Under the theme “Responsible Consumption & Production” from 28 to 30 June 2017
Following Istanbul (Turkey), Shanghai (China) and Toluca (Mexico), the World Design Organization (WDO)™ will hold the 4th World Design Talks™ (WD Talks) in Rabat (Morocco). Organized by Africa Design Days (ADD), this major pan-African and global continental event is an unprecedented experience for the innovation and design community in Africa, as well as a privileged space for exchanges between designers, policy-makers, businesses and citizens.
Echoing the growing importance of design in African culture and economics, Professor Mugendi M’Rithaa, President of the World Design Organization, announced in 2016 the appointment of Mr. Hicham Lahlou, as WDO Community Liaison for Africa who would work in collaboration with Mr. Gilles Rougon, elected member of the WDO Board of Directors.
Initiated by the World Design Organization and organized by the internationally recognized designer Hicham Lahlou, founder of Africa Design Days & Award (ADD and ADA) in 2014, the World Design Talks by Africa Design Days aims to create a gathering point of exchange, sharing and innovation for the design community in Morocco, Africa and around the world.
The event aims to create and sustain a space of inspiration and mobilization of designers, while encouraging meetings between these with political, territorial, entrepreneurial and citizen decision-makers, as well as to raise awareness of the importance of design to the economies of Africa and of the world.
“We are delighted with the selection of our country to host the first edition of the World Design Talks by Africa Design Days in Africa. This event offers ample opportunities for Africa Design Days to highlight Moroccan and African design while presenting the activities and programs of WDO as part of its 60th anniversary celebration, as well as Morocco’s future projects as a Design Hub for North and West Africa ” stated Mr. Lahlou.
More than 300 participants, including 70 influential international figures in the field of innovation in design, will take part in the event which will take place from 28 to 30 June.
Inline with the objectives set by the United Nations1, this event will approach the challenges of sustainable development focusing on issues like education, economic development, crafts & culture and urban development.
These three days will be punctuated by interventions and roundtable discussions with Moroccan, African and international experts. They will be associated with multidisciplinary workshops that will aim to encourage the development of design projects initiated on the continent, as well as new collaborations.
In addition to this, an Africa Design Days exhibition will be held for several weeks, highlighting design and innovation in Africa.
This edition intends to accompany the community of Designers in Morocco and Africa, which is increasingly active and steadily contributing to the development of the African economy in all its fields, from education to tourism, industry, crafts and culture. It also promotes economic development, multidisciplinarity and the emergence of future talent, thus fulfilling WDO’s vision of “design for a better world”.
1 WDO has a special consultative status with the United Nations.
Press Contacts:
e: africadesigndays@gmail.com
e: communications@wdo.org
About the organizers
Hicham Lahlou
Hicham Lahlou, an emblematic figure of the new design generation, has been part of the new design sphere for more than two decades.
In 2017, Hicham Lahlou celebrates his 22-year career in design. He works to position his country ‘the Kingdom of Morocco’ as a new hub of design on the Continent, his initiatives support the promotion of African design and have been very strongly distinguished with the establishment of FEMADE (the Moroccan Federation of Design) in 2009, followed by Africa Design Award and Africa Design Days + Morocco Design Week / Days and Awards.
He has inspired new energy for the emergence of avant-garde initiatives, supported companies and brought his vision and advice to projects that through design, have become examples, for the Continent, as well as internationally.
Africa Design Days/Awards
Africa Design Days / Awards represents an exceptional positioning opportunity for the Kingdom of Morocco whose geographical position allows it to become a geostrategic hub of design, recognized by WDO.
This concept is a vision for Africa that goes beyond the promotion of the continent’s creative talent. Iit is an ambitious initiative that aims to place design at the heart of progress and the establishment of future projects.
The goal is to position Africa at the centre of the global design scene, a strategy that aims to create, amidst a unified continent, one of the largest emerging design networks, all categories combined.
World Design Organization (WDO)™
The World Design Organization (WDO), formerly the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design (Icsid), is an international non-governmental organization founded to promote the industrial design profession and its ability to generate better products, systems, services and experiences, better business and industry, and ultimately a better environment and society.
From 12 founding professional design associations in 1957, WDO has grown to include more than 140 member organizations from 40 nations, engaging them in collaborative efforts and providing them with the opportunity to be heard internationally.
WDO advocates industrial design driven innovation that creates a better world, engaging its member organizations in collaborative efforts and carrying out international programming using the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals as a framework to guide their activities. WDO’s programmes include World Design Capital®, World Design Talks™, World Industrial Design Day™, World Design Impact Prize and Interdesign™. WDO has United Nations Special Consultative Status.
