‘What the design scene really often needs is lectures, presentations and “connective intelligence”, meeting up with each other, to get wiser, smarter, to know what’s going on, to feel connected with the worldwide creativity.’ We couldn’t agree more with what design writer and event initiator Lucas Verweij says in an interview with the Romanian magazine Business Review. In it the Dutch critic, teacher and designer who lives in Berlin reflects on the Romanian Design Week in Bucharest, earlier this year.
In the interview Verweij, who acted as moderator for WDCD in 2011 and 2012 and delivered a critical talk (see video) in 2014, mentions the surprising fact that there are more Design Weeks in the world than there are weeks in a year: over 60. Exhibitions at these events are useful to educate the general public, but designers seek inspiration through seminars and networking events, Verweij thinks.
‘We will buy less’
Asked about what he foresees for design in the coming two to three years, Verweij states:
‘I think that one of the trends will be that we will buy less. We will be less interested in having a lot, because we are reaching the point where we have everything that we need, with the rise of the middle class. I also believe that the status of having less is bigger than the one of having a lot. We will see people trying to get rid of stuff and thinking twice about the types of products and things they buy. “I buy that one pair and that’s it. I don’t need more.”
‘I think we are going to be more explicit and precise in what we want, which is very helpful for the design [profession], because we try to make value, make something better than something ordinary from China. It’s not anymore about how much, it’s about quality.’