “Design for the World” and also holds important posi­
tions in design-oriented associations such as the ICSID, the Japan Design
Foundation and the Japan Finland Design Association. Kenji Ekuan has
received numerous awards including the 1979 ICSID Colin King Grand Prix,
the 1995 Sir Misha Black Medal (England) and the Order of the Rising Sun
(Japan) in 2000. He received the insignia of Commander in the Order of the
Lion of Finland in 2004.
The philosophy of the GK Design Group is based on a clearly formulated
thought: “Design must incorporate people’s attitudes and values for the
times in which they live. Industrial, technological and economic realities are
represented in the form of designs, adding a touch of aesthetics to diverse
situations in our daily lives. In the wake of an advanced information society,
the aging of the population and environmental crises on a global scale, our
conventional ways of living, industrial activities and the role of communities
are being fundamentally addressed and reassessed. Against this back­
ground, design concepts must also be restructured. The growth of a materi­
alistic culture with its refined sophistication calls for more comprehensive
designing capabilities.”
Kenji Ekuan
Founder and chairman of GK Design
Group and Icsid Senator.
Tel. +81 (0)3 39 50 12 21
Fax +81 (0)3 39 52 90 57
[email protected]
www.gk-design.co.jp
Motorcycle Morpho (Concept Model)
Yamaha Motor Co. Ltd., Japan
Design: GK Design Group
Kikkoman soy sauce table dispenser, 1961
Kikkoman Corporation, Japan
Design: GK Design Group
Awards/Honours
Honorary Doctor of Science,
Art Center College of Design, USA;
Honorary Fellowship of IDIA,
Australia;
Worlddesign Award (IDSA), USA;
The Award for contributions to
Design Promotion, Japan;
Blue Ribbon Medal, Japan;
Officier de L’Ordre des Arts et des
Lettres, France;
Honorary Doctor, London
Institute, UK;
Honorary Doctor, University of
Art and Design Helsinki, Finland;
Lucky Strike Designer Award;
The Insignia of Commander in the
Order of the Lion of Finland;
The International Scientific and
Technological Cooperation Award
of the People’s Republic of China
Publications
Dogu Ko, Japan 1967; Industrial
Design, Japan 1971; The History of
Kitchen Utensils, Japan 1976; The
Philosophy of Tools, Japan 1980;
Butsudan to Jidosha (the Buddhist
altar and the automobile), Japan
1986; Soul and Material Things,
Japan 1997; The Aesthetics of the
Japanese Lunchbox, USA 1998;
The Discourses of Dogu, Japan
2000
Above: The concept of this model
fulfils the aspiration for a machine
which fuses together the human
body and the man-made machine,
in coexistence in a joint environ­
ment.
Left: Original idea and the earliest
product of its kind on the market.
164
Kenji Ekuan
Nominated by Icsid
165
Grupo di
Mexico
Grupo di
Altavista 119 San Angel Inn
MEX-01060 Mexico, D.F.
Tel. +52 5616 0770
Fax +52 5550 6497
[email protected]
www.grupodi.com
In 1970, Grupo di started operations with a qualified team of office space
planners in Mexico City. Changes in trade agreements in Mexico during the
late 1980s enabled the company to establish strategic business relation­
ships with a group of important Italian manufacturers to build a factory in
Mexico. Now Grupo di offers solutions for the Mexican market based on
avant-garde concepts that provide a suitable balance between functionality
and image. This combination results in efficient and productive workspaces.
Awards
Quorum Design Prize
(Industrial Design Category) / gold;
Quorum Design Prize (Industrial
Design Category) / bronze;
Bienal de Interiorismo, México /
special mention;
“Form follows function; trend follows fashion, avant-garde leads” is the
guiding motto of the business. That is why a team of 15 industrial designers
constantly researches and develops new elements to complement the
system of office furniture. The way companies work is constantly changing,
Grupo di’s experience and research in work trends have focused on its
priority of developing furniture to fulfil the needs of today’s workplace. This
enables clients to press ahead as these needs are met. What the market
needs is not necessarily to be found within one’s own borders, research
and development of new design and strategic alliances worldwide have
therefore been the key to sustaining the growth of a company promoting
state-of-the-art design and global quality.
