International Design Day 2023
Theme: Peace. Love. Design!
For the 60th anniversary of the International Council of Design, this year’s theme for International Design Day 2023 celebrates the legacy of the organisation by alluding to the activism of the sixties, exploring issues of environmentalism, social equity, collective movements and radical change.
‘With ‘Peace. Love. Design!’ we challenge you to think about how design has a role to play in solving many of these issues. Fundamental changes are afoot, both good and bad. These intense pressures create new problems. But in periods of transition, astounding human ingenuity often emerges. These are a series of challenges that humanity can rise to. Working together with a kind heart, empathy, and goodwill toward our fellow humans, we can imagine disruptive change.’ - The ICOD
Hear from industry leaders below on what this year’s theme, ‘peace. love. design!’ means to them and their businesses.
‘In a world that can often feel divided and uncertain, I believe that we designers need to take advantage of our skills and talents to spread optimism and create a better, more harmonious world.
As the saying “a picture is worth a thousand words” goes, visual communication has the power to attract immediate attention, deliver an urgent message, and move people – far more than a mediocre politician’s empty speech.
To mark International Design Day, I would like to remind all designers in the world that we have the ability to create work that resonates deeply with people and inspires them to take action for a better world, whether through the use of typography, colours, or semiotics.’
– June Mineyama-Smithson, MAMIMU Tokyo
‘It feels as though little has changed since the movement of Peace and Love in the ‘60s as we celebrate this year’s International Design Day’s theme 60 years later. As we struggle with contemporary equivalents of those same themes, design has just as much an importance and potential as it did back in 1960.
At NewTerritory, we consider a ‘triple bottom line’ of People, Planet, Profit. With all the work we do, we aim to achieve meaningful impact on all of those factors. Viable design must continue to inherit empathy to all people and the planet — Peace. Love. Design!’
‘‘If ever there was a time to look back at the activism of the sixties through a design lens, then the International Council of Design’s 60th anniversary must surely be it.
Now, just as then, we are all questioning so many things within the existing social order so it’s the perfect theme for us all to probe, collaborate and explore news ways of making the world of design better for everyone.’
The theme of ‘Peace. Love. Design!’ is a powerful call to action for designers. It invites them to consider how their work can contribute to a more peaceful and loving world. By using their skills to promote messages of tolerance, acceptance, and unity, and by designing solutions that address complex social and environmental challenges, emerging designers in particular can help create a better future for all.’
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