Awarded to cities based on their commitment to use design as an effective tool for social, cultural and economic development, the WDC has become more than just a project or a programme. Today, it is a global movement and serves to acknowledge that design can, and does, impact the quality of human life. Icsid President and Member of the Selection Committee Dr. Mark Breitenberg stated, “It is encouraging to see how Cape Town plans to use design as a tool to solve urban challenges. I am confident that this new member of the WDC family will demonstrate to the world how design is expanding in application and influence.”

For Cape Town, the WDC appointment comes exactly two decades after reaching democracy. “2014, then, is the moment when the past and the future will come together for Cape Town, in contemplation and in action,” stated Executive Mayor of Cape Town, Ms. Patricia de Lille. “It is a reflection of how the city has socially and physically reinvented itself.” Cape Town’s vision of design is based on socially responsible design, sustainability and innovation. As part of their bid, the theme “Live Design. Transform Life” was introduced in support of Cape Town’s objective to focus on enhancing the city’s infrastructure to make it a more liveable African City.

Shortlisted candidate cities, Bilbao (Spain) and Dublin (Ireland) also mounted compelling bids. “The decision for the Selection Committee was not easy given the high calibre of the bids that were considered amongst the final candidates,” added Dr. Breitenberg. “The promise of Cape Town’s approach to broaden the scope of the World Design Capital and shape the future of this initiative, were the deciding factors that ultimately led to the city’s appointment for 2014. Cape Town has the strongest claim on a new chapter for Icsid as the World Design Capital. The story of transformation is about sustainability, urban development and embracing a global community in light of its drive to improve its social and economic environment. We expect tangible benefits will be reaped to help reposition Cape Town on an international scale.”

Cape Town is a growing and vibrant city, where design has for decades been a significant factor in its desire to build an open city. The marriage of need and innovative design has resulted in unique solutions to address the issues of a developing city. Design in Cape Town is also reaching beyond city limits by aspiring to become the design hub for South Africa and for the African continent.

Ms. De Lille concluded her acceptance of the WDC designation by saying, “We are grateful for the World Design Capital bid process and title. It has helped to bring different initiatives together and has made us realise that design in all its forms, when added together, creates human and city development. We look forward to learning from other cities that are using design as a tool for transformation, including designated cities Torino, Seoul and Helsinki and our fellow shortlisted cities, Dublin and Bilbao. We are honoured to have been considered with them.”

The City of Cape Town will follow the examples past World Design Capitals to develop an engaging programme for 2014.

- 30 -

For more information, please contact:

Ms. Dilki de Silva
Icsid Secretary General
t: +1 514 448 4949 ext. 227
e: ddesilva@icsid.org

Ms. Natalie Dutil
Icsid Communications Officer
t: +1 514 448 4949 ext. 223
e: ndutil@icsid.org

Ms. Bulelwa Makalima-Ngewana
Managing Director
The Cape Town Partnership
t: +27 (0)21 419 1881
e: bulelwa@capetownpartnership.co.za

About the World Design Capital® (WDC)
While there are many awards that recognise individual accomplishments in design, the World Design Capital designation is unique as it aims to focus on the broader essence of design’s impact on urban spaces, economies and citizens. The designation provides a distinctive opportunity for cities to feature their accomplishments in attracting and promoting innovative design, as well as highlight their successes in urban revitalisation strategies. Past cities to hold the title include Torino (Italy) in 2008 www.torinoworlddesigncapital.it/portale/en and Seoul (South Korea) wdc2010.seoul.go.kr/eng/ in 2010.
www.worlddesigncapital.com

The City of Helsinki (Finland) is currently preparing to unveil its programme for 2012 under the theme of Open Helsinki: Embedding Design in Life www.wdc2012helsinki.fi/en.

About the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design (Icsid) 
The International Council of Societies of Industrial Design (Icsid) is a non-profit organisation that protects and promotes the interests of the profession of industrial design. Founded in 1957, Icsid serves as a unified voice of over 50 nations through which members can express their views and be heard on an international platform. Since its inception, Icsid has continued to develop its wide-reaching network of students and professionals devoted to the recognition, success and growth of the industrial design community. Together, professional associations, promotional societies, educational institutions, government bodies and corporations create a comprehensive and diverse system on the forefront of industrial design education and progress.
www.icsid.org 

About the WDC 2014 Selection Committee
The international selection committee for the 2014 designation consists of Dr. Mark Breitenberg, Icsid President and Provost at California College of the Arts (USA); Edna dos Santos-Duisenberg, Chief, Creative Economy Programme of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development – UNCTAD; Jeremy Myerson, Director and Chair of the Helen Hamlyn Centre at the Royal College of Art (United Kingdom); Kohei Nishiyama, Founder and CEO, elephant design co. ltd., Founder of CUUSOO.com (Japan) and Jussi Pajunen, Mayor of the City of Helsinki (Finland).

