Montreal (Canada) – The Executive Boards of the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design (Icsid) and the International Council of Graphic Design Associations (Icograda) are pleased to announce the appointment of Prof. Dr. Peter Zec as the new Lead Chair of the International Design Alliance (IDA).

Prof. Dr. Zec, President of Icsid, is also President of the internationally renowned Design Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen in Germany, where he has presided since 1991 and oversees the prestigious red dot design award. “The desire for our organisations to strengthen and grow through a collaborative initiative such as the IDA has been an echo heard from the design community for many years, so I am thrilled to continue the efforts, already well received in the first year of the IDA,” stated Professor Zec. “The IDA Executive Committee will continue to devote its attention to the development of a sustainable framework that will allow us to address multi-disciplinary design issues and position our organisations in a manner that will allow both memberships to benefit from this partnership.”

The IDA is a strategic alliance established and mandated by the General Assemblies of Icsid and Icograda for the purpose of identifying, developing and implementing collaborative initiatives to advance the common goals of the alliance partners. Since its inception in 2005, the IDA has been administered by an Executive Committee, which in turn is chaired jointly by the presidents of Icsid and Icograda. The Lead Chair of the Committee is appointed on an annual alternate basis. Professor Zec assumes the position of Lead Chair, effective immediately, following Jacques Lange, Icograda President and Partner and Creative Director of Bluprint Design in South Africa.

Through the establishment of the IDA, both organisations have achieved economies of scale by collaboratively negotiating a shared office space for ten years in Montreal, Canada, and they continue to share cost savings, including the upcoming launch of a jointly developed website, as well as other operational efficiencies. As such, the IDA’s guiding principal to “do together what cannot be done alone” remains a mutually beneficial strategy for both organisations.

Upcoming projects for the IDA include:

  • The World Design Capital™ project – a designation appointed to the winning city of a biennial international competition, created to identify and recognise cities that have effectively used design from a social, cultural and economical point of view to revitalise the city;
  • The IDA World Design Report – a landmark multi-disciplinary compilation that will benchmark the design sector in 12 countries (or economic development communities) as a pilot project to determine the contribution of the design economy and the level of strategic engagement of design as a socio-economic and cultural developmental;
  • The IDA Global Summit – an international forum that will examine and advance ideas related to the global challenges and opportunities within the multi-disciplinary industries of design, in an attempt to find ways of harnessing the power of design to advance creative solutions for improving economic development and the quality of life around the globe.

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About Prof. Dr. Peter Zec
Professor Dr. Peter Zec, born in 1956, has been president of the internationally renowned Design Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen since 1991. He developed the institution, founded in 1954, into a qualification and communication center for business, design and society. Its red dot design award is regarded as one of the most prestigious international prizes for innovative design. For over 15 years now, Peter Zec has been working as a design consultant with numerous companies in foreign countries. He has gained worldwide recognition with lectures in more than 40 countries. He is the publisher of the “red dot design yearbook” and the “Who’s Who in Design” among other design books.

About Icsid
The International Council of Societies of Industrial Design (Icsid) was created in 1957 by a group of international organisations committed to industrial design. Today, Icsid counts over 160 members in more than 50 countries, representing approximately 150,000 designers. Icsid members are professional associations, promotional societies, educational institutions, government bodies, corporations and institutions — which aim to contribute to the development of the profession of industrial design.

Icsid supports and highlights design as a valuable tool to serve key issues discussed in international forums. This requires collaboration with individuals, governments, NGO’s, companies and organizations, in order to guarantee and strengthen the presence of design at all level. Icsid holds consultative status with UNESCO, UNIDO, ISO and WIPO.

About Icograda
The International Council of Graphic Design Associations (Icograda) is the world body for professional communication design. It is the representative international non-governmental organisation for communication design, unifying the voice of designers worldwide and promoting their dynamic role in society and commerce. Founded in London in 1963, Icograda holds consultative status with UNESCO, UNIDO, ISO, IFFRO and WIPO.

From its core membership of communication design associations, Icograda has expanded to include affiliated organisations promoting the value of design, the community of communication design educational institutions and design media, as well as a worldwide network of individuals and corporations who share a common interest in graphic design and visual communication. Today, Icograda has 195 Members and numerous Friends in 57 countries worldwide.
www.icograda.org

For more information, please contact:

Ms. Dilki de Silva
Icsid Secretary General
t: +1 514 448 4949 ext. 227
e: ddesilva@icsid.org

Ms. Andrea Springer
Icsid Communications Manager
t: +1 514 448 4949 ext. 232
e: aspringer@icsid.org