Exhibitions
La idea italiana, Mexico City;
La oficina del futuro, Mexico City;
La oficina del futuro, 360º,
Mexico City;
La oficina del futuro, technology for
working spaces, Mexico City;
La oficina del futuro, productive
working spaces, Mexico City;
La oficina del futuro, reinvent your
working space, Mexico City
Since the year 2000, Grupo di has been host to “The office of the future
LOF”. Following the initiative of Grupo di, a team of companies - specialized
in the work environment spine - get together once a year in Mexico City to
present their concepts, products and perspectives, based on the fact that
the structure, planning, furnishing, technology and development of the
offices must be flexible and oriented toward the future and its changes. It is
an experience to imagine new work trends, where integral solutions to the
changing needs of the office are presented.
Clients
Comex, Herdez, Siemens, Unilever,
Televisa, Grupo Peñoles, TV Azteca,
Bardahl, Yoli, Tecnológico de
Monterrey, Santander, Banamex,
El Colegio Nacional
Grupo di describes the challenges facing modern design with the words:
“In today’s design universe one of the main problems that designers face is
to understand how to keep going forward, knowing exactly where to aim
their objectives as possibilities are infinite. The globe’s culture is just one
click away. There are millions of inspirations and trends, but if we don’t
perform we cannot be avant-garde.”
Showroom “Studio grupo di”, 2006
Grupo di
Design: Lorenzo Díaz Campos
Publications
Frauen im Design, Berufsbilder
und Lebenswege seit 1900, Vol. 1,
druckhaus Münster Kornwestheim;
Hall of fame - companies searching
for excellence in design, Vol. 1,
red dot edition;
Biblioteca de diseño Quórum,
María Aurora Campos
Lorenzo Díaz Campos,
CEO and owner of Grupo di
178
Grupo di
Nominated by Icsid
179
Showroom “La oficina del futuro”, 2006
Grupo di
Design: Lorenzo Díaz Campos
Showroom “La oficina del futuro”, 2006
Grupo di
Design: Lorenzo Díaz Campos
euro sistema, 1999
Grupo di
Design: Lorenzo Díaz Campos and the
design and development department
of Grupo di
Above: “La oficina del futuro” is a
showroom which is developed in
association with 26 companies to
display new work trends in Mexico,
from furniture to finishes, in a fully
operational concept. All the models
presented in the showroom give the
most varied answers to the follow­
ing questions: what will the office
world of tomorrow look like? What
kinds of furnishing concepts are
suitable for a normal office day in
Mexico? Which technical and
sociological aspects are included in
these concepts? Even though the
solutions presented may seem to
differ strongly from each other, they
all rest on the same basis: the com­
plex world of work requires clarity,
tranquillity and a people-orientated
environment. Thus, design simplicity
and ergonomics become the
maxims of a modern office.
180
Nominated by Icsid
Grupo di
In today’s office-world, a keen
sense is required to find new ­im­
pulses for merging functionality and
representation. In its showrooms,
Grupo di presents concepts that
aim at a balance between elegance
and practicability, in line with the
needs of the Mexican market. They
interpret the office as a commu­
nication hub in the constantly
changing world of work. Materials,
such as glass and aluminium, are
used in a self-confident way and
symbolize effortlessness, high tech
and mobility. The technical bases of
the furniture offer a wide choice of
identity, for the top floor as well as
for consultants.
181
The World Design
Capital® Programme
Design as an
engine of urban
development
The world’s cities are changing, and urban areas throughout the
world are being confronted with completely new challenges as a re­
sult of globalization and urbanization. With this background of farreaching changes, cities are searching for a new identity and new
economic perspectives. Here, design presents enormous opportu­
nities and possibilities for a city to find a path into the future and to
further develop in a goal-oriented way, as it becomes an increasingly
fundamental tool on all levels of public and private development.