In 2014 selection of World Design Capital will be the fourth appointment by Icsid of this biennial designation to a city, in recognition of its accomplishments in using design as a catalyst for development and reinvention, as well as for improving its social, cultural and economic environments.

After a comprehensive review of all bids submitted, the cities of Bilbao, Cape Town and Dublin distinguished themselves not only by demonstrating their individual approaches towards design in their cities, but also managed to convey the impact of these on the various aspects of social, cultural and economic life, as well as provided three very unique visions for how design will continue to reinvent their urban landscape. Furthermore, these cities demonstrated that they possessed the expertise, infrastructure and financial capabilities to successfully develop and implement an inspiring yearlong programme of international design related events, promoting design, as well as their city, on an international stage; and finally, illustrated how their citizens have and will continue to benefit from their cityʼs achievements in design.

“It was a difficult decision, but the WDC Selection Committee has shortlisted three incredibly well thought-out and all-together remarkable bids that have created unique competitive advantages for their cities through design,” expressed Martin Darbyshire, WDC Organising Committee member and Icsid Executive Board Member. “These proposals have conveyed very workable and deliverable plans to use design as a means to reinvigorate their cityʼs social, cultural and economic development.”

“The Bilbao City Hall, the Provincial Government of Bizkaia and the Basque Government would like to express their great enthusiasm on being shortlisted to be the World Design Capital in 2014,” stated Iñaki Azkuna, Mayor of Bilbao. “Design innovation has become an essential tool to improve the competitiveness and quality of life in cities, and is necessary to enhance collaborative public-private environments with direct participation from the administrations, universities and different economic and professional agents. This is the direction Bilbao has followed to achieve its transformation over the past 25 years, and this designation will help continue the rejuvenation of our great city.”

“Cape Townʼs bid to be the World Design Capital of the year in 2014 shows how far we have come as a city. More importantly, it shows how far we want to take this city,” declared Patricia De Lille, Executive Mayor of Cape Town. “The creative industries make up an extremely important part of our local economy. The value of an event such as World Design Capital not only exposes our creative design talents to the world, but in turn develops our local industry into an asset for decades to come.”

Lord Mayor of Dublin Gerry Breen echoed the enthusiasm shown by the two accompanying shortlisted cities, stating, “Dublin is honoured to be one of three cities shortlisted for World Design Capital 2014. On behalf of Dublin City Council and Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, Fingal and South Dublin County Councils, I welcome the opportunities the World Design Capital project will give us. The project will be beneficial in economic, environmental, social and political terms. These are difficult times and this bid will challenge us to adapt, recover and grow.”

The next step in the process leading up to the final selection of the 2014 WDC designation is the city visits that will be conducted in July 2011 by members of the WDC Organising Committee. These site inspections will enable further information to be gathered in an attempt to provide the WDC Selection Committee with a more thorough understanding of the proposed programmes by each of the shortlisted cities prior to the final selection in August 2011.

The official announcement of the 2014 World Design Capital designated city will be on 26 October during the 2011 International Design Alliance (IDA) Congress in Taipei, Taiwan (Chinese Taipei).

For more information, please visit www.worlddesigncapital.com, or contact:

Dilki de Silva
Icsid Secretary General
t: +1 514 448 4949 ext. 227
f: +1 514 448 4948
e: ddesilva@icsid.org

Claudia Sighomnou
World Design Capital Programme Coordinator
t: +1 514 448 4949 ext. 228
f: +1 514 448 4948
e: csighomnou@icsid.org

Links

• WDC 2014 Selection Committee
• 2011 IDA Congress

About the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design (Icsid)
The International Council of Societies of Industrial Design (Icsid) is a non-profit organisation that protects and promotes the interests of the profession of industrial design. Founded in 1957, Icsid serves as a unified voice of over 50 nations through which members can express their views and be heard on an international platform. Since its inception, Icsid has continued to develop its wide-reaching network of students and professionals devoted to the recognition, success and growth of the industrial design community. Together, professional associations, promotional societies, educational institutions, government bodies and corporations create a comprehensive and diverse system on the forefront of industrial design education and progress.
www.icsid.org

About the World Design Capital
While there are many awards that recognise individual accomplishments in design, the World Design Capital (WDC) designation is unique as it aims to focus on the broader essence of designʼs impact on urban spaces, economies and citizens. The designation provides a distinctive opportunity for cities to feature their accomplishments in attracting and promoting innovative design, as well as highlight their successes in urban revitalisation strategies.

