Focused Discussions
Biennale of Ideas: Investigating Context Plus Content
Focused Discussion Richelle Sibolboro
This focused discussion will bring to light how we can re-imagine one of the most important exhibitions for contemporary design, the architecture biennale, and to explore what the future of this institution and its didactic material could entail. The discourse will draw attention to the fact that since the architecture biennale’s conception it has been plagued with reference and attachment to its predecessor, the art biennale or more specifically the Venice Biennale. Ideas around the current state and its future potential will be discussed to bring forward new concepts and contexts for this iconic institution.
Design Systems for Multiple Stakeholders: Aalto University Visual Brand Renewal
Focused Discussion Anna Muchenikova
Woking on Aalto University brand renewal, every day we are facing a challenge: how to give individual stakeholders the sense of identity without losing brand consistency? How to create strong brand frame but leave the space for creativity? How to design a brand that would be used by people with no design education? How to accommodate needs of community of 16000? Aalto University is relatively young university (established in 2010 as a merger of three major Finnish universities), and it’s brand is constantly re-defining. To date, Aalto University has over 12000 full-time equivalent degree students, and staff of about 4000, which makes Aalto community (excluding alumni and bigger family) around 16000 people. Due to nature of the university and academic freedom conviction, the established order of hierarchy is close to liberal democracy. As opposed to private sector, brand team does not have a mandate to police brand usage. But we have the power to create tools that would help people visualise their initiatives. From a graphic design standpoint, we work on the strong aesthetics that serves the needs of the community, but first and foremost we are working on community building. We do not have ready answers for challenges we are facing, but we have a number of failure and success stories and methods of embracing community needs and building tools for flexible design systems. Through the discussion we would like to learn more about challenges our colleagues are facing and what methods they are using to solve these issues.
Universal Design - Equality without Limitations: Helping the Disabled is a Priority for Designers
Focused Discussion Ekaterina Gurova
Context in it's broad sense is modernity, i.e. what is currently around us. And in this overall medium each of us is to enjoy the maximum of comfort possible. First and foremost, we must take care of the disabled. Designers, planners, constructionists, industry specialists are to join their efforts to secure esthetic aspects as well as practicality for each and everyone. Initiative in this regard surely is to be taken by design in close contact with planners and industry. In this session, we will facilitate discussion and share our own experience and give our Institute's specific cases of how we start universal design projects to help the disabled lead their lives in equality without limitations.
