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Irish Design Week 2024

60 Events. 22 speakers. 11 Counties.

Recap of the highlights from this year's events.

Irish Design Week 2024 brought together the very best minds, makers and designers to celebrate creativity through a programme of events in venues across Ireland.

From 11-15 November 2024, workshops, exhibitions, talks and conferences took place throughout Ireland all focusing on the theme: ‘Imagination for Opportunity’.

Our keynote events took place each day at the beautiful auditorium at the Royal Irish Academy of Music. Each day was themed

  • Day 1: Architecture
  • Day 2: Fashion
  • Day 3: Experience Design
  • Day 4: Climate, Design & Entrepreneurs
  • Day 5: Communication Design

Day 1

Architecture

 

 

In Conversation: Mariam Issoufou with Professor Lesley Lokko OBE

Design & Crafts Council Ireland, in collaboration with the Irish Architecture Foundation, hosted Mariam Issoufou in conversation with Professor Lesley Lokko OBE, two leading architects shaping the global landscape.

Lars Courage (Dutch Designer – Architect & Engineer) & Cian Deegan (Founding Director of TAKA Architects) also shared insights from their careers & views on the topics of the day.

Architecture

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“I almost exist from project to project and from new challenge to new challenge and I don’t get the time to reflect on labels. I am an architect who is African. I am an architect who is a woman. And they inform what comes out of you.”

Mariam Issoufou – Founder of Mariam Issoufou Architects

“One of the best definitions of architecture is that it is a skill of putting things together that look like they don’t go together.”

Lesley Lokko – Director of African Futures Institute

“Working from within to the outside…Being aware that, good design comes from people within instead of computerised design”

Larz Courage – Courage Architecten

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Our main focus is working from within to the outside. That is always for us the most important drive for making beautiful architecture - being aware that good design comes from people’s within instead of computerised design.

Lars Courage

Creative Director - Courage Architecten

Day 2

Fashion

 

 

KidSuper’s Colm Dillane in conversation with Natalie B. Coleman

Design & Crafts Council Ireland, in collaboration with the Institute of Designers in Ireland and the National College of Art & Design, presented an exciting conversation between KidSuper’s Colm Dillane and award-winning designer Natalie B. Coleman. The other speakers at the event were Richard Malone (Irish Designer) & Jeanne Friot (French Designer).

Fashion

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“I think to all the aspiring brand owners out there, to survive in today’s age and to succeed you need these collaborators and these partnerships. They want your creativity and cultural currency and you want their support and infrastructure.”

Colm Dillane – KidSuper Founder

“Fashion is a huge part of our history in Ireland, it’s part of our heritage. The skills here are unique to the geography of different counties and places so it’s really important that we don’t lose that.”

Natalie B Coleman – Fashion Designer & Lecturer at NCAD

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Fashion is a huge part of our history in Ireland, it's part of our heritage. The skills here are unique to the geography of different counties and places so it's really important that we don't lose that.

Natalie B Coleman

Fashion Designer & Lecturer at NCAD

Day 3

Experience Design

 

 

In Conversation: Liz Rosenthal, Colum Slevin & Marcel Twohig. Moderated by Camille Donegan

Design & Crafts Council Ireland, in collaboration with Imirt & Eirmersive, presented an evening showcasing the opportunities that exist within the Experience Design sector.

Experience Design

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“It’s really important that we’re more holistic when it comes to design because I think the world needs to be more holistic about everything and design is the basis of so many things.”

Liz Rosenthall  – Founder of Power to the Pixel

“People give you advice and I think that being able to receive that advice really depends on what stage you are at. Advice makes sense at different times.”

Dr Cordula Hansen – Co-Founder at XYZ Technical Art Services

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Do what you love because you are going to be doing it for a long time.

Diarmuid MacMahon

COO at PA Consulting Dublin

Day 4

Climate, Design & Entrepreneurs

 

 

In Conversation with Sir David King, Faye Walsh Drouillard & Norman Crowley

A crucial & inspiring discussion on the intersection of design, climate action, and entrepreneurship.

Climate, Design, Entrepreneurs

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“I think everything is designed and it feels like it’s the only place where you can leap forward and create these win-win solutions where it is good for the company and the planet and pushes creativity forward as well.”

Gareth Broadbent – Environmentalist

“Just say yes to things and learn. If there’s an opportunity to learn from doing something, do it.”

Lara Hanlon – Designer

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If we continue emitting at the current rate, frankly, we are cooked and there is not much we can do about that.

Sir David King

Founder and Chair of the Climate Crisis Advisory Group

Day 5

Communication Design

 

 

In Conversation: THONIK – Thomas Widdershoven & Nikki Gonnissen

Design & Crafts Council Ireland, in collaboration with 100 Archive presented an exciting talk on Communication Design with Thomas Widdershoven & Nikki Gonnissen.

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“I feel the world needs less ego because if we all skip our egos a bit more we can look and face all our problems and see what we can do together or design is not only visual design but it’s shaping the world together.”

Nikki Gonnissen – Co-Founder & Creative Director, THONIK

“Everyone looks for opportunities – inspiration goes hand in hand with opportunities.”

Thomas Widdershoven – Co-founder & Director at Thonik

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Irish Design Week 2023 : 13-17 November

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