Logo
World Design Capital Torino 2008
The Italian city of Turin has been
designated the first World Design
Capital in 2008.
In February 2006, Icsid announced on behalf of the International Design
Alliance the appointment of the first “World Design Capital”, which was ­re­
ceived with enormous interest by cities throughout the world. The vision of
the World Design Capital® (WDC) project is to promote and encourage the
use of design to further the social, economic and cultural development of
the world’s cities. “This competition has been initiated to foster innovation in
all areas of design, to raise awareness of the value of design and to use it to
establish international relationships,” states Icsid President Professor Dr.
Zec. “We look forward with great anticipation to seeing the extent to which
this project can contribute to lending a voice to design that will be heard
throughout the world.”
The Italian city of Turin has been designated to be the first World Design
Capital in 2008, thereby becoming a pioneer in international urban devel­
opment. Subsequently, a global competition will be held every two years,
whereby a jury of international design experts will select a city that suc­
cessfully demonstrates how design has been implemented in all aspects of
public life, and will set the international benchmark for design-led devel­
opment.
This title is of enormous significance for a city, allowing it to:
- Gain visibility as a centre of creativity and innovation
- Attract investors and creative people
- Strengthen knowledge-based economic development
- Improve the quality of life within the city
- Establish itself as a leading city of design on the international stage
- Build a global image as a must-see travel destination
- Take part in an international network of design
- Foster citizens’ pride in their city’s accomplishments
244
World Design Capital
Turin – World Design Capital 2008
There were many reasons for choosing the city of Turin, Italy, and the
Piedmont region, as the ambassador for the World Design Capital concept.
For one, Turin is an industrial centre with a long and varied history. Busi­
nesses such as Fiat (Fabbrica Italiana di Automobili Torino), Lavazza and
Pininfarina were founded in and around Turin, and the aerospace company
Alenia is also based there. The city’s economy is augmented by businesses
from the information technology and textile sectors, wine and sparkling
wine production, the gold and precious gem industry, as well as manufac­
turers from the domestic product sector. Surrounding these industries, a
very diverse structure of forward-looking design businesses, research and
style centres, as well as model and prototype laboratories have emerged in
various productive sectors. These businesses have greatly enriched the
industrial tradition of Turin and the Piedmont region, fostering a lively and
creative business environment.
City in Transformation
Although already anchored in Turin’s business culture tradition, design is
becoming more and more an engine in the city’s future development.
Design is a leading factor driving the process of transformation currently
underway in Turin and Piedmont. The local distinctions, which are transver­
sally affected by design, are creating a more balanced and sustainable ­so­
cial and economic system. This transformation was further encouraged by
the preparation and execution of the XX Olympic Winter Games in 2006, for
which the city of Turin received domestic and international praise. The pro­
cess of urban revitalization made visible through the activity and construc­
tion measures undertaken for this event have solidified Turin’s position as a
city “on the move”.
With world-class architecture, a vibrant economy, the trademark Italian “joie
de vivre” and a palpable cultural effervescence, Turin has changed from an
area of production, servicing the national community, into an area of plan­
ning, servicing the international community.
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Turin’s Activities – Flexibility is the Leitmotiv
The designation of Turin as World Design Capital 2008 has prompted the
city’s planners to make far-reaching plans and set ambitious goals. With flex­
ibility as the leitmotiv, the World Design Capital Torino 2008 concept links a
wide range of activities into a cohesive calendar of events for the city and
surrounding region. The background to this very variable approach is pro­
vided by the knowledge that the problems of present-day cities can only be
solved with a high degree of flexibility.
With the WDC 2008 concept, Turin aims to put itself on the European map
of design cities, permeate the culture of planning throughout the country,
support the development of multidisciplinary design methodologies, as well
as foster the long-term effects of the WDC on the city and others around
the world.