The World Design Capital is an initiative of the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design (Icsid), who manages the daily operation of the project in a major step for the global design community.
www.worlddesigncapital.com

Background on the WDC 2014 Selection Committee
The selection committee for the 2014 designation consists of:

• Dr. Mark Breitenberg, Icsid President (USA)
• Edna dos Santos-Duisenberg, Chief, Creative Industries Programme of UNCTAD (Switzerland)
• Jeremy Myerson, Director and Chair of the Helen Hamlyn Centre at the Royal College of Art (UK)
• Kohei Nishiyama Founder and CEO of elephant design co., ltd. and Founder of CUUSOO.com (Japan)
• Jussi Pajunen Mayor of the City of Helsinki (Finland)

WDC Torino 2008
As the first city to hold the World Design Capital title, Torino (Italy) was appointed as the pilot city for the project in September 2005. Since itʼs designation, and in close partnership with Icsid, Torino has adopted a significant urban transformation strategy aimed at rejuvenating the city through the use of design.
www.torinoworlddesigncapital.it/portale/en

WDC Seoul 2010
In October 2007, Seoul (South Korea) was selected as the WDC for 2010. Through the yearlong programme of events Seoul not only attracted international interest, but also showcased how the World Design Capital designation is a valuable platform for economic growth and community cohesion.
www.wdc2010.seoul.go.kr

WDC Helsinki 2012
Selected World Design Capital 2012, Helsinki (Finland) is now developing with the support of Icsid, an extensive programme that will reveal the cityʼs unique identity.
www.wdc2012helsinki.fi/en

WDC 2014 will be the fourth designation since the establishment of the project in 2004. Icsid bestowed the inaugural WDC designation to Torino (Italy) in 2008, which was followed by Seoul (South Korea) in 2010 and most recently Helsinki (Finland), who are off to an ambitious start for their year of events in 2012. By virtue of the success and promise of these cities, the WDC initiative has participated in stimulating an international recognition of design as an essential and sustainable component for the improvement of living conditions in urban areas, evident in the growing interest and demand among cities worldwide for the WDC designation.

“Throughout the first two World Design Capital designations in Torino and Seoul, we have been privileged to witness countless innovative and inspiring ways in which design can be used to advance the social, economic and cultural quality of life for citizens within urban areas,” stated Dr. Mark Breitenberg, Icsid President and 2014 WDC selection committee member. “As these accomplishments continue to develop in WDC designated cities, we are presented with a vivid picture of design’s ability to stimulate positive change on a large scale. This has resulted in a constant increase in awareness and appreciation for the WDC initiative throughout the years, which I believe has strongly influenced the international movement towards the use of design-driven approaches to address important issues in all facets of urban development.”

Following the close of applications for the 2014 designation, an international selection committee will begin the detailed process of analysing and evaluating all of the entries, with the announcement of the 2014 WDC city being made at the 2011 IDA Congress in Taipei, Taiwan (Chinese Taipei) on 24-26 October. The selection committee consists of Dr. Mark Breitenberg, Icsid President (USA); Edna dos Santos-Duisenberg, Chief, Creative Industries Programme of UNCTAD (Switzerland); Jeremy Myerson, Director and Chair of the Helen Hamlyn Centre at the Royal College of Art (UK); Kohei Nishiyama Founder and CEO of elephant design co., ltd. and Founder of CUUSOO.com (Japan) and Jussi Pajunen Mayor of the City of Helsinki (Finland).

“Having been closely involved in the bidding process for Helsinki to become nominated as the 2012 World Design Capital, I feel truly excited about my membership in the selection committee for WDC 2014,” claimed Mayor Jussi Pajunen. “The designation is indeed a remarkable and unique opportunity for a city to act as a global trendsetter in terms of improving welfare services and the urban environment through the use of design. Furthermore, its serves as a powerful statement of recognition for an entire design community.”

A biennial designation that is presented to a city for the period of one year, WDC was created by Icsid to showcase cities that are emphasising design as a driving force for their economic, social and cultural development. The designation has been a channel for cities to substantially rejuvenate their urban areas and improve quality of life for their citizens by providing them with the support and international platform to integrate multidisciplinary design within the very fabric of their municipalities.

“As most urban cities have embarked on the post-industrial era, design in all its expressions has been playing an increasing role in reinventing the urban foundation of many cities around the world,” expressed Edna dos Santos-Duisenberg. “The design choices that cities make will have far-reaching consequences for the quality of lives of its citizens and the environment in the years to come. The winning city of the 2014 World Design Capital designation will be able to capitalise on this recognition to put in place long-term strategies to ensure better liveable cities for its citizens, not only now but also for future generations.”

###

For more information, please contact:

Rafael Mayor-Mora
Icsid Communications Manager
t: +1 514 448 4949 ext. 223
f: +1 514 448 4948
e: rmayor@icsid.org

About the World Design Capital
While there are many awards that recognise individual accomplishments in design, the World Design Capital (WDC) designation is unique as it aims to focus on the broader essence of design’s impact on urban spaces, economies and citizens.

The designation provides a distinctive opportunity for cities to feature their accomplishments in attracting and promoting innovative design, as well as highlight their successes in urban revitalisation strategies.

The World Design Capital is an initiative of the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design (Icsid), who manages the daily operation of the project in a major step for the global design community.
www.worlddesigncapital.com

The importance of design in corporate competitiveness is growing worldwide and in all corporate sectors. Compared to traditional corporate partnerships, the current partnerships are exceptional in that the content of WDC Helsinki 2012 and the nature of the partners’ business are tightly linked and compatible.

