Event Details:

(1) Commendation Ceremony
The commendation ceremony was held on 9th of February 2007 during the closing function to honor grandmasters from India who have done a lifetime of contribution in the field of Graphic-Communication Design. The function was quite emotional with cheers and applause from a crowd of 1200 standing and clapping in ovation to honor the recipients. Grandmasters Prof Nadkarni from India and Mervyn Kurlansky from Denmark presented the ‘Medal of Honour’ to the following grandmasters
1. Prof R K Joshi (erstwhile faculty at IDC, IIT Bombay- Calligraphy, Typography, Concrete Poetry, Identity Systems, etc)
2. Prof Vikas Satwalekar (erstwhile faculty at NID, Ahmedabad – Publication Design, Exhibition Design, Identity Systems, etc)
3. Prof Dashrath Patel (erstwhile faculty at NID, Ahmedabad – Product Design, Exhibition Design, Ceramics, etc.)
4. Prof Mahendra Patel (erstwhile faculty at NID, Ahmedabad – Typography, Map Design, Publication Design, etc.)
5. Sri Sudarshan Dheer (CEO, Graphic Communication Concepts, Mumbai – Corporate Identity, Signage Design, Packaging Design, Publication Design, etc.)

Further details at http://www.designlocal.net/speakers.html


(2) Inauguration of 'InDeAs' (India Design Association)
The closing ceremony also saw the inauguration of 'InDeAs' (India Design Association) by Grandmaster Mervyn Kyurlansky revealing and releasing the identity for InDeAs. The identity has been designed by grandmaster of design Sudarshan Dheer from India.

InDeAs is a pan-India networking, showcasing and events platform for India's design community (drawn from across the spectrum) addressing the interests of the design community in India. The Association will promote and create awareness about the design profession in the country.

InDeAs has presently a membership of 318 with commitments for 8 corporate membership. InDeAs will open chapters in all the major places and regions in India. More about InDeAs in the coming months.

Further details at http://www.designlocal.net/association.html


(3) International Design Conference
The International Design Conference held on the 8th and 9th of February with over 1250 participants at the convocation hall of IIT Bombay forefronted the best practices of design from around the world, additionally underscored by vision statements by grandmasters to highlight historically defining moments of design that have shaken up business.
There were 5 vision talks spread across two days by the following grandmasters:
- Massimo Vignelli,
- Prof R K Joshi,
- Lella Vignelli,
- April Greiman and
- Mervyn Kurlansky.

Design from around the world had talks by experts around the following four themes
- Culture and Identity Systems,
- Design Process and Strategy for Business
- Information and Visualisation and
- Explorations and Imageries

Speakers spanned from across the globe representing best practices from North and South and East and West – Brazil, USA, Canada, Denmark, S Africa, UK, Itlay, Qatar, Israel, India, S Korea and Australia.

- Massimo & Lella Vignelli (USA, Itlay)
- April Greiman (USA)
- Mahendra Patel (India)
- Sudarshan Dheer (India)
- R K Joshi (India)
- Jacques Lange (South Africa)
- Mervyn Kurlansky (Denmark)
- Russell Kennedy (Australia)
- Halim Choueiry (Quatar)
- Don Ryun Chang (South Korea)
- Ruth Klotzel (Brazil)
- Lise Vejse Klint (Denmark)
- Omar Vulpinari (Italy)
- Brenda Sanderson (Canada)
- Iko & NoniAvital (Israel)
- Vikas Satwalekar (India)
- Ajit Balakrishna (India)
- Bela Sanghvi (India)


(4) International Student Design Workshop
The workshop for the aspiring student attempting to learn about design from various angles possible – its history, the country's ethnography (its people), its management-related issues, its politics and policies, its technology capabilities, its art, architecture and other creative areas, and such – all of which have knowledge implications for design.

The theme ‘Design Local’ was interpreted in many ways as applied to different situations and problems concerning the suburban trains in Mumbai.
135 students and 18 facilitators from 15 countries participated in the Workshop. The workshop had 9 tracks and was held on Monday 5th, Tuesday 6th and Wednesday 7th of February 2007, at IDC, IIT Bombay.

Workshop Track: Facilitator/Country
1. Corporate Identity Design Facilitators: Massimo and Lella Vignelli and Sudarshan Dheer (USA/Italy, India)
Co-facilitator: Kaladhar Bapu (India)

2. Retail Design (Visual Merchandising) Facilitator: Omar Vulpinari (Italy)
Co-facilitator: Pudi Ravi Krishnan (India)

3. Brand Identity Design Facilitator: Dan Ryun Chung (South Korea)
Co-facilitator: K J Peter

4. Packaging Design Facilitator: Iko Avital (Israel)
Co-facilitator: Atul Manohar (India)

5. Games and Toy Design Facilitator: Noni Avital (Israel)
Co-facilitator: Uttaran (India)

6. Typography and Calligraphy Facilitator: Halim Choeiry (Lebanon- Qatar)
Co-facilitator: Girish Dalvi (India)

7. Environmental Graphics Facilitator: April Greiman (USA)
Co-facilitator: Sheetal Alreja ( India)

8. Vehicle Graphics Facilitators: Lise Vejse Klint (Denmark) and Russel Kennedy ( Australia)
Co-facilitator: Shahid Shaikh

9. Story Telling and Book Design Facilitator: Ruth Kroetzel and Nina Sabnani
(Brasil, India)
Co-facilitator: Sherline Pimenta

(5) National Graphic Design Education Meet
The National Graphic Design Education Meet was held for the educator who needs to be drawn from a myriad knowledge base to help build a credible design education platform, and help him/her reinvigorate the design curriculum to include more schools into this universe.
Over 60 educators from different schools from India met for two days to come out with this recommendation. The meet scheduled as part of the 'Icograda Design Week in India' helped formulate guidelines for Graphic Design Education in the present and future context (open economy, networked society and sustainable practices).

A set of recommendations with regard to the following issues were formulated:
1.0 curriculum,
2.0 facilities and Infrastructure
3.0 faculty needs and
4.0 network Issues in the context of graphic design education.
5.0 introduction of design in school curriculum
6.0 open system of learning design for all

(6) Meet the Grandmasters was held to create an atmosphere of conviviality in which the young (practitioners and students) especially, conversed with eponymous names from the design world without feeling intimidated. This interactive question and answer session between the grandmasters and the students was moderated by Dr. Ajanta Sen.


(7) an Exhibition of Visual Design Works by Students from visual design schools from around the country. Exhibitions were put up at the J.J Institute of Applied Arts.
(8) Invited Installations in Public Spaces with personalized visual interpretations of the construct of 'Design Local' by designers and visual artists from around the country. These installations were displayed at different lacations in the city and around the campus of IIT Bombay.

(9) an Exhibition on ‘Photo Essay on being Blind on Local Trains’ and ‘Wish in the palm of your hands by children’ at IDC, IIT Bombay

The Icograda Design Week in India, in partnership with the Icograda and its Board members offered us the exact catalyst opportunity needed to start building an ecosystem of design for India, and one which predicates itself on including one and all.
We expect, that in the years to come, we are able to collectively create a credible design lobby – worth its weight in both quality and numbers.

We look forward to seeing you at IIT Bombay for our next event scheduled sometime towards the end of this year.