Honorary Doctor of Arts from the University of Brighton

On Friday morning last week, (14th February), I had the tremendous privilege of receiving an Honorary Doctor of Arts from the University of Brighton for services to design. I was presented to the audience of around 1000 under and post-graduates by Professor Jonathan Woodham, (right in picture), Director of the Centre for Research and Development and received my scroll from the University’s Chair of Governors, Lord Mogg of Queen’s Park.
In my acceptance speech having congratulated all present for their own considerable achievements, I said, “It gives me a profound sense of gratitude that my work in design and, in a very real sense, the support and contribution of all those I have worked with over so many years, in BEDA, with client companies and in design promotion organisations around the world, - all of us trying to create a better future for society through design - has been recognised in this way. It is very humbling.”
It was a very remarkable day with great kindness and hospitality shown by the University - including a luncheon in the Grand Pavillion with my own guests.
The University published its own note on its webiste here

European Design Innovation Platform

The Design Council has today issued a Press Release indicating the success of its consortium in winning the tender for the delivery of the European Design Innovation Platform.

Congratulations are due to the Design Council as the consortium lead in achieving this against strong competition as well as to Commissioner Tajani and the European Commission for taking the step to create yet further opportunity for design to become more closely embedded in the everyday behaviour and practice of the European industries. Under the European Design Innovation Initiative, over €10 million has been invested in design programmes since its launch.

This critical mass of projects, both strategic and tactical, offers the chance for design to be better understood and more accessible across Europe. This should hopefully increase the development and uptake of design policies across all Member States leading, as a consequence, to the better integration of design across the private and public sectors of Europe.

Cape Town receives World Design Capital designation for 2014

At an impressive gala dinner and convocation ceremony tonight in the City Hall in Helsinki, Helsinki handed over the designation of World Design Capital to Cape Town for 2014. Soon in Lee, President of Icsid, was joined by the Mayors of both Helsinki and Cape Town at the unveiling of the ceremonial plaque that celebrates Cape Town's designation.

Now the hard work begins in bringing design to a city that is hungry, in the words of Cape Town Mayor Patricia de Lille, "to bridge the divides of the past". In an emotional speech, Mayor de Lille indicated with great compassion what this designation means for the city and communities of Cape Town and the region.

The ceremony followed Helsinki's one-day, Closing Summit chaired by Marco Steinberg. I had the honour to be the lead speaker for the panel session on design and growth. The Summit was attended by around 250 delegates including the Mayors of Taipei, Stockholm, Lahti and of course Helsinki.

Congratulations to Helsinki and in particular to its Director Pekka Timonen for a very successful 2012 and to the World Design Capital team for Cape Town, as they assume the title of World Design Capital - the first city to do so in the continent of Africa.

Design Action Sweden

I have been invited to speak at Design Action in Nybro/Pukeberg, Sweden tomorrow - Friday 21st September. I can only stay for a short while and I won't get to hear all of the other speakers. It's a pity as they represent an intriguing and diverse set of different points of view.

The link to the event is here: Design Action 2012
Check out the speakers here: Speakers

Use Google Translate to translate from the Swedish.

Europe's Design Leadership - Design for Growth & Prosperity

This afternon, the European Design Leadership Board set up by the European Commission under its European Design and Innovation Initiative, handed its report, 'Design for Growth and Prosperity' to Commission Vice-President Tajani in Helsinki.

The Commission's Press Release outlines the six strategic areas for policy action. They are:

- The global stage
- Europe's innovation system
- Europe's enterprises
- The public sector
- The research system
- The education system


The Report sets out in detail the Board's 21 wide-ranging recommendations within these key areas.

This much-anticipated report, (which I have had the privilege to edit with Tapio Koskinen the Director of the Secretariat of the Leadership Board and working closely with the team at the DG Enterprise of the European Commission), if taken on board by the wide range of relevant and expert stakeholders and actors intended, will have an impact in bringing a more systemic approach to policy-making for design at the European Level. It will stimulate actions and programmes across Europe to assist in embedding design as a key component of innovation success for the benefit of all of Europe's citizens.

It targets both the private and public sectors as well as governments across Europe. It focuses on the needs of SMEs and seeks to support the journey of growth for medium companies with the ambition and capacity to become successful, design-aware, large companies contributing to Europe's economy. And of course, it seeks to embed design-led innovation behaviours within the hundreds of thousands of SMEs that make up the greater proportion of Europe's GDP and where Europe's design innovation future will be determined. Design Research, design consultancy, design education and design management are all seen as key tools for user-centred, design-led innovation.

I offer my congratulations to the Commission for its foresight in setting up the European Design Leadership Board and acknowledge the role of the Design Leadership Board members in bringing the European design agenda to a next level of potential.

Whilst there is no doubt that the challenges still to be faced remain daunting and complex, there now exists for the first time, a firm policy basis upon which to grow Europe's design capacity.

RIP Bill

To anyone who met him, Bill Moggridge always made an impression. He was the sort of man, (with a beautiful speaking voice), who always made you feel better for having met him. Reading on the BBC news webiste this morning, (from where I have copied this photograph), I see that his Associate Director at the Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum in New York - where he has been Director since 2010 - says, "Beloved by the museum staff and the design community at large, Bill touched the lives of so many through his wise council, boundary-pushing ideas and cheerful camaraderie,". Good words.Thank you Bill for all that you achieved for and in design. Our world seems so much smaller without you.

New CEO at UK Design Council / CABE

Congratulations to John Mathers on his appointment as the new CEO at the British Design Council. A design industry veteran, John brings a great deal of insight and knowledge to the post on the business of design.

John was UK Chief Executive of The Brand Union for ten years after which he become Chief Operating Officer for Blue Marlin Brand Design. Subsequently, he joined packaging design specialists Holmes & Marchant as MD in 2009. John is a former President of the Design Business Association in the UK.