Design for All in pictures - Key activities of the project
Most of the activities of Design for All project culminated in May as part of 9th Zlin Design Week. Look back and remind the key activities such conference, exhibition and edu workshops through videos and pictures.
The 9th Zlin Design Week was dedicated to universal design topic. It took place in various locations in Zlín between 3-10 May 2023 and became part of wide range of activities - from the Design for All exhibition, through a Conference focused on the connection between design and marketing, educational workshops to the Best in Design competition and fashion shows.
Photos and videos can take you back to catch a festival atmosphere.
The project Universal Design - Mapping the potential and engaging the next generation in the creative industries was supported by the EEA Grants.
The Conference brought inspirational ways of problem solving through inclusive design
Inclusive design was explored on several levels:
Product designer Nima Shahinian presented accessibility and inclusive design in space and together with architect Tomáš Rousek they outlined new possibilities in a joint panel discussion.
Spatial accessibility and the topic of participatory planning and development were introduced by facilitator Tereza Fasurová, product designer and researcher Dominika Potužáková and the vice-mayor of Trutnov and architect Michal Rosa in a panel discussion and Raquel Marcos in her lecture.
Anne Aagaard, service designer at Deichman library Oslo, and Tomáš Štefek, director of the Bratislava City Library, spoke about accessibility and inclusion in libraries and public institutions.
The importance of inclusion in business, leadership and communication was opened by Dr. Anthony Giannoumis.
Product accessibility and social issues were addressed by product designer Anna Coreia Barros and researcher Joana Couto de Silva.
Representatives from organisations such Creative Prague, the Ministry of Culture and the Agosto Foundation evaluated how universal design stands in the context of the creative industries in the Czech Republic.
Edu workshops transferred know-how to the Zlín region in the Czech Republic
The aim of the educational workshops was to transfer the know-how of universal design to the professionals and students in Zlin region in the Czech Republic where the festival took place. Each workshop focused on a different topic with strong emphasis on examples and personal experience and how to get started with universal design in their own teams and organizations.
Tourism for All was led by researcher Tereza Venerová Kosnarová and focused on a destination management.
Participants learned about inclusive promotion and how to execute it thanks to Radek Pavlíček, one of the biggest experts on accessibility in Czech Republic.
Diversity and inclusion are important for the funcional and sustainable team, the key elements of it participants learned at the Inclusion Game workshop led by its creator Dr. Anthony Giannoumis.
Product designer Anna Coreia Barros and researcher Joana Couto de Silva demonstrated how to design research methods in sexuality and intimacy.
How to develop local library and its services was the focus of workshop for librarians and the library leaders led by Tomáš Štefek, Director of the Bratislava City Library.
Design for All exhibition introduced specific examples of universal design across Europe
The exhibition highlighted an examples of good practice of universal design from the Czech Republic and abroad.
There was introduced the Accessibility concept of the Centre for Architecture and Urban Planning in Prague (CAMP), a new perspective on the use of children's playgrounds from the architectural studio Equal Saare, whose member Raquel Marcos spoke at the ZDW Conference 2023. An interesting project was a diploma project Don't be afraid of mourning, reflecting the disappearing space for expressing grief among the young generation. A unified identity project for Oslo can be inspirationfor a number of visual designers and officials. The new identity is gradually being applied from 2019.
The exhibition was divided into 3 areas of universal design: product, service, environment. Each area was curated by a different currator:
Thea Urdal (NO) curated the product accessibility part of the exhibition. She is a journalist and a designer interested in emotional design, curiosity, speculative fiction and the importance of semantics.
Herman Bilet (NO) provided examples illustrating good practice in services. He has been running a multidisciplinary freelance design practice for seven years, working on public and private projects ranging from mobile apps to stadiums.
Jitka Smolíková (CZ) selected examples related to environmental and space accessibility. Jitka is the director of the Zlin Design Week festival and her background is in Arts Management.
The exhibition included curator-led tours and an edu programme for schools.
Articles
We are unsure if true inclusive design can exist in the systems we operate in today, say curators of Design for All exhibition
The interview with curators of Design for All exhibition Thea Urdal and Herman Billet on universal design, creating meaningful connections and building communities.
Recording from Zlin Design Week Conference is available
The Zlin Design Week Conference took place on 9 May 2023 in Zlin, Czech Republic and through lectures and joint discussions offered various perspectives on the topic of Universal Design. Watch the full conference recording or just select the talks you are interested.
Top 10 prejudices & preconceptions of inclusive design
There are many prejudices and misconceptions about Inclusive Design and Architecture. These are due to a lack of understanding or oversimplification. Following sentences reveal and counter some of the most common prejudices.