Through partnership, the WDC Helsinki 2012 corporate partners will enhance their design know-how, execute project content, and collaborate with each other. The corporations will utilize their partnership and design enabled by it in their product development, personnel training, development of service chains, and establishing themselves in new market areas.

“The role of corporations in the project is noteworthy because their skills in the utilization of design is important proof that we are a significant design city by international comparison,” says Pekka Timonen, Executive Director of WDC Helsinki 2012. “Design is a key success factor, and its power is understood more and more widely in all sectors. Our partners share views of the opportunities offered by design.”

The combined value of all announced corporate partnerships of WDC Helsinki 2012 is roughly 3.5 million euros. Partnership negotiations have proceeded swiftly. The first corporate partners were announced in late November 2010. Negotiations will continue through the winter and spring, and new announcements will be made in the upcoming weeks.

The full list of announced World Design Capital Helsinki 2012 corporate partners is as follows: main corporate partners comprise Blue1, Finavia – Helsinki Airport, Fortum, HOK-Elanto, KONE, Martela, MTV MEDIA, Sanoma Magazines Finland and Viking Line; other corporate partners comprise Clear Channel, Hasan&Partners, Iittala, Lapin Kulta and STOCKMANN.

Read comments about World Design Capital Helsinki 2012: Blue1, Finavia – Helsinki Airport, Fortum, HOK-Elanto, KONE, Martela, MTV MEDIA, Sanoma Magazines Finland, Viking Line, Clear Channel, hasan & partners, Iittala, Lapin Kulta and STOCKMANN.

Held at The Shilla Hotel in Seoul, the conference was themed “Proliferation of Design Value through the World Design Capital” and was hosted by the Seoul Metropolitan Government. It was an opportunity to invite distinguished guests and experts in the fields of economy, society, culture as well as design, to wrap up the year of WDC Seoul 2010, and share the achievements of Seoul as a design-led city strengthened by its WDC designation.

During its term as the World Design Capital, Seoul placed tremendous efforts on various design-related projects all under the umbrella of “Design for All”. The year kicked off with the WDC New Year’s Eve Festival, which was closely followed by a variety of commemorative events including the WDC Global Design Cities Summit, during which the Seoul Design Declaration transpired. Other events included, the Seoul Design Market, and the World Design Survey™ 2010 project, as well as the WDC Citizens Design Competition and the Children’s Creativeness Camp held on Children’s Day, which were organised in an attempt to foster interaction and citizen participation as part of the WDC programme. An International Design Workshop on Universal Design was held, as well as the Seoul Design Fair and the Seoul Design Assets Exhibition, which contributed to increasing the city’s brand value and identity.

Above (forefront, L-R): Kyung-won Chung, Deputy Mayor of Culture, Design and Tourism Headquarters, Seoul Metropolitan Government; Lisa Scaffidi, Lord Mayor of the City of Perth; Dr. Mark Breitenberg, Icsid President, Provost of California College of the Arts; Oh Se-hoon, Mayor of Seoul.

Design in the city has in recent years been increasingly seen from a broad perspective not only in city planning and architecture, but also in industrial and service design. Through projects such as the Han River Renaissance and Mount Namsan Renaissance, these and other efforts have been established to improve the quality of life for Seoulites, as well as raise the city’s competitiveness. As such, Seoul has grown out of its past “growth-first” principle that ignored quality of life, and has opened itself up to new horizons to unveil a new, more-considerate city through design.

Throughout the course of the past year, Seoul has placed tremendous efforts on sharing its new urban identity and its vision for the future as it leveraged its title as WDC.

Seoul was appointed WDC 2010 following the pilot project and appointment of Torino, Italy as WDC in 2008. Since its nomination, Seoul has attempted to apply itself and demonstrate from an urban design perspective that its designation was awarded because it showed such impressive design leadership and a concrete plan to achieve social, economical and cultural development via design.

In an interview with Korean press Arirang News, Seoul City Mayor Oh Se-hoon was reported to have said that “The selection of the city as “World Design Capital 2010” in 2007 played a crucial role in the establishment of Seoul’s status as a leading design city and transforming itself into an attractive city that is appealing to visit, invest in and live in.”

Mayor Oh has stressed the importance of the city’s designation as a World Design Capital to promoting its international brand and its image as a modern urban city. He further emphasised that urban design is not merely a matter of convenience, aesthetics, and safety but an “essential element for survival in the 21st century” in view of the competition between cities for investment, tourism and talent, as well as maintaining and raising the happiness index among its residents and visitors. Against this backdrop, the Seoul Metropolitan Government has leveraged the WDC 2010 designation to accelerate the city’s global status.

Above: Dr. Mark Breitenberg gives closing remarks at conference.

