Preview (1993)
debate however is increasing polarised between a technology based optimism as expounded by Ezio Manzini and the perhaps more traditional view of technology as implicated more in the problem than the solution - Papanek's view. It was left to James Woudhuysen of the Henley Centre in London to answer his own question: 'Can technology solve today's green problems? We have to say yes'. Design Renaissance addressed 'big' themes. Its emphasis on politicisation and business potential ensured that the debate stayed firmly anchored in the real world. New developments emerged, shared vocabularies were proposed. Most important was a clear consensus that designers remain immensely positive about their role and their ability to offer solutions to commercial, cultural and environmental problems. As to the way forward, one model was suggested by Marzano, who called on ICSID to establish a political programme panel of members to draw up a detailed code of ethics, work out a coherent political platform and form working alliances with likeminded groups. Adopted by design as a whole, regardless of discipline boundaries, and indeed on a national as well as international level, such a code may prove central to the promotion of design over the next decade. Perhaps the next congress on the Design Renaissance scale will report on progress. Design Renaissance - the book F ollowing the success of the congress a follow up book will be published early in 1994 by Open Eye Publishing in association with the Chartered Society of Designers. Edited by Jeremy Myerson, the book will bring together many of the major presentations given at Design Renaissance. Full details wall be available next year from the CSD's information department. In the meantime the posters produced to commemorate the congress are still available. Each is certain to become a collector's item. Posters can be ordered from the CSD's Information Department, priced at £15.00 each, or £125.00 for the full set of 11. Top to bottom, Ezio Manzini gives Design Renaissance the thumbs up; The opening session: Victor Papanek, Stefano Marzano, Michael Wolff and Erskine Childers; the final summing up: Dr Robert Blaich, James Woudhuysen, Christopher activity levels at the Society Frayling. (all have remained high. Design photos Stephen Renaissance was a resounding Gibson) success, not only in terms of Planning for 1994 The CBI's recent Industrial Trends survey demonstrated that UK manufacturers' confidence about the strength of economic recovery has weakened. Sir David Lees, Chairman of its Economic Affairs Committee, commented that 'the recovery, while still moving slowly forward, is fragile'. Design, as much as almost every other industry sector, has had to adapt. ■■he knock-on effects for the 1 design community are 1 well-known - free pitching, narrow profit margins, less investment in research and development and a growing number of designers either out of work or making career changes. The profession increasingly needs a powerful and representative voice - a strong and developing Chartered Society. attendance, but also for the fact that it attracted over£155,000 in sponsorship. Bedford Square is receiving an increasing number of information requests daily and selling more publications than in previous years. Recent events and training seminars have sold out. Our challenge is to maintain and increase our funding base, despite a diminished design constituency, in order to allow us to develop and improve our services and benefits to members. To do this will both require growth in membership (with the emphasis both on retention as well as recruitment) as well as developing new sources of income. With the help of new and existing market research, we will clarify which activities and services are currently needed and w'hich will be required by a constantly changing professional design community. We will need to co-ordinate all our income and promotional activity to maximum effect - not only at Bedford Square, but as a corporate national body. New funding opportunities, such as foundation funding, must be exploited and, importantly, the links with business and industry must be strengthened. Some of this is already in hand. The CSD launched the Business Design Programme earlier this year. It now has 16 members. 200 approaches to prospect companies are being followed up and new partnerships are already emerging. Plans for a membership survey and wider market research are in hand to ensure that the Society is well placed to meet the needs of a growing membership. Over the last two years we have seen the CSD gradually stabilising its financial position. Through 1994 we are planning for growth. The CSD would like to thank the following for their recent support: The Directory of Social Change Reed Information services Hollis Directories Hemmington Scott Publishing Tim Foster Sound Despite present pressures, PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE CSD SCOTLAND MEMBERS' NETWORK The CSD's Scotland committee is creating a members network to assist members to contact and keep in touch with each other, and to provide a platform for educational and informative exchanges between designers. Graduates and independent practitioners can feel especially isolated when outside of the educational or corporate umbrella. Consultancies and companies frequently require special skills, not always available in-house, to assist in particular projects. Equally, independent designers often require the assistance of designers from other disciplines to work on, or to be able to bid for, larger projects. The network database aims to help members from either background. All members in Scotland should have received a questionnaire. If you have yet to complete and return it please do so as soon as possible. The information will enable CSD Scotland to tailor events to your real needs. Questionnaires should be returned to Lin Gibbon, Chairman, CSD Scotland, c/o Randak Design Consultants, 90 Mitchell Street, Glasgow G1 3NQ. PROTECTING YOUR DESIGNS Intellectual property rights form the basis for designers and clients to exercise control over use of their work. The CSD has revised and re-published its guide to intellectual property, 'Protecting your designs'. Compiled by Geoffrey Adams HonFCSD, the Society's Design Protection Adviser, and Michael Edwardes-Evans, a solicitor specialising in the field, the guide provides an outline of the design protection system in the UK. The scope and usage of the various relevant form of protection - copyright, design right, design registration, patents and trade marks - is examined in detail, together with advice on international implications and the legal situation with regard to passing off cases. 'Protecting your designs' is available from the Society's Information Department, priced at £7.50 to members and £13.00 to non members (plus postage and packaging). Telephone Yvonne Hunt on 071 631 1510 to place your order, or to receive a copy of the complete CSD publications list.