International Council of Societies of Industrial Designers
The idea to create an international body representing the interests of industrial designers was first presented by Jacques Vienot at the Institut d’Esthetique Industrielle’s international congress in 1953. A more formal commitment on the part of his colleagues and counterparts at other national design associations was made at a further international meeting in 1955. But it was not until June 29, 1957 at a special meeting in London that Icsid was officially founded, under the name of the International Council of Societies of Industrial Designers. This name, coupled with the fact that the twelve founding members were all national professional design associations, demonstrates the spirit with which Icsid was established – to protect the interests of practicing designers and to ensure global standards of design. The individuals that were elected to the first Executive Board therefore did not act upon personal conviction, but rather they represented the voice of their own society members and national design community.
Soon after this meeting, the organization was officially registered in Paris and the Secretariat was set-up at 17 Quai Voltaire. Icsid’s early aims were to raise the status of industrial designers, to raise the standard of industrial design by setting standards for training and education, and to encourage cooperation between industrial designers.