22-25 November 2009
Singapore

The 2007 Icsid General Assembly ratified Singapore as the host city of the 26th Icsid World Design Congress and General Assembly. Icsid Member Society, DesignSingapore Council, planned a unique "Design2050 studios" concept in preparation for the congress programme, under the chairmanship of Low Cheaw Hwei, Singapore 2009 Icsid World Design Congress Organising Committee and Dr. Milton Tan, Commissioner of Design2050 Studios.

Icsid members from the region of Singapore partnered DesignSingapore Council in the delivery of the congress; Designers Association of Singapore, Nanyang Polytechnic, Orcadesign, Red Dot Design Award Singapore and Temasek Polytechnic.

22 November - Design Education Conference

• From Now to the Future
• Synthetic Future of Design Education
• Future Epistemology in Design
• Digital Technology in Design Education
• New Tools of Design Education
• Classrooms of the Future

Bringing together over 700 design professionals from more than 40 countries. the Congress programme comprised a three-day forum of studio presentations by studio leaders, keynote speakers and panel speakers.

Delegates, including designers, business leaders, community leaders, educators, scientists and entrepreneurs, were invited to discuss and refine the propositions in partnership with presenters, during interactive ringside debates and plenary sessions; structured to explore the difference that design can bring to individuals, organisations and communities in the coming decades.

The Congress provided positive perspectives on the changes design can bring to our lives as the world faces pressing global challenges such as climate change and economic uncertainty. Congress delegates joined forces with the design leaders to develop forward-looking solutions that range from buildings that capture natural resource to automobiles that cater to our emotional needs.

Theme

The 2009 Congress theme "Design Difference - Designing Our World 2050" addressed some of today's major global challenges in an attempt to deliver powerful propositions that collectively charted a desirable future of the world, through design perspectives.

In the months leading to the Congress, a group of renowned creative experts headed up "Design2050 Studios". These studio leaders prepared for the future propositions defined during the congress, by imagining, conceptualising and visualising a changed world for the better in each of their area of expertise:

Architects Save the World and Bring Joy to Millions: Singapore 2050
Architectural and urban concepts for Singapore as a better place to live in the future, whilst addressing challenges such as; rising sea levels and increasing populations, which are significant worldwide.



Blindspots in Design 2050
The notion of 'rural' can be renegotiated within the current climate of urban environments. These types of 'blindspots' can identify challenges and serve to map global risks by 2050.



Entertainment 2050
Entertainment lifestyles in the future presented through case studies of individual lifestyles, their influence by products and technologies, live-action videos presented juxtaposed with 2D illustrations, designs based on accessibility, integration, and creativity.



Healthcare 2050
Exploration aspects of health and wellbeing throughout a person's full life cycle; the influence of technological developments in bio-tech, robotics, materials, light and sound in the approach to future treatments. A series of vignettes presented aspects of a future system that is based on probable socio-cultural and technology forecasts, for maintaining a healthy lifestyle.



Life @ 1 Planet 2050
Over-consumption of the resources of our single planet; crowd-sourced stories presented about how the global community foresee the society of 2050. Visions of Earth illustrated to show the planetary or human systems.



Personal Emotional Mobility 2050
A catalyst; a phenomenon that engages and inspires creativity and productivity within society. Primary mobility vehicles and 'best use' scenarios for resource and energy allocation, which provide enjoyable and fulfilling lifestyles to all.



Protofarm 2050
Agricultural technology and farming techniques, processes and applications redefined by 2050, factoring biological systems, which are already futuristic to that of manmade inventions.



Reinventing the Automobile 2050
Convenient and efficient urban mobility to reduce energy demand and carbon emissions, using light, intelligent electronics, future urban-scale systems.



Sustainable Cities 2050
Urban sustainability as an immediate opportunity and imperative facing a rapidly urbanising world. Architectural presentation exploring the role of buildings in this evolution and consider how urban areas will be experienced in 2050.

Testimonials

"This year's congress has been one of the most prestigious and important gatherings of international creative thinkers ever in Singapore.  We have been able to utilise the experience and knowledge of our outstanding presenters to champion the social, economic and environmental benefits of great design. The congress proved to have offered a truly beneficial experience for the delegates with its unique participative structure.  I am delighted with the outcome of the congress and feel it has been a great success for all involved."
- Low Cheaw Hwei, Chairman of the Singapore 2009 Organising Committee



"I have been really impressed by the format of the workshops because they gave participants and the leaders an opportunity to explore and digest a range of perspectives. Some of the workshops proposed actionable ideas, while others just vented about the future. I have to say that I am leaving the Congress having learned some things, which is something I can not say about every congress I attend."
- Paola Antonelli, senior curator at the Museum of Modern Art in New York



"The discussion was rich and open. I hope for all of us it represents some new thinking, and in the end the output is all in our hands, as designers.  It is for us to take what we have explored and learned here, and start building the better world of tomorrow."
- Stefano Marzano, Healthcare 2050 Design Studio Leader,  CEO of Philips Design



"It has been great. We have been able to go beyond superficial thinking, and Singapore is a really great location for us to take a break, and get out of the stress of day-to-day design, to make something impactful.  Design has so many faces and being at this Congress has meant that you can become interested in many different aspects of design."
- Erwing Van Handenhoven, delegate from France

The Icsid General Assembly is the primary gathering of Icsid's international network of members. Held immediately following the 2009 Icsid World Design Congress on 26-27 November, the main function of the General Assembly was to engage the international network of members in a dialogue addressing administrative issues and strategic initiatives for the future.

Downloads

• Icsid Design Education Conference 2009 programme (PDF - 1.7MB)
• Icsid World Design Congress 2009 programme
• Book 1: Design Difference (PDF - 9.3MB)
• Book 2: Design2050 Studios (PDF - 12MB)

Videos

Watch videos from the DesignSingapore Youtube channel for Design2050