International Design Networks Forum in Kaunas: cities are for people

International Design Networks Forum in Kaunas: cities are for people

This October, for the first time in the country’s history, not only design, architecture, and urban planning professionals, but also the world’s most important design network organizations met in one city.

The International Design Networking Forum is a part of the International Design Festival organized by Kaunas 2022 as part of the Design for Happiness program. During the Forum, Kaunas hosted representatives of UNESCO’s Design Cities Networks, IcoD (International Council of Design), BEDA (Bureau of European Design Associations), and EIDD (Design for All Europe).

According to Jonas Liugaila, a member of the Board of the Lithuanian Design Association and a lecturer at the Vilnius Academy of Arts, there has never been an event of such scale and concentration, when so many networks come together in one place at the same time, in Lithuania before: “This is quite rare not only in Lithuania but also in Europe and the world. It is both an exchange of information and networking.”

Virginija Vitkienė, Head of Kaunas 2022, stresses that it is important that Kaunas is slowly discovering its identity as a contemporary design destination. “Kaunas is a member of the UNESCO network of design cities, so it is very important to build not only on the wonderful modernist design tradition, which Kaunas has been fostering for many years, but also to discover a contemporary design identity, to see the city as a center of contemporary design and culture both in Lithuania and in Europe. Design is becoming one of the essential methods and tools for a comfortable city for happy people.”

Isabelle Verilhats, President of BEDA and a member of the UNESCO Design Cities Network, says that international cooperation is essential to achieve the design community’s goals. “I am happy to be in Kaunas. Design helps to connect with people, improve public spaces, and services and create a better world. We are obliged to work together – without cooperation between different design communities, we would not be able to overcome today’s challenges,” says I. Verilhats.

The forum will define a happy city and showcase best practices from around the world

The International Design Network Forum discussed how design can contribute to a happy city and community and shared examples of successful design projects. Jonas Liugaila stresses that while design can be understood in a very broad sense today, one of the core positions of designers is that cities are for people. “Design also deals with issues of value and identity, how people understand and experience the city and their attitude towards it. If the environment around us takes into account different cultural, ecological, social, economic, and even psychological aspects, and allows all people to realize their needs – that is good design.”

These ideas were also reflected in the discussions presented at the Forum. Design professionals, urban planners, and representatives of major design organizations from all over the world spoke about inclusive design, the urban transformation models it offers, and the challenges it poses. The presentations also explored best practices and future perspectives. War-torn Ukraine was also a focus, with the country’s architect Maksim Holovko presenting his guides to rebuilding destroyed cities.

Juozapas Blažiūnas, a restorer, art historian, and director of the Lithuanian Archive of Literature and Art, spoke about the Soviet legacy and its transformation. Girmantas Neniškis, a sports marketing specialist, discussed the creation of Klaipėda’s visual identity, while Professor Marija Drėmaitė presented Kaunas’ optimistic architecture and its legacy in the context of today. The humorous creative duo brothers Algirdas and Remigijus Gataveckas talked about the visual identity of Alytus, which has attracted a lot of discussion and attention on social networks.

International speakers included Monika Domanska, co-founder of the Polish Traffic Design Association, Rama Gheerawo, a designer and author who inspires audiences around the world, Maksim Holovko, an architect from Ukraine, and Pete Kercher, founder of EIDD – Design for All Europe, Eduardo J Teixeira-Alves, a specialist with many years of experience in exhibition organization, Anssi Kähärä, founder of the strategic brand design agency Werklig and author of Helsinki’s visual identity, Johnathon Strebly, President of the IcoD, and Ingrid van der Wacht, a BEDA board member and the voice of sustainable design, who is the author of a wide range of design ideas.

The full Kaunas 2022 program is available at www.kaunas2022.eu or on the mobile app.