Washington (United States) – Exciting developments in design are taking place all over the world, as design-based solutions are increasingly used to meet societal, environmental, and system challenges. To explore some of these significant advances, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) will host a three-webinar series highlighting international design initiatives and partnerships. The NEA’s Design Programmes office, led by Director of Design Programmes Jason Schupbach, will convene panels of leading practitioners to present case studies and provide insights on successful design models.

Titled Learning from Abroad, the series will include a conversation with finalists of the 2013-2014 World Design Impact Prize, the possibilities for government innovation through design thinking, and the intersection of universal design and landscape design. The series follows the NEA’s 2013 webinars on social impact design and Design and Social Impact:  A Cross-Sectoral Agenda for Design Education, Research, and Practice publication, as well as the NEA report, Valuing the Art of Industrial Design.

Each session lasts one hour and includes presentations by a panel of experts and an opportunity for Q and A with audience members. All times are Eastern Standard. An archive of each webinar will be available on the NEA’s website in the webinar section shortly after the event.

“We are delighted to extend this opportunity to audiences to hear from extraordinary leaders in design from around the world,” said Jason Schupbach. “These organisations, their projects and leaders, are making a difference in peoples’ lives worldwide and demonstrate the power of good design.”

SESSION DESCRIPTION

2013-2014 World Design Impact Prize Finalists: How Did They Do It?

When: 19 March 2014 at 1:00 p.m. ET
Session Leader: International Council of Societies of Industrial Design (Icsid)

Moderator: Mariam Masud, Icsid Project Development Officer

Panelists:

  • Anton Ljunggren, Director of Design, Biolite HomeStove (New York, New York);
  • Johan Karlsson, Project Manager, Refugee Housing Unit (Stockholm, Sweden);
  • Dr. David Swann, ABC Syringe (Huddersfield, United Kingdom)

How to participate

Please register in advance using the link below:

You may listen using your computer’s speakers or dial in to 1-877-685-5350 and use participant code: 739587. Attendees will be muted but able to type in questions and comments through a Q & A text box. Use hashtag #NEAdesign to join the conversation on Twitter. All webinars will be archived for later viewing.

To find out about other sessions of ‘Learning from abroad’ webinar series, please visit NEA website.

For more information about World Design Impact Prize, please contact:
Mariam Masud
Project Development Officer
t: + 1 514 448 4949 ext. 228
e: mmasud@icsid.org

Natalie Dutil
Communications Officer
t: + 1 514 448 4949 ext. 223
e: ndutil@icsid.org

About NEA

The National Endowment for the Arts was established by Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government. To date, the NEA has awarded more than $4 billion to support artistic excellence, creativity, and innovation for the benefit of individuals and communities. The NEA extends its work through partnerships with state arts agencies, local leaders, other federal agencies, and the philanthropic sector.
http://arts.gov

About World Design Impact Prize

The World Design Impact Prize is an initiative of the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design, who are guest-hosting this webinar. The biennial award recognises projects from around the world that use industrial design-focused solutions to improve the social, economic, and environmental quality of life. Hear the prize finalists talk about their design process and how they engage and empower citizens by creating products and systems that leverage indigenous technology.