At the general assembly held last October in Gwangju (South Korea), members were presented with a renewed definition of industrial design. They also adopted a new Constitution and a new name for the organisation. While firmly remaining the world body for industrial design, the newly renamed World Design Organization (WDO) will represent and promote the industrial design community and its power to make a difference in the world.
This renewed direction is recognition that times have changed and that the organisation must take a leadership role within the solutions economy to help co-create a better future. With the help of its global membership, the WDO will seek to identify regional issues for a global design agenda that addresses some of the greatest challenges of our day.
Leading the implementation of this ambitious agenda is Icsid President Prof. Mugendi K. M’Rithaa, who took office nearly two months ago. We caught up with him to find out more about this pivotal point in the organisation’s history.
Q: In Gwangju you stated that it is no longer business as usual for the profession of industrial design. What did you mean by this, and how does it inform the organisation’s renewed vision?
During the 2013-2015 term under the leadership of Dr. Brandon Gien, our board embarked on an ambitious process of seeking to align our organisation with current professional practice, research and pedagogic trends within our membership. We also sought to renew our organisation in line with our profession’s collective hopes and aspirations under the Renew agenda. The results of various member surveys, regional dialogues and interactive webinars all pointed towards the need to change. Indeed as the Kenyan proverb suggests, “if the rhythm of the drumbeat changes, the dance steps must adapt accordingly.” Ours is certainly a very different world from when our organisation was formed 58 years ago.
Q: You seem like a very optimistic person; where there are challenges, you see opportunities. How do you see industrial designers contributing to the solutions economy and doing their part to address the newly set Sustainable Development Goals?
I would describe mine as an informed brand of critical optimism. I readily concede that there are challenges consistent with any transformative agenda. Notwithstanding, ours is arguably an optimistic profession as designers are naturally inclined to recognise opportunities and possibilities where others might not. As you’ve correctly intimated, the solutions economy as well as the challenges presented in the newly inaugurated 17 Sustainable Development Goals– and their expanded 169 targets – present fresh opportunities for our profession to play its part in being part of the solution. New trans-disciplinary opportunities are now open to designers, including a myriad of ‘wicked’ developmental challenges impacting on a majority of the world’s people. These challenges include the quest for social equity and cohesion with respect to sustainability; the need to promote renewable energy; as well as designerly interventions for mitigating climate change to name just a few…

Above are the Sustainable Development Goals.
Q: Also at the recent general assembly, you called out to members to volunteer their time, passion and expertise in order to make this organisation their own and embody the vision of Design for a Better World. You then mentioned several potential projects and collaborations. Do you feel that the membership is also excited about the new direction and anxious to get started?
Yes indeed. Many of the initiatives that I mentioned at the general assembly were actually proposed by members themselves. For example, the need to involve younger designers more actively in our organisation was a concern shared by many experienced designers, as well as design educators – this is a matter very close to my heart too. A number of educational members have offered to lead this process and we will be counting on their support. Additionally, a number of educational, promotional, professional and corporate members are keen to offer their expertise and co-author position statements with us on such pertinent issues as climate change, intellectual property and social innovation, as well as to participate much more robustly within their respective regions and spheres of influence.
Q: Along with a renewed vision and mission, Icsid now has a new name: World Design Organization. Is there a danger that people will think we’ve thrown the baby out with the bathwater?
I don’t believe this will be the case as we have embraced elements of Icsid that are both evolutionary (our steady and organic growth over the last six decades) and revolutionary (the rapid and disruptive changes in the world today). At our core we are still the only dedicated organisation that is committed to the protection and promotion of the profession of industrial design globally. Additionally, the board during the current 2015-2017 term is committed to a structured rollout of the new WDO brand that is cognizant of the need to maintain the rich institutional memory garnered as Icsid so as to effectively leverage the goodwill we’ve enjoyed from our global community.
Q: You have stated that your three areas of focus for the coming term are to continue the Renew agenda, reinforce member collaboration and explore opportunities for growth and support amongst young designers. On this last point, can you tell us a little bit more about how the World Design Organization should reach out to young designers?
Indeed, as the Somali proverb avers: “Be a mountain or lean on one.” We need to proactively support fledgling socially conscious design talent for the benefit of posterity. I am presently exploring feasible models of support in this regard, for example, working with individuals from our educational and corporate members to identify promising young designers. These could be the top students at higher educational institutions and promising junior professional designers who could be involved in WDO events as representatives of their institutions; benefit from internships with participating design mentors and reputable members’ firms; as well as act as young ambassadors in their respective regions. In so doing, we could tap into the passion and energy of young designers and consequently play a significant role in supporting their personal and professional development. In this way, we will in effect be making a wise investment in the future of our profession.