What is the direction of design in Poland? Interview: Institute of Industrial Design

photo: materials of the Institute of Industrial Design 

More than 70 years of experience in distribution and management of new product design and development, as well as 30 issues of the prestigious good sample contest – m.in The Institute of Industrial Design is famous for this. We talk about the phenomenon of organization with Agnieszka Vasilewska, Chairman of the Management Board. 

What is the main axis of IWP activity?

As befits a research division, the Institute of Industrial Design has a wide range of design and design activities. The main areas of activity include project support for companies, product developers, services as production processes. In particular, we are talking about supporting socio-economic innovations, as well as supporting entrepreneurs in innovative projects. We organize training and design consultations. Thanks to a constantly updated database of designers, we are a "hub" connecting entrepreneurs with competent creators in this field. We organize exhibitions, conferences and events aimed at raising awareness of the role of good design in business. The flagship competition on this topic is good design and young design. This is also important in terms of promoting Poland in the international arena. We promote our exhibitions abroad.
The mission of our founder, Professor Wanda Telakowska, continues to this day with the IWP's work in building professional competencies. Together with our partners, we participate in educational programs and trainings for professionals and students interested in the field of design and business. 

This year, for the first time in the history of the Good Pattern contest, there is a new category-Food Design. What attracted you to adding it?

As an institute, we analyze trends and try to make the competition Formula more attractive every year. Poland, as a country with an outstanding potential for agri-food production, has many opportunities in many areas, especially for conscious consumers.

We drew attention to FOOD DESIGN as an industry that is developing very dynamically, while it is necessary to increase its value in the minds of consumers. We treat the FOOD DESIGN category holistically. We reward both packaging, unusual food solutions, and equipment and utilities. The new category was created in collaboration with chef and culinary journalist Grzegorz Lapanowski. Food-related design is playing an increasingly important role in the field of industrial design. The addition of the FOOD DESIGN category reflects a growing interest in design: food, packaging, or related experiences. It also promotes innovation in the field, enabling new technologies such as. 3D printing of food products. Of course, software is not currently an obstacle. More important for consumers isso that the food prints have the desired texture and taste. They're already accompanying us autonomous robots for serving and delivering food. 

What is important in this category is the environmental aspect, local production, artisanal, sustainable and circular production. The creation of the FOOD DESIGN category is intended to raise awareness of the role of design in the food industry and highlight its impact on the consumer's food experience. This is a very complex aspect. From product packaging, which can also be a food item, to product - related services, such as a food ordering system or services related to food waste prevention.

How do you rate this year's contest? What works stood out among all the applications?

The uniqueness of this year's edition and its historical significance was influenced by the fact of the 30th anniversary of the good Sample contest. The retrospective exhibition shows selected, award-winning objects from previous years, starting in 1993. The exhibition depicts the transformation of our economy: entering the free market, forming new brands, the emergence of foreign companies, joining the European Union, fashionable and demanding technological changes, as well as the revolution that the Internet has introduced into our lives. In the context of contemporary design, the retrospective exhibition gave us the opportunity to assess the development and changes in "applied" design, that is, available on the market. As our expert Professor Marek Adamczewski pointed out during the debate: everything and nothing has changed. This is because economic and social realities, including technologies, expectations are completely different, and therefore products. Nothing, because the main goals, the meaning of the profession (not the product, but the person-the goal), as it turned out, are constant.

This year's edition once again proves that good design is a tool for creating competitive advantages between companies. The presented products reflect the level of design efficiency in industrial production in Poland. This is due to the applied innovations and quality assurance. Products with distinctive characteristics in this category received statuettes of the winner of the competition, awarded by the jury. All works of the finalists and laureates are available in our online catalog: https://cutt.ly/katalog-dw-2023

What is the direction of design in Poland? What trends can you point out?

Practitioners are convinced that the main direction of change is dmaintaining a close relationship between industrial design and service design. I have a feeling that especially the younger generation is less and less interested in owning things – they just want to use them. And this requires a different, new approach to design. A product-item and a product-service must be created together in order to complement each other well-which is happening more and more often.

