Berlin: Design for sustainability

Published
09 May 2019

Reading
2 min


Wednesday, 29th May 2019 Mario Cucinella will attend the conference “Design for sustainability: bridging italian and german creativity for sustainable development” in Berlin.

The Italian Embassy is hosting an international conference on design and sustainability, coupled with an exhibition of Italian sustainable design objects curated by Luisa Bocchietto, President of the World Design Organisation.

According to estimates, up to 70% of the costs and 80% of the environmental and social impact of a product over its life cycle are determined during the design phase. The design community thus deeply influences institutions and individuals by encouraging new behaviours using objects, saving resources and repairing damaged ecosystems. In a world where by 2050 about 70% of the world’s population will live, commute and work in urban areas, convergence among design, connectivity, urban development and mobility will be critical. The shift from vertically-integrated, centralised infrastructures to horizontal and distributed systems – where the consumer is also a producer – will empower designers in an unprecedented way. Design is nowadays a fundamental connective whose relevance has grown through digital technology. Designers have learned new ways to join forces with old allies; to think in systems, networks, and families rather than in individual moves; and to be inspired by the sensitivity of other species’ social structures and infrastructures.

How can innovative design promote a sustainable use of resources, responsible consumption and inclusive growth? Can exploring new materials in product design contribute to spearheading circular economy into high-value manufacturing?

Design has always been a connector between society and technology. Both are evolving at an unprecedented pace. Which can be the role of the design communities in Italy and Germany, accounting together for over one third of European Designers, in promoting sustainable design?

“Form follows function”, for many years the designers’ main imperative, has become inadequate in the digital era, as the attention has been shifting towards emotional and ethical characteristics of each product. Can manufactured products avoid the risk of anonymization by focusing on their own life-cycle sustainability or cultural heritage qualities?

The event will take place on the opening day of the “EU Sustainability Week” promoted by the German Foreign Ministry.

Date: Wednesday, 29th May, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Venue: Italian Embassy to Germany (Tiergartenstrasse 22, 10785 Berlin)

Related News

All our News

Get in touch

Copyright 2024 MCA.