The Four Phases of the Design Process
The course and structure of Turin’s various activities as World Design
Capital are grouped into four phases. These four phases are meant to ­ad­
dress four different target groups: citizens, business, institutions and edu­
cation. What is interesting about this concept is both the symbolic and the
direct link to a design process, for each of these groups represent a car­
dinal point in the life cycle of contemporary design. Each phase studies,
develops and promotes the relationship between design and the urban
fabric and involves the various interrelated actors within the city. Thus, the
themes of the four phases for the year are: Public Design, Economy and
Design, Education and Design and Design Policies.
The Visual Identity
An important aspect in shaping such a comprehensive canon of activities is
coherent visual communication. On Turin’s succinct and informatively ­de­
signed homepage (http:/www.torinoworlddesigncapital.it), visitors find a
wide spectrum of design themes, including interviews with interesting per­
sonalities, commentary and analysis on design events, information on inter­
national design centres, as well as a section entitled “World Design News”.
This integrates the events in Turin into the international design community in
a very lively way.
Tony Cragg
Modern sculptures in the centre
of Turin
The visual interpretation and the communication of Turin as World Design
Capital has been the result of a complex and evolutionary process. This is
the reason why Turin has chosen to involve different designers, each of
them producing a specific medium for the event, thus defining a new meth­
od and new aesthetics. The result is a wide range of artworks in a deliber­
ate free style that here again bears witness to the maxim of “flexibility”.
A Multitude of Shades of Green
The colour green dominates the visual concept of Turin as World Design
Capital. Every colour produces an infinite range of sensations. The frequen­
cy associated with the colour green occupies a central position on the scale
of human visual perception. Green is the “visual place” to which the human
eye is most sensitive and, thus, able to perceive the most differences.
Turin’s visual communication for WDC 2008 is based on a wide spectrum
of the colour green. Each event, medium and item of communication will
“wear” a different and new shade of green for every occasion.
As Turin has always been associated with blue and yellow, the combination
of these two colours represents a new direction for the city. It also hints
at “green design” and environmental sustainability — two very important
themes for reflection.
Giorgetto Giugiaro, Sergio Chiamparino
(Mayor of Turin), Prof. Dr. Peter Zec and
Andrea Pininfarina celebrating the official
announcement of Turin as designated
pilot project.
Turin, February 13, 2006
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World Design Capital
247
The pictogram is based on the idea of
design as a regulative force and the global
importance of the World Design Capital
project. It abstracts the form of neural
cells, the basis of structured thought, as
well as our planet’s system of geographic
coordinates, the round form of which
constitutes its base. Corporate Design
by KMS Team, Munich.
World Design Capital 2010
Following a successful launch of the first WDC competition in 2006, 20 cit­
ies expressed an interest in acquiring the prominent designation. A panel of
five international jurors including Professor Dr. Peter Zec, President of Icsid;
Jacques Lange, President of Icograda; Sergio Chiamparino, Mayor of the
city of Turin and esteemed designers Marc Newson and Patricia Urquiola
deliberated in June 2007 to appoint the next city to receive the honour of
calling itself World Design Capital 2010.
The World Design Capital 2010 will be announced during the 25th Icsid
Congress in October 2007 in San Francisco, USA.
Looking to the future
While there are many awards that recognize individual accomplishments in
design, the World Design Capital designation is unique as it aims to focus
on the broader essence of design’s impact on urban spaces, economies
and citizens. This designation provides a distinctive opportunity for cities to
learn best practices and develop their own design success story, as well as
highlight their successes in urban revitalization strategies. As the momen­
tum and awareness of the World Design Capital continues to grow, so will
the interest of cities as they turn their attention towards design as a defining
factor for city development.
View of interior ramp of the
Fiat Lingotto Factory
Turin, Italy
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World Design Capital
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