We are seeing a trend of changes in the project approach. We expect that the activities of companies that combine product and service will make a difference. Environmental changes have drawn attention to the need for holistic design thinking. From the moment of design to the end of use by the consumer, and even longer, that is, what happens to such a product after its use is completed. In the traditional approach, the process of marketing thinking about the product was provided at the stage of purchase by the consumer. Modern design thinking is an analysis of the entire life cycle of a product: from its design to use to the possible return of an old product to the manufactureras it happens, for example, with washing machines or refrigerators. 

We expect that in the near future, design, thanks to the development of recycling technology, will manage waste even better, recycle it and include it in an environmentally friendly way in the reuse cycle. Design using responsibly sourced materials, plastics whose properties are adapted to the functions performed. Our dream is also that Polish design, which uses the latest trends, will become a recognizable and fashionable brand. for example, Scandinavian design.

How does artificial intelligence affect design activities?

We are used to working in a world filled with digital innovations. Working on computers with the latest software has accelerated the processes of calculating, generating visualizations, and using a variety of tools by” guessing " actions
and learning about the user's needs makes it much easier for designers to work.
In the context of AI – artificial intelligence), the question often arises: will artificial intelligence soon replace " design thinking”?" Will we use things created by her? This was asked by Professor Mark Adamchevsky, who firmly believes that: not for a long time yet. In an entire interdisciplinary team, in the process of creating an innovative product, in the end, so many decisions are made that cannot be parameterized, clearly defining their criteria. Of course, we will (already have) more and more fragmentary hints. They enrich and speed up the design process.

The Institute of Industrial Design was one of the first institutions in post-war Europe to promote design. How does Polish design compare with Europe today?

Polish design plays an increasingly important role in the international arena. Although for many years it may have been undervalued or less recognizable compared to other European design centers, it is now Polish designers are increasingly recognized for their creativity, innovation and high-quality projects.

Thanks to such institutions as the Institute of Industrial Design and support for young talents, Polish design is developing dynamically. Polish designers successfully win awards at international competitions, and their work is increasingly appreciated by the industry and the design community.

Polish design is also getting better compared to Europe thanks to its innovative approach to solutions, which attracts the attention of foreign buyers because it is not uniform. Designers present different approaches to designwhich gives you a variety of perspectives and styles. The openness of the market to creative industries affects the development of design, fashion, art, or modern technology. 

Of course, Polish design is increasingly comparing favorably with Europe, but there is still potential for further development and promotion. Continuous investment in support of young talents, promotion of Polish design abroad and development of international cooperation are key elements that can further increase the importance of Polish design in the international arena.

One of the IWP's goals is to promote design. How challenging is this task and what allows you to bring your knowledge and inspiration to the IWP audience?

To reach our audience and keep up to date with our knowledge and inspiration, we use a variety of communication channels: social networks, media publications, press publications, and participation in industry conferences. We collaborate with other national and international institutions to share information and best practices with different design backgrounds. Thanks to this, we track current trends and knowledge in the field of design, as well as inspire ourselves and others with our actions.

How will the IWP surprise us in the coming months and years?

Perhaps this will not be a surprise, because we hold correlated events to continue events that have already entered the history of the institute, for example, a competition for young designers, Young Design, or a good sample that attracts viewers for 30 years. Competitive mode provides an unbiased choice of the best design. The experience of a long-term competition combined with an exhibition has an educational, cultural and creative impact, promotes products and services, and helps to understand the economic meaning of design.

Due to the fact that the Institute has two exhibition and conference halls, which m.in. It is used for industry meetings, conferences and thematic exhibitions. We expect that this year's events and exhibitions will be met with great interest and become a platform for demonstrating new trends and achievements in the field of design. The Institute is distinguished by the fact that in addition to the informational and event-driven nature of its activities, it always carries a very strong educational message.

In addition, we look forward to international cooperation. IWP strengthens cooperation with foreign institutionsThis will help to spread knowledge about Polish design and experience, as well as allow designers to get inspiration from different cultures. Our plans for 2024 will also focus on increasing the importance of sustainable development. IWP's plans will focus on promoting design that addresses environmental concerns. We would also like the institute to be able to develop programs to support new design projects, which can contribute to the development of innovative solutions in the market.

In the near future, the institute will follow the global trend: due to climate, environmental and social changes, trends in research projects should be aligned to attract young designers.

As you know, the availability of environmental resources of land, water, as well as air quality or the level of CO concentration2 it has a huge impact not only on the economy, but also, above all, on human life. In the coming years, the Institute will focus its research activities in this area.