Montreal (Canada) – The International Council of Societies of Industrial Design (Icsid) is pleased to announce its collaboration with the Prin. L. N. Welingkar Institute of Management Development and Research (WeSchool), which has been selected to host the next Icsid Interdesign in February 2014 in Mumbai (India).

Under the theme Humanising the Metropolis, the Interdesign workshop aims to design solutions to address critical service issues in the metropolis. The goal is to enable the city to become self-reliant on its resources, as well as increase its citizen’s sense of pride.

“In the context of emerging economies, Mumbai presents numerous opportunities for a dialogue about infrastructure, housing, sanitation, mobility, education and healthcare to name but a few,” stated Icsid President, Professor Soon-in Lee. “This term, an outstanding proposal was put fourth by the WeSchool that demonstrated the challenges of this densely populated city and a desire to work towards the betterment of its communities through an inclusive process. In selecting their proposal, we hope to help the city bring forward a substantial level of affordable solutions to address some of these critical issues.”

When asked about the proposal, WeSchool Group Director Prof. Dr. Uday Salunkhe explained how “the pragmatic approach we envision is to keep a global mindset.” Salunkhe further outlined “the needs of our society and the world at large, urge us to see things from multiple perspectives and discover the synergies among them. Taking a cue from nature, growth of any kind has to be holistic. Focusing on only one or two aspects of development will factor in deformities in the creation. Problems, when analysed from a single perspective, may only prompt incremental improvement. However when explored from multiple angles, opportunities for radical innovation present themselves and that’s what fires growth in organisations, society and nations.”

Through the years, Interdesigns have enabled Icsid to foster collaboration between various organisations and government agencies with a diverse cross-section of design experts to work together towards identifying design solutions to everyday challenges. The programme is a significant part of Icsid’s project portfolio and for the past 40 years, has grown to become a reputable and coveted experience for the international industrial design community. The programme’s operating model has evolved over the decades; the most recent improvement was made in 2011, whereby the Icsid Executive Board selects Interdesign projects based on a comprehensive bid process. Proposals are vetted based on their ability to support Icsid’s vision to contribute to a world where design enhances our social, cultural, economic and environmental quality of life. During the selection process, Icsid examines the relevance of the theme, its application in both a local and global setting, as well as the bid’s ability to elevate the role of industrial design and design thinking as it relates to the resolution of the issue at hand.

Involvement in the Interdesign is limited to a small but tenacious group of 30 to 40 participants including established and aspiring design professionals who commit to a labour-intensive workshop to assess, synthesise and formulate tangible solutions for implementation. As Professor Lee reflects, “Participating in an Icsid Interdesign is a gratifying experience for any designer to rediscover the direct benefits of our profession, contributing design for a better world.”

Over the next twelve months, preparations for the two-week workshop will take place during which time Icsid and the WeSchool will launch a call for participants. Information about the programme and its timeline will be available on www.icsid.org.

For more information, please contact:

Ms. Allison DaCosta
Project Manager, Icsid
t: +1 514 448 4949 x 235
e: adacosta@icsid.org

Dr. Pradeep Pendse
Dean IT / Business Design, Welingkar Institute of Management Development and Research
t: +91-22-24198405
e: interdesign@welingkar.org

About WeSchool

Prin. L. N. Welingkar Institute of Management Development and Research (WeSchool), Mumbai is a part of the Shikshana Prasaraka Mandali, Pune. The S. P. Mandali manages about 43 educational institutes in the state of Maharashtra.  WeSchool has two campuses, one in Mumbai the financial capital of India and another in Bengaluru, the IT capital of India.

WeSchool’s philosophy is to widen the impact of business and management education from corporate businesses to transforming the quality of life of individuals from various walks of life. “WeSchool” is therefore a symbol of the school and the people in society coming together to create a pool of wisdom from which various goals can be achieved. WeSchool provides a fresh perspective to trends and issues of management, by adapting ‘design thinking’ as an important pedagogic attribute taught by experienced design faculty. http://www.welingkar.org