The Industrial Designers Society of America will hold its international conference this August in Detroit. The conference, which will be centered on the hashtag theme, #MakingThingsHappen, will feature speakers from the automotive industry and global corporations.
“(Detroit) is an epicenter for making everything and anything,” says Sooshin Choi, conference chair of the Industrial Designers Society of America. “Here, the people are passionate, full of pride, and above all, (they) have an ambition for making things happen.”
She says the organization’s conference will welcome hundreds of professionals, educators, and students in industrial design and related fields from around the world to Detroit, which is the first U.S. metropolis to receive the UNESCO City of Design designation.
The event, which will be held from Aug. 17-20 at the Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center, located at 400 Renaissance Dr., will showcase talks by Moray Callum, vice president of design at Ford Motor Co.; Ralph Gilles, College for Creative Studies alumnus and vice president of design at FCA; and speakers from global corporations including GE Appliances, Newell Rubbermaid, and Eastman Chemical.
New to this year’s event is a Career Center, which will feature a portfolio review, networking experiences, resume advice, and a hands-on sketch workshop.
Tours of local corporations and design studios are also planned at Chrysler, Ford, Shinola, CCS, design studio Sundberg-Ferar, and more.
In addition to the International Conference, the Industrial Designers Society of America will be hosting the 36th annual International Design Excellence Awards Ceremony and Gala on Aug. 17 at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn.
An exhibit of entries has been open at the museum since July 11. It features 1,700 design projects from more than 30 countries. Of more than 600 finalists, 26 Gold Awards, and 47 silver awards will be announced at the ceremony.
For more information, visit IDSA.org.