In his closing remarks, Dr. Mark Breitenberg stated that “The WDC is more than just a project or a programme – it’s a global movement. A movement towards an understanding that design does impact and affect quality of human life.” Today, design has become an essential factor not only in business fields but also in all areas including culture, politics, administration, society, and education. As a result, developing strategies for promoting and advancing design is now being recognised as one of the core necessities for corporations as well as governments.

Both the City of Torino and of course most recently, the City of Seoul understood this movement and have used the momentum created by the WDC to win public and private support to continue working on design-led initiatives within their cities, in addition to implementing many new and exciting promotional events.

“Seoul in 2010 as World Design Capital has shown the world the importance of design in the development of new ideas and new ways of thinking. Design is important now because it is fundamentally about transforming the existing world into a better one,” stated Breitenberg. “I believe that people will look back at the first 20 years of this new century as a time when there were fundamental changes to the world. Out of this recession will come a new birth, a renaissance. And I believe that the World Design Capitals will have provided many of the solutions and models for this renaissance. The WDC is a laboratory for the future, and cities will learn from the accomplishments of these honoured cities.”

Seoul has proven that design is not a one-time development endeavour. It has not just been about embellishing its surface and adding ornament to the city, but rather about the process of securing safety and heightening the level of convenience and comfort for the people of Seoul and enhancing their quality of life and their civic pride. For Seoul, the WDC has always been about, and for its people and even as the year of the WDC comes to an end, these efforts shall continue to reap results in the future.

Seoul hands the WDC title over to Helsinki

A World Design Capital is nominated every two years by Icsid based on that city’s efforts to improve its urban environment through design. As such, the WDC title was officially transferred to the Finnish capital of Helsinki during the WDC Convocation Ceremony held immediately following the conference. The event was presided by Dr. Mark Breitenberg, 2009-2011 President of Icsid, where the symbolic WDC plaque was passed on to Helsinki Mayor Jussi Pajunen. Also in attendance was the Mayor of Lahti, Jyrki Myllyvirta on behalf of the supporting Finnish municipalities of Espoo, Vantaa, Kauniainen and Lahti that will support Helsinki’s WDC title in 2012.

Sustainable development, a high quality environment and engaging the population were central themes of Seoul’s World Design Capital year. The same themes will continue to be emphasised in Helsinki in 2012.

###

For more information, please contact:
Andrea Springer
WDC Programme Director, Icsid
t: + 1 514 448 4949 ext. 232
e: aspringer@icsid.org

About the World Design Capital
The World Design Capital® (WDC) project is a biennial international designation created to identify and recognise cities that have effectively used design to revive the city and improve its quality of life. Applications for the WDC 2014 designation are currently being accepted until 31 March 2011.

Under the direction of the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design (Icsid), the WDC will promote the importance of good design strengthening and empowering cities to use design to position their competitive advantages from a social, cultural and economic point of view.

Project
Circa on Jellicoe

City
Johannesburg (South Africa)

Challenge
Suburban streets are not always pedestrian-friendly and often remain empty.

Solution
A prominent design intervention that works in conjunction with recent local neighbourhood transformations to encourage “walkability”.

The Circa on Jellicoe is an elliptical art building comprising of galleries, a coffee shop and a bookstore, and which was developed around the constraints of a narrow site that was previously used as a parking lot. It is located within walking distance of shopping malls, craft markets, hotels and restaurants, and its presence is increasing the appeal of Johannesburg’s nearby suburb Gauteng. In the near future, the building of a train station in the area is expected to raise the number of visitors and tourists coming from the city centre.

The complexity of the shape means that the building was virtually constructed by hand in order to achieve a high level of uniformity. Its main feature is an anodized aluminum fin façade that allows views into and out of the building, providing a sense of both protection and openness. The inspiration behind this project came from nature and the colour palette of the fins was developed from the bark of a tree. During the day shadows on the ramp accentuate the shape of the building, while at night the ramp transforms itself into a colourful passage between exhibition spaces and from which the nearby traffic sounds can be heard.

The Circa is split into three levels; the public ground floor consists of 106m2 of exhibition space, a perimeter ramp connects ground and first floor exhibition/events spaces, and the top floor offers a 105m2 private lounge and deck overlooking Johannesburg’s Northcliff Hill.

The Circa (meaning “thereabouts” or “approximately at that time”) aims to provide multi-functional semi-public spaces that alter people’s perspective on everyday life in the city. It is designed to become a part of the public face of the city and today represents an opportunity to draw people through cultural spaces and events in Gauteng.

Designer/Architect
StudioMAS, Johannesburg, South Africa

Client
Everard Read Gallery

Year built
2009

Image copyright
studioMAS, John Hodgekiss, Tristan McLaren

For more information
www.studiomas.co.za

The role of corporate partners in the project is exceptionally large, and corporate collaboration is remarkably versatile. Use of design for success in business is on the rise worldwide, and this is reflected in the World Design Capital (WDC) Helsinki 2012 project. Design plays a key and growing role in boosting competitiveness in various sectors of the economy, and the potential of design is increasingly well understood.

