Montreal (Canada) – The International Council of Societies of Industrial Design (Icsid) held its 28th General Assembly on 18-19 November 2013 in Montreal (Canada) where key decisions were made that will influence the future direction of the organisation. The two-day General Assembly concluded with the announcement of the new Board of Directors for the 2013-2015 term, and confirmation from Icsid’s membership for the organisation to unilaterally withdraw from the International Design Alliance (IDA).

Dr. Brandon Gien, Icsid’s first Australian President will lead the Board of Directors this term. Dr. Gien is the CEO of Good Design Australia and Chair of the Australian International Design Awards, Prior to founding Good Design Australia, Dr. Gien was the General Manager of Design Strategy and Head of Corporate Services for Standards Australia. Through Dr. Gien’s work, Good Design Australia is now widely recognised and respected for its important role in promoting the value of design-led innovation to business, industry, academia, government and the general public. He served as Icsid’s Treasurer for two terms (2007-2011) and most recently as President-Elect.

“It is with a pounding heart, a head bursting with fresh ideas and an unwavering passion for design that I embark on a journey to lead this organisation,” stated Dr. Gien. “There is without doubt a design renaissance happening around the world, where the profile and importance of design is shifting to a new level. Design is now being understood and embraced as a driver for positive change in areas of business, industry, government and more importantly, at a societal level.

We must ensure Icsid continues to be a leading player in promoting the value of professional design in a world that needs it more than ever. Most importantly, we need to reinforce this message with authority, credibility and above all – dignity.

It is vitally important that we place even more emphasis on our profession and leverage the leadership role industrial designers are playing in pushing the boundaries of design into corporate strategy and design-led innovation.

I look forward to working with a new board that will bring fresh thinking and help explore a new definition of industrial design and formulate a new model to engage with professional organisations in these exciting and rapidly expanding areas of design

I have very high aspirations for this term and the Board members joining me, to design the roadmap ahead for Icsid to ensure this organisation matters today as much as it will in 50 years time.”

The 2013-2015 Icsid Executive Board members are as follows:

  • Dr. Brandon Gien, President (Australia)
  • Prof. Mugendi K. M’Rithaa, President-Elect (South Africa)
  • Ms. Luisa Bocchietto, Board Member (Italy)
  • Mr. Tony K.M. Chang, Board Member (Taiwan, Chinese Taipei)
  • Ms. Vivian Wai Kwan Cheng, Board Member (Hong Kong SAR)
  • Mr. Mario Gagnon, Board Member (Canada)
  • Ms. Eunjoo Maing, Board Member (South Korea)
  • Mr. Pierre-Yves Panis, Board Member (France)
  • Mr. Srini Srinivasan, Board Member (USA)
  • Dr. Makoto Watanabe, Board Member (Japan)
  • Mr. Ralph Wiegmann, Board Member (Germany)

Reports on the organisation’s projects during 2011-2013 term were positive including an update on the upcoming Interdesign in Mumbai (India) in February 2014, the appointment of the World Design Capital® (WDC) 2016 designation to Taipei (Chinese Taiwan) and the announcement of the seven shortlisted projects for the World Design Impact Prize 2013-2014 cycle.

The two-day meeting also reported on the term’s challenges with a specific focus on the Icsid Board’s recommendation to withdraw from the International Design Alliance – an endeavour founded by Icsid in conjunction with the International Council of Communication Design (Icograda) in 2005 and later joined by the International Federation of Interior Architects/Designers (IFI) in 2008. The motion to withdraw from the IDA at Icsid’s General Assembly was approved by a majority vote with no oppositions and only a few members electing to abstain. The motion was passed with the agreement that Icsid would continue to maintain its commitment to contribute to and support the upcoming IDA Congress in Gwangju (South Korea) in 2015, for which a delegation from the host city presented an encouraging project update.

The second day of the general assembly, provided members with the opportunity to engage in an open discussion about the direction of the profession. Moderated by Fabienne Münch (University of Montreal Design School) and a panel of practicing industrial designers including Dong-hoon Chang (Head of Design, Samsung – South Korea), Maureen Thurston (Partner, Design Thinking, Deloitte – Australia) and David Kusuma (VP, Design, Tupperware Brands Corporation – USA). The information gathered during this discussion will feed into the strategic objectives for the new board to consider for the term ahead.

In his closing remarks, Dr. Gien stated, “As we steer the organisation forward into the next term and lay the foundation for the future, my focus as President will be on five key objectives; organisational stability and financial sustainability, strategic brand alignment, international collaboration and advocacy, a greater focus on the industrial design profession and building an aspirational organisation.” Work will begin to implement his vision into the organisation’s strategic objectives as of the first board meeting scheduled for February 2014 in Mumbai (India).

For more information, please contact:

Natalie Dutil
Communications Officer
t: + 1 514 448-4949 ext. 223
e: ndutil@icsid.org