Australia’s leading business speakers will gather next month to showcase progressive approaches to competing in the commercial world of design.

Their strategies for design vision and innovation will be presented during the Design Capital conference, presented by Design Victoria, from 16–17 July at BMW Edge, Federation Square, Melbourne.

Design Capital’s Business Day, July 16, will deal with the topic of investing in innovative solutions. Case studies will examine the attitude of leading businesses towards design investments and whether their impact is considered positive.

Discussions will also be centred on effective techniques for remaining commercially viable and their tactical responses to rapidly changing global markets.

Design Capital Design Day, July 17, will broach the strain between design paths, as well as predictions on the development of certain sectors. The work, ambitions and tactics of individual speakers will be addressed in the section ‘Sample the Future.’

Presenting will be special UK guest Nipa Doshi [above]– whose work “celebrates the cultural hybrid and explores the synthesis between technology, story telling, industrial design, and craftsmanship”.

Hernan Diaz Alonso, Principal of Xefirotarch – who “pushes the boundaries of aesthetic values to encourage an acceptance of new and challenging forms” – will present during the evening session.

Meanwhile Oron Catts, a key artist and researcher in the emerging field of bio-art, will spark our interest in the future of “semi-living, biotech products.”

RMIT professors Leon Van Schaik and Tom Kovac, will also “ask whether the expectation of the future citizen can be met by the trajectory of the city.”

Other Presenters include:

Nate Archer – Editor, designboom.com (Canada)
David Berman – Director, David Berman Communications (Canada)
Omar Vulpinari – Head Visual Communications, Fabrica (Italy)
Tim Yu – Editor, Cool Hunting (United States)
Niels Jonkhans – Assistant Professor of Architecture, University of Applied Arts Vienna (Austria)
Marcus Piper – Creative Director one8one7 (Australia)

State of Design
stateofdesign.com.au/business

Oron Catts

Tim Yu