TYPO Berlin is Europe's largest exchange for trends in visual communication, and this year 70 international experts from the fields of graphics, design, typography, art and media will present lectures, workshops and discussions aimed at establishing perspective and developing joint strategies for responsible design.
For three days in May 2016, on five stages in Berlin's House of World Cultures, they'll put their answers, estimates and recommendations up for discussion. The organizers expect 1700 visitors from all over the world; more than 70 journalists and bloggers will be there to record it all.
The first confirmed speakers are: Jonathan Barnbrook, Matteo Bologna, Daniel Gjøde, Erik Marinovich, London design studio FIELD, and Mr. Bingo. Additional speakers will be confirmed over the coming months on the event's website.
"Everything is design. Everything is chic. Design has never been more beloved nor the demand for design greater," Hamburg designer Johannes Erler recently wrote on his blog. And he's got plenty to say on the subject—as a co-founder of Factor Design, former art director of Stern and current agency owner and in-demand speaker at design trade fairs. He says there's broad consensus these days that design is "somehow important" and there's also general agreement on what "good design" should look like. Although that might sound harmonious, it troubles Erler. "If everyone has the same opinion, nothing new can be created. Instead, everyone spares time, nerves and resources by maintaining the consensus." As he notes, this is easier than ever thanks to digital tools and templates. And it's not just professionals, in Erler's opinion, but also laypeople who exploit the chance to deliver universally acceptable designs quickly and cheaply. His question in the end is: "Do we still need designers?"
At the upcoming TYPO Berlin, Erler will lead a group of like-minded colleagues (Sarah Illenberger, Mirko Borsche, Lars Harmsen, Eike König, Mario Lombardo and Erik Spiekermann) in exploring the question of what the future of design might look like. Together, they'll mount a full day of events, with the motto "strictly no design." The stated aim is not to hear from design professionals, but rather creatives from many other branches, such as musicians, writers or artists, whose goal is to re-define the genre. The question at the center of it all is how to bring new things into the world.
TYPO conference director Jürgen Siebert also sees indications of a paradigm shift in the field. "The world of design is no longer dominated by a handful of stars and top agencies, it's become a multi-polar playing field", he says, "where we once knew all the major players on the scene and a dozen design yearbooks provided a coherent overview, these days news about the latest trends, theories and tools bubbles across the Internet at one-minute intervals."He believes that these days, networking and staying focused are almost more important than mastering tools and software.
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