Montreal (Canada) – Icsid is pleased to welcome Rado to the 2015-2016 World Design Partner® Programme (WDPP) – a strategic partnership initiative established to support Icsid’s international programming, including World Design Capital® (WDC).

Icsid works with a number of private sector companies who recognise the importance of design for good business and the power of responsible behaviour for brand enhancement. Through the WDPP, Icsid provides these companies with opportunities to position themselves as leaders in design and innovation, showcase their brand in markets around the world, align with other well-established design effective brands and contribute to community building initiatives. In addition to World Design Capital®, World Design Partners® have the opportunity to support Icsid’s complete roster of recognised projects including World Design Impact Prize, Icsid Interdesign™ and World Industrial Design Day.

Rado will work in conjunction with WDC Taipei 2016, activating local programmes that help promote the role of design in effecting positive change.

Icsid President, Prof. Mugendi M’Rithaa, welcomed the Rado partnership. He said, “Rado is a brand well-known in design circles for its support of young talent. As a 2013-2014 World Design Partner, Rado brought its Rado Star Prize competition to South Africa to recognise young, local designers and their social design projects. We are privileged to work with purpose-driven companies who believe in our mission of ‘Design for a better world’ and look forward to our continued collaboration with Rado as part of WDC Taipei 2016.”

For more details about the World Design Partner® Programme, please contact Allison DaCosta.

Information:

Icsid
Augie Van Biljouw
Director of Communications
t: +1 514 448 4949 ext. 228
e: avanbiljouw@icsid.org

Rado
t: +41 32 655 6111
e: press@rado.com

About the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design (Icsid)

The International Council of Societies of Industrial Design (Icsid) is a non-profit organisation that protects and promotes the interests of the profession of industrial design. Founded in 1957, Icsid serves as a unified voice of over 50 nations through which members can express their views and be heard on an international platform.

About Rado

Rado is a globally recognised brand, famous for innovative design and its use of revolutionary materials to create some of the world’s most durable watches. Ever since its beginnings in Lengnau (Switzerland), Rado has had a pioneering spirit, with the brand philosophy “if we can imagine it, we can make it” still holding true today.
www.rado.com

About the World Design Capital® (WDC)

With more than half the world’s population now living in cities, design has become an increasingly fundamental tool for making cities more competitive, attractive, livable and efficient. The World Design Capital® (WDC) is designated by Icsid every two years to recognise a city’s innovative use of design for economic, social and cultural development and to showcase effective design-led revitalization strategies and projects that other cities can benefit from. Past cities to hold the WDC title include Torino (Italy) in 2008, Seoul (South Korea) in 2010, Helsinki (Finland) in 2012, and Cape Town (South Africa) in 2014. Taipei (Taiwan, Chinese Taipei) holds the title for 2016, and Mexico City was named WDC 2018.