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Design conferences.

Kyoorius Designyatra india 2008

Kyoorius Designyatra Malaysia 2008

After completing two design conferences, I ponder upon what’s next.

Design conferences always attract the criticisms of being lacking in depth, as being a mere platform for designers to showoff, and to tell the world about how great they are.

The simple argument is that if one wants to see what Neville Brody has done, he could have just logged on to researchstudios.com and browse everything. Or maybe grab a copy of Designing Design, and read all about Kenya Hara’s thoughts and ideas.

Why part with the hard-earned cash to hear them talk?

Some are calling for design conferences to be carefully programmed under a theme, and to allow room for engaging debates and discussions, such that original and new thinkings can flow across.

Maybe it should have been something like “Modernism & eclecticism: graphic design history” or “Sustainability and ethics in graphic design”. Then look for a group of professionals (or professors) who had spent much time on these topics?

But I can’t imagine a Stefan Sagmeister preparing for a “sustainability” conference. Let’s face it. Conference culture, especially in Asia, is built upon celebrity culture. Would anyone sign up for a design conference fronted by some Professor Johnson, world-renowned expert in Eco-design theories?

I remember when I was starting out as a designer, a paper company organised a talk by Vaughan Oliver. I wanted to get into the event, and being a fan, wanted to have all my Vaughan books autographed. I would have paid anything to meet Vaughan Oliver – not surprising – given all the previous unnecessary 4AD cds purchases for the sake of keeping his artworks. As the story goes, I couldn’t get an access pass as I was working with a small design company, which never bought any paper from the organiser. So there I was, a true fan, rejected, wondering why those annual report companies’ bosses are there when they probably had never even heard of V23.

And I guess that’s the personal motivation behind organising design events and conferences.

After being a delegate and an organiser to numerous design events, sometimes, I’m amazed that I still leave every design conference feeling inspired to do better.

Personalities on stage reflect the works we see online and in the books. Kenya’s stage presence is almost Muji-like, and Vince’s personality forms a very natural link to his works. Although, It is true that some designers are better off staying behind their Macs (or spray cans) than doing public speaking. It is a torture to see some of them struggle to present their works, especially when the works themselves are style (the street art, graffiti art, vector art) or technology (flash! java!) driven.

It’s not that I could always pick up something new or original from the speakers.
The fan-boy thrill of first hearing those design celebrities speak is no longer there. I have heard Neville and Wally for the fourth time. Kenya Hara repeated the lecture he did in Goa.

But.

What I really took back was the energy and passion that kept these people doing what they have been doing – it’s not just about their greatest hits they are talking about.

I don’t know whether when I reach 80+ whether I could still be bothered to update myself with technology and cultural shifts, so that I can talk about branding like Wally did. Or when I reach 50, whether can I still present my design ideas with full conviction like Kenya Hara?

I know I don’t want to become an industry veteran who could only whine and complain about the industry, the clients, the education and the design standards. Filled with bitterness and cynicism, these self-anointed elitists no longer seeks new ideas and no longer have any interests in what they were supposed to love doing. They no longer care about what is happening in the world of design and are just doing it, for money-sake.

The sad thing is, there are too many of these people around.

I don’t want to join that club.

(For more photos of the events, visit the flickr link here)