This year, Germany’s largest design event, munich creative business week, runs under the exciting motto “How to design a vibrant community”. Our author spoke with mcbw director Nadine Vicentini about what it takes to create vibrant communities and how to identify good design – also in everyday life.
The munich creative business week (mcbw) has been Germany's largest design event and the central platform of bayern design for over ten years. For nine days, it brings together creative professionals, companies and design enthusiasts, promotes interdisciplinary dialogue and brings the social, ecological and economic significance of design to life - with a new theme every year. An interview with the Managing Director of bayern design and organiser of mcbw, Nadine Vicentini.
The motto of this year's mcbw is "How to design a vibrant community". How did that come about?
With our annual themes, we aim to make the social relevance of design more tangible. How to design a vibrant community emerged from the question of why we humans struggle to move forward together. Despite all our differences, there surely must be a way to exchange views on fundamental issues. That's why we ask: What does it truly mean to build a vibrant community and what can design contribute to help us feel a greater sense of belonging?
There are three approaches to this year’s theme that help make it a bit more tangible.
Exactly. The first approach is: Openness and curiosity – engaging with topics with an open mindset and curiosity for what is different. When translated to design, this means that designers are always exploring and experimenting, nudging things forward with a certain playful spirit. There is a lot of positivity in this.
Curiosity is followed by community. There are many examples of this in neighbourhood development and mobility. and since we all have different needs, the question is: "How do we bring this all together? It is about enabling participation.
Design generally makes technology tangible – it translates this abstract construct for us humans.
The third aspect centres on humanity. As technology becomes ever more present and AI more dominant, we need to ask ourselves: How can we emphasise the human element amidst this progress? This requires empathy – the ability to grasp another person’s situation and to take interest in it. This human element is crucial for conveying technology effectively.
How can design specifically foster empathy and emphasise the human element?
Design generally makes technology tangible – it translates this abstract construct for us humans. An example can be found in dementia research: A virtual application was developed that allows people to experience what the illness feels like for those affected. Anything that creates a shift in perspective can promote empathy.
Another beautiful example is the Refugee Olympic Team at the 2016 Olympic Games, where refugees, who could not compete for their home countries, were given the opportunity to gain an identity and participate together as a team.
How can we recognise good design in everyday life, especially when it comes to community?
When most people hear the term “design,” they understandably think of a beautiful chair or a sleek car. That’s why we prefer to use the broader term “Gestaltung” – shaping or form-giving – because it also speaks to inner values. When it comes to community, good shaping takes a holistic view. This means trying to consider all user groups, including those who might not immediately spring to mind. Ideally, this shaping or form-giving should be resource-conscious and repairable; it should not be exclusive, but rather conceived in a broad way. Furthermore, it should not (just) follow trends, but convey a sense of timelessness and longevity.
Back to the mcbw. Are there any highlights you are particularly looking forward to?
That’s a difficult question given the huge variety. I'm most looking forward to the unique atmosphere and the buzz and lively vibe throughout the nine days. Since life starts to move outdoors again in May, there will be plenty of open-air activities that will make the mcbw visible all across the city. For example, there will be an installation on the lawn in front of the Alte Pinakothek (art gallery), featuring a very long table where people can sit. The lights hanging above it will only switch on in the evening – and only if someone sits opposite you!
A great idea for a first date!
Why not? After all, this, too, could spark a “vibrant community”! In the Fünf Höfe shopping mall, we are hosting a hands-on activity together with Dutch designer Noa Haim and her studio Collective Paper Aesthetic. Anyone can join in and assemble pre-cut cardboard modules, refined by KURZ, to create, for example, a large cultural tree. Of course, there will also be many talks, panels, workshops, exhibitions and events.
Design should not be exclusive, but rather conceived in a broad way. Furthermore, it should not (just) follow trends, but convey a sense of timelessness and longevity.
One installation I definitely won’t miss is the one on Human AI by Fraunhofer at the Deutsches Museum. And the workshop session with robotics provider ABB Robotics, which invites us to ask: What does it do to me when a robot sits down at the table with me?
Speaking of the future: What trends do you see in the field of design in the coming years?
AI will be an extremely big topic. Many in the industry are already comparing this development to the change brought about by industrialisation in the 19th century. As designers, we have to ask ourselves how we can integrate this new tool into our creative process without being left behind. At the same time, designers possess an expertise that cannot simply be replaced by technology, because ultimately it is still the human who decides which solution is chosen. So, within this upheaval, we reflect not only on our own role, but also on teamwork and community.
I hope that we can actively help shape this progress and not let it shape us. But in view of the great geopolitical dynamics, I sometimes find it difficult to remain optimistic. Therefore, it is even more important to be aware of our role. That is also the fundamental mission of bayern design: We show that creatives need to have a seat at the table.
What advice do you have for these young creative designers?
Have the courage to take on your role and don’t lose the joy of design, even when so much is currently happening at once. It can be exhausting, so it's important to step out of the design bubble every now and then and go outside. When people ask me how we manage to do this at bayern design, my answer is always: We believe in the topics and we have so much passion.