WDC Helsinki 2012 acts as a strategic partner to corporations, striving to utilise new ideas and opportunities both domestically and internationally. The project offers a platform for corporations to tap into many opportunities, including international networking and marketing, progress in design know-how, and new influence in society.

“Our corporate partners’ role in the WDC Helsinki 2012 project is exceptional, because their activities become part of the content of World Design Capital. Corporations help to prove that we are a leading and broad-based design city of the future,” says Pekka Timonen, Director of International Design Foundation, the organisation that manages the WDC Helsinki 2012 project. “A vision of the power of design is a common denominator in all participating corporations. Naturally different sectors utilise design in different ways. Of key importance for us is that our corporate partners are aware of the potential of design and are able to make use of it.”

The combined value of the first partnership agreements now announced is close to 2,5 million euros. Partnership negotiations will continue in 2011. The targeted total value of all corporate partnerships with WDC Helsinki 2012 is four million euros. At that level, WDC Helsinki 2012 would constitute one of the largest corporate partnership projects in Finland to date.

Comments on collaboration with World Design Capital Helsinki 2012:

BLUE1
“Finland’s future is built through collaboration. We in Blue1 want to participate in building the future Finland marked by innovations together with strong partners. That is the gist of our collaboration with WDC Helsinki 2012. Innovations and high-quality design are essential to the future of Blue1′s air travel. We consider design and service design key factors in the success of developing our customer experience further, and we aim at a new type of ease and smoothness in air travel for our passengers.” – Juha Järvinen, Vice President Commercial, Blue1

Further information:
Tom Christides
Vice President Communications and Public Affairs
Blue1
t: +358 40 7523131
e: tom.christides@blue1.com
w: www.blue1.com

CLEAR CHANNEL
“Clear Channel is the world’s largest advertising agency in forums outside the home. The advertising solutions of Clear Channel Finland have a tangible impact on the everyday experience of Finns in the busiest traffic junctions, cityscape, shopping centres, digital media and cinemas. Outdoor advertising has a strong influence on the cityscape and how the residents experience it. A well-designed and carefully implemented outdoor advertising network offers new impressions for people’s everyday life. Our activities are guided by responsibility for the environment. We are a pioneer in environmentally friendly media solutions. The values and goals of the WDC Helsinki 2012 project support Clear Channel Finland’s way to think and operate in developing media environments.” – Timo Tammi, General Manager, Clear Channel Finland

Further information:
Kim Nordström
Marketing Manager
Clear Channel
t: +358 0 20 7 312 005
e: kim.nordstrom@clearchannel.fi
w: www.clearchannel.fi

FINAVIA
“Finavia’s Helsinki-Vantaa international airport participates in the WDC Helsinki 2012 project and aims to grow the international visibility of the airport by utilizing the Helsinki Airport brand. The airport helps to raise awareness of Finnish values and Finnish design; Helsinki Airport brands Helsinki and, at the same time, all of Finland. An international airport is always a “business card”, the first contact with the city and the country. Helsinki Airport aims to differentiate itself from the competition and to be the leading and most popular transfer hub in Northern Europe.” – Kimmo Ruotsalainen, Senior Vice President Marketing, Finavia

Further information:
Kimmo Ruotsalainen
Senior Vice President Marketing
Finavia
t: +358 0 20 708 2351
e: kimmo.ruotsalainen@finavia.fi
w: www.finavia.fi

FORTUM
“Fortum seeks to be one of the developers of the energy of the future and energy design as our response to the climate challenge. Fortum is already participating in a process aimed at energy solutions related to future housing and transportation. The process requires joint efforts by many sectors and actors – and WDC Helsinki 2012 offers a unique opportunity for it.” – Anne Brunila, Executive Vice President, Corporate Relations and Sustainability, Fortum

Further information:
Anne Brunila
Executive Vice President
Corporate Relations and Sustainability
Fortum
t: +358 0 10 452 0970
e: anne.brunila@fortum.com
w: www.fortum.com

HOK-ELANTO
“HOK-Elanto has more than one quarter of a million customer contacts every day in which we can emphasize the importance of good consumer items in our everyday routines. At the same time, we wish to make successful service design our brand. We will also seek to communicate the role of successful design through more effective use of our landmarks in the city.” – Matti Niemi, CEO, HOK-Elanto

Further information:
Ralf Nyberg
Head of Corporate Communications
HOK-Elanto
t: +358  0 10 76 60590
e: ralf.nyberg@sok.fi
w: www.hok-elanto.fi

MARTELA
“WDC Helsinki 2012 will put Finland into the core of the international design community for one year. Martela’s vision is to be a leading Finnish B-to-B interior solutions company in office interiors, and support to the project is a natural extension of this vision. The project approaches the design sector from a broad perspective – via city planning, architecture, industrial design and service design, and this makes the project particularly interesting to Martela. It is magnificent to be part of a well-managed and inspiring programme!” – Heikki Martela, CEO, Martela

