National Design Conference VIEW DAY: | WEDNESDAY | THURSDAY | FRIDAY | SATURDAY | BRUCE THARP, Core-e-spondent Wednesday July 14 The site--the posh Drake Hotel on Michigan Avenue along Chicago's "Magnificent Mile." I especially enjoyed the harp player just off the lobby--reminds me of home. The conference opened up with a cocktail hour...well two hours (and for some I imagine it is still going on). This was an exciting time as old friends and faces kept coming in the door--truly one of the few opportunities where you can get together and catch up with so many in such a short time. Unfortunately I am dragging around CORE's digital camera and laptop with me everywhere (with one slung over the left shoulder and the other slung over the right, the cocktails are a little difficult to maneuver). The Design Gallery was open for viewing. This consisted of this year's IDEA award winners which was great in that you could see and touch the products--I got a different perspective on many of them in contrast to just seeing them published in 2-D in Business Week. The Design Gallery also included exhibition panels spread about the three Gallery rooms. These were put up by design companies, schools, and even some vendors. Some were quite cool and really push the descriptor "exhibition panels" and are more entertainment than anything. Each year they get more interesting and inventive. There were really too many people around them to get good photos but I will try again tomorrow morning and will send along photos with my next report. The actual conference proceedings began with the presentation of the year's Personal Recognition award by the IDSA president, Mark Dziersk (from Herbst LaZar Bell). The posthumous award went to Victor Papanek and was accepted by the IDSA Education Committee chair, Ron Kemnitzer, who read a statement prepared by Victor's two daughters. They couldn't have awarded it to a better man. Next was the 1999 Education Award which went to Michael Neilson of Arizona State University. Judging by the applause from the crowd he really deserved it. Perhaps in the crowd were present and former students, perhaps his groupies. His appeal may lie in his humbleness and graciousness, as apparent in his acceptance "speech." Next, as is done every year, new IDSA fellows were inducted (they get the coveted "F" and become FIDSA's). All of the living fellows in attendance line up on stage to welcome the new members (unfortunately no spank machine)--who earn this recognition through years of arduous toil and diligent service to IDSA. 1999 inductees are Jack Beduhn (who was "honored and overwhelmed"), Tim Cunningham, and the most recent former IDSA president, Craig Vogel. Finally the keynote speaker imparted his words of wisdom. Watts Wacker (yes that is apparently his real name as he gave us a brief family history), a futurist from the Stanford Research Institute (apparently where "physicists come to die" ) addressed the attentive crowd on his vision of the future and the role that design might play in it. Dividing history into five epics: hunting and gathering, agriculture, industry, information, and uncertainty, Wacker's appraisal is that we have moved beyond the information age and are now faced with the complexities of mass uncertainty. His prescription for future design is to embrace an ideology of fun, design for intimacy, design with an authenticity, and design not for the mind but for the soul. "In an age of uncertainty the only consistency you have is yourself." As well he encouraged designers to be "cultural expatriates." After the keynote speech the plush conference room was emptied by the hoards heading for the "wonderful selection of appetizers and desserts." I for one visited all three of the theme buffet tables--the Middle Eastern one, complete with meat on a stick, was my favorite. Fantastic desserts--I had three. Now...getting...sleepyyyyyyyyy yyyyyyyyyyyyyy yyyyyyyyyyyyy yyyyyyyyyyy yyyyyyyy yyyyyy yyyyyyyy yyyyyyyyyy yyyyyyyyy National Design Conference VIEW DAY: | WEDNESDAY | THURSDAY | FRIDAY | SATURDAY | Design Education Conference VIEW DAY: | SUNDAY | MONDAY | TUESDAY |