Professor Dr. Zec as an expert at the Gwangju Design Biennale

“Convergence and Communication” is the motto of the international design conference which will take place from 5-6 October 2007 at the Gwangju Design Biennale (5 October to 3 November 2007) in Korea. One of the renowned speakers is the design and business expert Professor Dr. Peter Zec, who will hold a lecture on the first day of the conference in the seminar “The possibility of U-design in the 21st century”.

The international design conference is to provide the scientific background for the motto of this year’s design biennale, “LIGHT” (Life, Identity, Green, Human, Technology). The conference will deal with the industrial value of design as well as design’s new orientation towards convergence and communication in the era of U-Design and the new roles, which designers will play in it. The term “U-Design” refers to universal design, design for everyone. Understood in this way, design is to contribute to the creation of products, which can be used by everyone, be they old or young, healthy or handicapped.

In his lecture “U-Design: Design for the People” Prof. Dr. Zec will talk about Life Science Design. As the term already indicates, Life Science Design is a combination of design and biological sciences such as medical technology, biology, bionics, genetics and nanotechnology. The most important focus of Life Science Design, however, is the human being.  

“Life Science Design concentrates on a new quality of life as well as new product quality. It can function as a kind of translator of complex machines; it can make the life of handicapped people more comfortable and simplify medical processes – in other words, it opens up completely new perspectives,” Professor Dr. Zec explains the significance of Life Science Design.

 
Since design was increasingly becoming an essential part of our life, good design was no longer inspired by the idea of creating a new product for market success, but rather by meeting people’s needs. “‘Universal Design’ is the term of the future,” resumes Zec.

 
Apart from his lecture at the conference, Professor Zec, the current President of the international umbrella organisation of design Icsid, will also give a congratulatory address at the festive opening of the second Gwangju Design Biennale on 5 October.

For further information please visit: www.design-biennale.org