Our very own Jeevak was invited to chair the 2017 International Design Conference (IDC) in Atlanta. For him, it was a great honor to be singled out for the role; but as for us, we can’t say we were surprised. Chairs of the conference are chosen based on their event planning experience and involvement in the design world. The IDC was certainly Jeevak’s most ambitious undertaking yet, but with no less than five district-level IDSA conferences already under his belt, we had no doubt he could handle it.
The IDC is of huge significance. This four-day meet up, held annually by the Industrial Design Society of America (IDSA), is where the nation’s top professionals, educators, and students in design and related industries gather. Reflected in this mingling of minds and perspectives is nothing less than the present national and global state of industrial design and the forces shaping its future. It is an opportunity for professionals to emerge from the trenches of their daily work and discuss together the challenges and opportunities facing them in the field. It is also an essential time of spurring each other on in shouldering the burden of which we as designers are keenly aware – that society is unknowingly shaped by the things we create, and that the projects we touch in the trivial minutes of our daily lives will be the artifacts and systems that define our society in years to come.
For more about the 2017 IDC, click here.
For more about the IDSA, click here.
This year’s conference was held at the architecturally unique Marriott Marquis in Atlanta, beautifully designed by John C. Portman Jr. Over 800 attendees came to meet new friends, reconnect with old friends, share their experience and insights and hear from an amazing cast of speakers including Bob Weis, President of Walt Disney Imagineering; Andrew Bolstein, VP of Operations for Shanghai Disney Resort; Nate Young, SVP of Design and Ideation for Newell Brands; James Sommerville, VP of Global Design for Coca-Cola; Sean Carney of Phillips, as well as others from Airstream, Whirlpool, Fifth Third Bank, Playworld, Fisher-Price, and many more (and when I say “many more”, I mean that wasn’t even half of the big-name speakers!). From margaritas in the morning to evening tours of over ten local industrial design studios, opportunities to enjoy Atlanta’s sparkling nightlife, and the first kids’ session ever included in an IDC, the conference was one to remember.
This year’s theme was Design IS Business. Chosen by Jeevak himself, the theme was about exploring the intrinsic connection between design and business. As the late Thomas J. Watson Jr. CEO of IBM famously said, “good design is good business… Since design excellence concerns all areas of the business, you should make sure that all your people are aware of its importance.” The first two discussion panels of the conference fleshed out what this awareness looks like, hearing from design professionals in, first, the corporate setting, and second, that of the boutique design consultancy. The conference’s Keynote speakers, Bob Weis and Andrew Bolstein, were the perfect duo to further illustrate the principle – “weaving in and out of stories about Star Wars, Avatar and Tron, to marry business and design,” Jeevak remembered. Together, the President of Disney Imagineering and the VP of Operations at Shanghai Disney Resort showed the truly amazing result of combining these two elements. As designers we have the ability to actually create value for customers, which is the crux of business itself. If we do our jobs well, good business will result. If we fail to design with integrity, business will suffer. Good design precedes good business.
For more on the relationship between design and business, click here.
This year’s conference was also the first ever to encourage families and children to attend for a special session Saturday morning. Kids were given the chance to engage with design during seven lively presentations including a magician, designers from companies such as PLAE, Fisher-Price, PlayPower, Big Lightbulb Inc, and Kids II, and what was probably the first ever live bird show at any design conference ever! An avid birder, Jeevak called on his ornithologist contacts to deliver the show, and the unforgettable experience had kids and adults giving up their lunchtime to take selfies with a Bald Eagle, American Kestrel, and Great Horned Owl. The children themselves were invited to the stage as often as possible, whether to share their thoughts, or throw t-shirt snowballs into the audience. The conference wrapped up after lunch with a final panel discussion on the future of Industrial Design education – a timely discussion after sharing design with the next generation.
For more photos of the conference click here.
Jeevak was uniquely qualified to chair this particular conference. Having gained his Executive MBA from Eli Broad Business School and Michigan State University, and his Master’s in Industrial Design from the prestigious IIT – Bombay, he has extensive on-the-ground experience in both fields and understands the interplay of design and business. Not only that, Jeevak is a conference-planning veteran. His extensive experience in conference planning includes serving as chair of IDSA central district conferences in Grand Rapids, Pittsburgh, Columbus, Detroit, and Cleveland.
Now, as VP and the Director of Strategic Growth at Sundberg-Ferar, he blends his passion for design and business know-how to spread the word about the impact of design to the surrounding community and industry. Born in Detroit, Sundberg-Ferar has been a thought leader in the industry for over 83-years. From Hyundai Ventures’ The Loop, to a directional drill for Ditch Witch, to Coca-Cola vending machines, to Wolverine work boots, to Stryker’s Critical Care bed, to a robotic feeding device called Obi and more, our history is rich with collaborative product designs created by working hand in hand with our clients to design solutions that have made their business flourish. Our goal is to help businesses meet their objectives by creating great products that focus on the user and exploit white market spaces.
For more about Sundberg-Ferar click here.
As chair of the IDC, Jeevak was responsible for creating a conference that would inspire, inform, and set the bar for the industry going forward. For about 18 months leading up to the conference, Jeevak and a small team of devoted individuals sacrificed evenings, weekends, and sleep to make this event a reality. The commitment required might raise the question of why anyone would be crazy enough to accept the position. Yet, as Jeevak said, “It [starts] with love for the design community and the association…you try to put your passion into it…and in the end the audience enjoys it.” Even in leading the event, Jeevak was challenged and inspired by what he heard. “There’s always something to learn,” he said. “[There are] as many vantage points and solutions as there are people.” When asked if it was worth it, his response was overwhelmingly affirmative: “It was an amazing experience [and] it was an absolute honor. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”
Perhaps, the most profound moment of the conference came during the final panel discussion when Jeevak emphasized the importance of designers seeking out a chair at the board table of businessmen and taking responsibility for the impact and significance of their products in the market. At that moment, Owen Foster of SHIFT and Aether Learning shouted in agreement from the crowd “we are the table”! Jeevak has worked in the intersection of design and business for decades, but even he was struck by the truth of this statement.
Designers are the mechanism by which pure invention, research, engineering, business, branding, marketing, and art come together – the metaphorical table at which they must all concur. Let us remember then, as designers, the mission to which we are called; to unify all of these forces by a meaningful and purposeful solution; to develop products and services that recognize the greater ecosystem in which they exist; and to continue living the minutes of our everyday work with the conviction that what we do now is shaping the future.
Interested in attending the next International Design Conference? Click here for more information about the 2018 IDC coming up this September in New Orleans.