Icograda Design Week conference is being held in Seattle, Washington from July 9th - 15th this year. The first time ever held in the US, Icograda Design Week is an international forum for discussion about the role of design in the face of incredible change in the world.

This unprecedented event will include lectures and discussions on how designers can contribute to a healthy world economy while being mindful of the cultural, environmental and political impact of design. The event is presented by Icograda (International Council of Graphic Design Associations) in partnership with the AIGA Center for Cross-Cultural Design. GDC is an active member of Icograda, so all GDC members get to pay the reduce members’ rate. To register, click here.

1. Robert L. Peters Says:
   May 3rd, 2006 at 3:30 pm

   I’ll be there… and I look forward to hanging out with some of my old buds (or young buds, even) from Lotusland. I’ve been to Icograda Design Weeks in several different countries, and they always result in valuable lessons learned, contacts made, and friendships struck… Cheers, Rob

2. Dale Simonson Says:
   May 15th, 2006 at 7:44 pm

   I’ll be there, too, and look forward to meeting up with friends old and new, also!

   My first Icograda event was Montreal 1991, and after that magnificent experience I wish I could go to them all. The Seattle event is a must-do.

   BTW, where is everyone staying? The Icograda EduNews I received today has a little promo for “The Renaissance Seattle Hotel” but it would be cool to be in the same hotel as the rest of you! … Cheers, Dale

3. Mark Busse Says:
   May 16th, 2006 at 2:15 pm

   I’m going as a GDC BC rep, but not sure where to stay yet. My concern about hotels is that the ones they “recommed” are down near the university, which is close, but not too much fun. I’d almost prefer to stay near the Market and all the cool clubs and such and just cab in to the conference. But I’ll gladly stay at the hotel of choice if that means I get to get in on the hilarious “Drunken Dale” action of legend and lore!

4. sigrid Says:
   June 2nd, 2006 at 1:10 pm

   I am not going to the Icograda (away on vacation) but two of my designers both recommended a very cool (but basic and inexpensive) hotel, www.acehotel.com in Belltown at 2423 First Ave, a few blocks from downtown/pike place.

5. Mark Busse Says:
   June 2nd, 2006 at 2:47 pm

   That’s where I’m staying. The Ace Hotel rocks.

6. Marian Bantjes Says:
   June 5th, 2006 at 1:05 pm

   I’ll be there too, but i think i’m staying at the conference hotel with a friend. What day are y’all going down? The train sounds like fun.

7. Mark Busse Says:
   June 5th, 2006 at 1:34 pm

   The July 12th morning Amtrak Cascades train from Vancouver to Seattle doesn’t arrive until 10am and the Icograda Regional Meeting starts at 9am, so I guess we need to be there Tuesay night?

   There’s a train leaving at 6pm from the main station on Terminal arriving downtown Seattle at 10pm. Shall we all book some seats and ride down together?

8. Pat Hansen Says:
   June 5th, 2006 at 2:33 pm

   Cheers to all our neighbors in Vancouver & the rest of Canada who are making an effort to attend this important conference. I will be waiting to greet you…! The event should be great. Until then, Pat Hansen, Seattle

9. Brenda Says:
   June 5th, 2006 at 2:45 pm

   One more reason why Seattle is a ‘must be there’ - Adobe has agreed to present a peek behind the curtain of where the toolset is going. It will be a brown bag lunch for professional designers on 14 July from 12:30 – 1:45pm. The discussion which will center on Adobe’s recent acquisition of Macromedia and will focus on the new Adobe and the integration of Macromedia’s product line. You heard it here first.

10. Splatt Says:
    June 7th, 2006 at 7:28 pm

    For anyone who is sitting on the fence and not sure if they should attend, GO!!! We hosted a Icograda Regional Meeting here in Vancouver in 2002 and in spite of being heavily involved as an organizer, it was an incredibly enlightening experience. The opportunity to see, hear and meet “no-name” speakers from around the world cannot be underrated. Just because they haven’t bought their way into awards annuals and the editorial sections of design magazines, does not mean they aren’t just as passionate and knowledgable about design, and how it works in their part of the world. I know how much work folks like Shelly Langton and Christopher Ozubko have put into this event, and I’m bummed I won’t be able to attend (I’ll be supping ales on the bank of the Thames). Have fun!!!

11. Mark Busse Says:
    July 19th, 2006 at 3:02 pm

    We have just returned home and begun an intensive recovery that is befitting of the work hard / play hard ethic with which we tackled these past four days at ICOGRADA’s Design Week in Seattle. The news has been on the television all evening: looping footage of the escalating tension between Israel and the Hezbollah; of blown out Lebanese neighbourhoods and clips of Anderson Cooper chasing after the next ground zero. After dinner, we rent Syriana, remembering its scenes of a claustophobic and heavily armed Hezbollah-occupied Beirut; trying to make some sense of it all; but, of course, it only serves to underline the point that there are no simple answers, no defined lines that clearly separate right from wrong, the good guy from the bad guy; and a harsh reminder of what we are up against as we return from this conference back to reality with our heads full of optimism and ideals.

    We live in a fast paced and ever-changing world. This statement has become ubiquitous to the point of cliché in the post 9/11 21st century. It is often used as an excuse or as a dismissive explanation for the chaotic state of our existence. But what we were repeatedly told during the conference, the theme of which was “Defining Design on a Changing Planet”, was that as designers, we possess the skills and ability to create an order to our surroundings, to facilitate conversations with others and among others as well as the ability to inspire. What it all comes down to is that this ever-changing world is not an excuse for us; it is a challenge. One for which we need to make some commitments.

    Read the rest of this story.

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