Further information:
Leena Puttaa-Sollo
Brand Manager
Martela
t: +358 40 8495480
e: leena.puttaa-sollo@martela.fi
w: www.martela.com

MTV MEDIA
“MTV MEDIA is eager to join the WDC Helsinki 2012 project as a first-level corporate partner. MTV MEDIA plays a unique role in the everyday life of the Finnish consumer every day, and design is an essential part of MTV MEDIA’s channels. The future collaboration and planned projects will put the valuable message of WDC Helsinki 2012 into the hearts of Finns through the contents and channels of MTV MEDIA.” – Heikki Rotko, Executive Vice President, MTV MEDIA

Further information:
Leena Mentula
Communications Manager
MTV MEDIA
t: +358 (0)10 300 5267
e: leena.mentula@mtv.fi
w: www.mtvmedia.fi

STOCKMANN
“We have a great deal in common with the Design Capital Year. Stockmann has participated in the efforts to promote top design in fashion and interior decoration for years by offering its customers the best Finnish and international design. The year 2012 will also be a jubilee for Stockmann, which will celebrate its 150 anniversary. Our flagship department store is situated in the heart of the Helsinki city centre, so we will be in the centre of the WDC Helsinki 2012 year.” – Maaret Kuisma, Marketing Director, Stockmann

Further information:
Maaret Kuisma
Marketing Director
Stockmann
t: +358 0 9 121 5820
e: maaret.kuisma@stockmann.com
w: stockmann.com

VIKING LINE
“Enjoying life is the leading principle for Viking Line in developing services for our customers. Design is important for all of us in enjoying everyday life, and therefore the decision came naturally to us to become one of the first-level corporate partners in the WDC Helsinki 2012 collaboration, which is unique in Finland.” – Pavlos Ylinen, Deputy Managing Director, Viking Line

Further information:
Karolina Klockars
Business Development Manager
Viking Line
t: +358 50 568 7306
t: +358 9 123 5257
e: karolina.klockars@vikingline.fi
w: www.vikingline.fi

Sanna-Mari Jäntti
Development Director
International Design Foundation
t: +358 0400 536 581
e: sanna-mari.jantti@wdchelsinki2012.fi

Jukka Kunnas
Project Director
Infront Finland Oy
t: +358 400 613 012
e: jukka.kunnas@infrontsports.com

About the World Design Capital
The World Design Capital® (WDC) project is a biennial international designation created to identify and recognise cities that have effectively used design to revive the city and improve its quality of life.

Under the direction of the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design (Icsid), the WDC will promote the importance of good design strengthening and empowering cities to use design to position their competitive advantages from a social, cultural and economic point of view.
www.worlddesigncapital.com

About the International Design Foundation
Established by the City of Helsinki, the International Design Foundation is responsible for the planning and execution of the World Design Capital Helsinki 2012 project. The foundation manages all international rights and brands related to the project. It also supervises compliance to the international organizing agreement signed in 2010.

In addition to its Board of Directors, the foundation will have a broad-based committee tasked to support the project’s activities and to assure that the project will represent society on a wide basis.
www.wdc2012helsinki.fi/en

The vision of the World Design Capital initiative is to promote and encourage the use of design to further the social, economic and cultural development of the world’s cities. In this spirit, the WDC designation honours the city that has best used design to revitalise and reinvent its urban environment.

The title is bestowed to a city that has demonstrated exceptional progress using the multidisciplinary sectors of design. The city must demonstrate that government, industry, educational institutions, designers and in fact the very population of the city, are working individually, and in concert to realise the city’s strategic development and provide a platform to demonstrate the merits of design as a sustainable factor to the betterment of living conditions. The successful candidate city will have proven tangible and visible results that have enhanced the experience of the city and improved the quality of life of citizens.

For the appointed city, the WDC designation is a yearlong opportunity to strengthen economic development, stimulate new partnerships and build upon its global image as a centre of creativity and innovation.

Interested cities are encouraged to download the application form from the official World Design Capital website at www.worlddesigncapital.com. The deadline for submission is 31 March 2011.

The international selection committee for the 2014 designation will consists of Dr. Mark Breitenberg, Icsid President; Edna dos Santos-Duisenberg, Chief, Creative Industries Programme of UNCTAD; Jeremy Myerson, Director and Chair of the Helen Hamlyn Centre at the Royal College of Art; Kohei Nishiyama Founder and CEO of elephant design co., ltd. and Founder of CUUSOO.com and Jussi Pajunen Mayor of the City of Helsinki (Finland).

Applications will be evaluated by the WDC Selection Committee, which will convene in September 2011 to announce the final selection at the IDA Congress in Taipei, in October 2011.

