Montreal (Canada) – Under the banner of the International Design Alliance (IDA), partner organisations the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design (Icsid), the world body for professional communication design (Icograda) and the International Federation of Interior Architects/Designers (IFI) unveiled today the new visual identity for its biennial IDA Congress.

Designed and developed by Pentagram, the new look focuses on an artistic restructuring of Pangaea, a theory of Greek origin meaning "all lands" in support of the idea that at one time, all of the earth's continents were once a single landmass. Pentagram's solution for a permanent identity for the IDA Congress is a seemingly abstract shape that is ultimately composed of the silhouettes of all continents. At small scale, its shape is ambiguous. Enlarged, the geographic details come into view.


The six inhabited continents were merged and rearranged, resulting in the new IDA Congress logo.

Each Congress host, selected on a biennial basis, will be able to customise the identity within a system developed by Pentagram, showcasing the unique attributes and culture of the host city. The strong shape of the new IDA Congress logo provides a visual anchor for key text elements— the host city name, the year and theme - which can incorporate both roman and non-roman
alphabets to reflect both the visual and verbal language of the Congress location.

The new visual harmoniously brings together the earth's continents, as the IDA Congress brings together design disciplines, uniting designers and their stakeholders - world bodies, governments, business and society - to shape regional and global agendas that further the impact of design.

Concluding a successful first congress in Taiwan (Chinese Taipei) in October 2011, the three partners of the IDA are looking forward to promoting future congresses with this unique visual identity.

The next IDA Congress will take place from 17-19 November 2013 in Istanbul (Turkey).

Istanbul Technical University (ITU), official host of the 2013 IDA Congress, will be the first to use this logo under the theme, "Design Dialects", which is presented as a metaphor for confrontation, communication and collaboration, fostering a creative discourse on design from all disciplines. ITU will continue on the path forged by the previous congress and provide a platform on which professionals from design and non-design backgrounds can discuss pertinent issues and work together to find solutions, through the congress programme and multidisciplinary sessions.

Please visit http://www.idacongress.com/ for more information.

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For further information, please contact:

Susie Hall
Icsid Project Manager
IDA Congress
t: +1 514 448 4949 ext: 225
e:

About the International Design Alliance

Established in 2003, by the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design (Icsid) and the International Council of Communication Design (Icograda), the International Design Alliance (IDA) is a strategic venture between the international organisations representing design. The IDA serves as the collective voice for all disciplines, advocating the mutual interest of all design professions. In September 2008, the IDA welcomed the International Federation of Interior Architects/Designers (IFI) to the alliance as the third partner.

The IDA partners have previously held individual biennial congresses and together they organised a 'Joint Congress' every six years, including the following locations: 1981 – Helsinki (Finland), 1987 – Amsterdam (the Netherlands), 1993 – Glasgow (Scotland), 1999 – Sydney (Australia), 2005 – Copenhagen (Denmark). In 2011, the 'IDA Congress' replaced the individual biennial and joint congresses.

International Council of Societies of Industrial Design

The International Council of Societies of Industrial Design (Icsid) is a non-profit organisation that protects and promotes the interests of the profession of industrial design. Founded in 1957, Icsid serves as a unified voice of over 50 nations through which members can express their views and be heard on an international platform. Since its inception, Icsid has continued to develop its widereaching network of students and professionals devoted to the recognition, success and growth of the industrial design community. www.icsid.org

International Council of Communication Design

Icograda is the world body for professional communication design. It is a non-profit, non-partisan, member-based network of independent organisations and stakeholders working within the multidisciplinary scope of communication design and expanded media. Founded in 1963, Icograda actively promotes the value of design practice, thinking, education, research and policy, representing more than 200 organisations in 67 countries and regions globally. As a partner of the International Design Alliance (IDA), Icograda’s members believe in interdisciplinary collaboration and the effectiveness of a collective voice to represent the design industry. www.icograda.org

International Federation of Interior Architects/Designers

The International Federation of Interior Architects/Designers (IFI) is the global voice and authority for professional Interior Architects/Designers. The sole international federating body for Interior Architecture/Design organisations, IFI acts as a global forum for the exchange and development of knowledge and experience, in worldwide education, research and practice. IFI connects the international community in order to further the impact, influence and application of the design of interiors, promote global social responsibility, and raise the status of the profession worldwide. Founded in 1963 as a not-for-profit, limited liability Company to expand the international network of professional Interior Architects/Designers, IFI represents over 270,000 designers, educators and industry stakeholders in the international design community in 110 countries on every continent collectively representing practicing Interior Architects/Designers worldwide. www.ifiworld.org

Istanbul Technical University

Established in 1773, Istanbul Technical University (ITU), as a leading state university, defines and continues updating methods of engineering and design education in Turkey. It provides its students with modern educational facilities while retaining traditional academic values, as well as using its strong international contacts to mould young, talented individuals who can compete in the global arena. ITU, with its 18 150 undergraduate and 6500 graduate enrolled students, has 37 departments in 13 faculties, six different graduate schools and 11 research centers. Almost all undergraduate programs has been accredited by international bodies like ABET, EUA, NAAB, IMO. The vision of ITU is to rank among leading research universities globally. www.itu.edu.tr/en/