BIDA’s declaration to kick-start transformational agile development of the design profession ecosystem
On Thursday (28 November 2019) with BIDA colleagues Stephen Green led a webinar introducing a declaration (ref below) marking the start of an iterative process to transform how the design profession networks for the greater good. The accompanying slides are available here.
The ‘Declaration’ was the result of a number of meetings over the summer, including two at Imperial College with a variety of representatives of the design profession, including an emphasis on bringing together a balance of gender and age. We were joined on the webinar by BIDA members and a number of significant figures from UK design industry including Joe Ferry, Clive Grinyer, Kirsty Dias, Warren Hutchinson, Paul De’ath and Norah Lewis.
Of course, I am slightly biased, but I would say that there was strong support for the proposed new direction for BIDA. However, a recurring point in our earlier discussions, and now, is the question ‘what is the value proposition?’ I argue that it is embodied in the declaration below, but Warren Hutchinson also made the point that it is entirely appropriate to treat our new direction as agile development. We are very keen to include a wide variety of voices in a spirit of what Paul De’ath described as ‘intelligent optimism’. Therefore, please get in touch via info@britishindustrialdesign.org.uk if you would like to:
Simply note support for our initiative and/or
Offer to be actively involved in progressing our agenda.
BIDA ‘New voice for design’ declaration
BIDA is one of a small number of UK national organisations representing professional designers. Whilst Industrial Design is in our title our profession is now a significant part of an increasing range of specialist areas active in virtually all commercial sectors.
To maintain a leading global position in the 21st Century we need to:
Break free from traditional disciplinary boundaries
Create a contemporary network including the next generations of professionals
Build close links between education and industry to evolve professional practice
Establish embedded partnerships within significant sectors to better harness the potential of design