Since the inaugural designation in 2008, the WDC title has been bestowed upon the cities of Torino, Italy (WDC 2008); Seoul, South Korea (WDC 2010); and most recently, to Helsinki, Finland (WDC 2012). Testaments of their commitment to design, the appointment of these cities demonstrate the extent through which design has been a catalyst to the reinvention of their municipalities to the benefit of a growing number of businesses, citizens and visitors. They have understood the benefits of design as an integral component to social, environmental and economical development and have deployed within their municipalities a set of programmes and initiatives that have incited reform to the betterment of their citizens.

“At a time in history when over half the world’s population lives in cites, the World Design Capital designation calls attention to the power of design to improve our quality of life,” stated Icsid President Dr. Mark Breitenberg. “WDC cities also demonstrate how the creative industries and the creative economy impact the changing urban environment, and showcase the importance of the design sector as a tangible economic benefit for all cities.  Our ambition is to educate governments around the world about the ways in which design-driven approaches can address our most urgent and challenging problems, including planning and urban regeneration, technology and the development of new products and services that improve daily life, transportation, and the urban environment.”

Icsid encourages municipalities to use the preparation of the WDC bid as a platform to strengthen the link between design and city development, as well as identify ways to celebrate design over a period of 365 days through various educational, social, environmental, economic and cultural events.

###

About the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design (Icsid)
The International Council of Societies of Industrial Design (Icsid) is a non-profit organisation that protects and promotes the interests of the profession of industrial design. Founded in 1957, Icsid serves as a unified voice of over 50 nations through which members can express their views and be heard on an international platform. Since its inception, Icsid has continued to develop its wide-reaching network of students and professionals devoted to the recognition, success and growth of the industrial design community. Together, professional associations, promotional societies, educational institutions, government bodies and corporations create a comprehensive and diverse system on the forefront of industrial design education and progress.

Project
Subte

City
Buenos Aires (Argentina)

Challenge
Complexities in the urban environment that confuse the traveller/user.

Solution
A visual signage system that works as an instrument of information, identity and stimulation.

The Buenos Aires underground signage was designed by Diseño Shakespear during separate stages ranging from 1995-2007. The name “Subte”  (from subterráneo) was chosen following local surveys and focus groups studies that showed a need for a collective memory term. Local travelers had for many years used the colloquial term Subte and thus it seemed to be a natural choice to fit alongside the Tube in London, the Metro in Paris or the Subway in New York.

As per founder Ronald Shakespear, a sign is not just a panel with images, figures and letters. They are “active expressions of identity that go beyond just giving directions and solving basic circulation and communication problems.”  Signs in urban environments should be fully integrated to their surroundings and act like they have always been there. They should help build the identity of a place.

The result is a two-level information system with over-ground signage that uses simple lines, circular shapes and bold colours that help the traveller memorise and identify the seven different transit lines. The visual system is extended throughout the underground level, with consistent use of sans-serif typography, bold lines and colours. The Subte visual identity successfully blends old-day prestige and functional aspects of modern life that are inherent to cities.

Designer
Diseño Shakespear

Client
Metrovías S.A.

Images copyright
Diseño Shakespear

For more information

• www.shakespearweb.com
• www.subte.com.ar

* Ronald Shakespear: Making the City Legible. Interview with Leslie Wolke. Originally SegdDESIGN Magazine.

Project
NYC Visitors Information Center on 52nd Street at 7th Avenue

City
New York City (USA)

Challenge
Big cities have much to offer for visitors however the overwhelming number of possible activities can lead to confusion and time wasted.

Solution
A high-tech interactive map that works in conjunction with personal mobile devices to create customised city guides.

With countless numbers of restaurants, museums, shops, music venues, and theatres, New York City can be a rather overwhelming experience for tourists. The sheer volume of activities and attractions available in the city requires some organisation and planning that traditional guidebooks and leaflets may not provide quickly enough to the 21st century traveller.

The NYC Visitors Information Center located in Midtown Manhattan combines contemporary architecture and media to create a seamless experience. Local Projects and WXY Architecture and Urban Design worked together to deliver a unique solution that pushes the conventional boundaries of tourism.

The centrepiece consists of three large interactive map tables that people can use by first placing a “You Are Here” disc. The screen reacts to the object by suggesting various locations around the chosen area. The visitor can then pick and save places of interest in order to create a customised guidebook that can be emailed, sent via SMS, or printed. The locations that were saved by visitors are also recorded and featured on the FlyNYC screen, a large scale Google Earth map.

Other interactive pieces include touch screens that provide answers to the 100 most frequently asked questions by tourists, in 10 different languages.

The NYC Visitors Information Center is the first of its kind in terms of design, technology and interactive capabilities. As more people lean towards personalised experiences, the ability for them to develop their own guidebook in a simple manner will increase in popularity. More cities are likely to follow and implement this model in the near future.

Interactive Designer
Local Projects

Architect
WXY Architecture and Urban Design

Client
NYC & Co

Year built
2010

Image copyright
Local Projects

For more information
www.localprojects.net

Video
http://www.ny1.com/content/ny1_living/92610/midtown-tourism-center-goes-high-tech