This year for Melbourne Indesign 2016, which is now only a couple of days away, the Indesign editorial team is hosting a seminar series that showcases the A+D community’s best and brightest. MID16 is built around the theme ‘Explore’ and so the WorkLife Seminar Series is shaping up to be the place to learn, discuss and debate the latest and most controversial aspects of contemporary design and architecture in Asia Pacific. Taking place on August 12, tickets are currently on sale and selling-out FAST. To get yourself the latest issue of Indesign Magazine, a range of Hay stationery, a formal CPD point for architects and designers, and your golden ticket to the design future, jump onto Melbourne Indesign 2016 and reserve yourself a space.

The WorkLife Seminar Series is proudly sponsored by Scandinavian Business Seating and Herman Miller. Here’s the rundown:

The Talks

The Gender Imbalance
Gender Bender in A&D
Can we really say that we’re delivering diverse solutions when there are so few women in leadership roles? How can architecture and design close the wide gap between men and women’s representation in leadership positions, and what responsibility does the industry have for the notion that architecture is a boy’s club?
Speakers:
Moderator: Simone LeAmon
Emilio Fuscaldo
Gavin Harris, Futurespace
Laurice Temple, Former NAWIC CEO
Melonie Bayl-Smith, Bijl Architecture
Hosted by Products for People

Experimentation In Design
Experimentation v Commercialisation
If we focus too strongly on commercial outcomes, are we killing the power of our individuality? If some of the most brilliant designs and unique ideas in architecture and design were driven entirely by a commercial outcome, would they still hold a place in our minds? This ties in to how we see design – is it hard and fast rules or is it art?
Speakers
Moderator: Sophia Watson, Editor Indesign Magazine
Dale Hardiman
Rosie Morely, Carr Design
Marcy Ewing, Shaw Contract
Nikos Kalogeropoulos, Molonglo Group
Tim Giles, Geyer
Hosted by Hub

Are We Fed Up with Fame?
Is celebrity still a valuable currency in the business of design? Do so-called starchitects use this celebrity to safeguard themselves from criticism? What does it say about the business of design that so much fame and celebrity status is given to those designs that channel a sense of avant-garde or novelty?
Speakers:
Moderator: Sophia Watson, Editor Indesign Magazine
Adele Bates, Adele Bates Design
Anthony Bologna, Trout Creative
Alexander Lotersztain, Derlot
Hosted by Urban Edge Ceramics

Who Hired the Project Manager?
Coordinating the work of the design team and numerous consultants, and managing communication with the client, is no easy task, so why is the project manager seen as the villain of the design process? Let’s shine a positive light on this misunderstood role.
Speakers:
Moderator: Max Thomson, Spitfire Control
Byron George, Russell & George
Ingrid Bakker, Hassell
Kylie Caruana, Rothelowman
Shannon Peach, Milieu
Hosted by District

Designing for the Public
How the public perceives design often differs to how the industry does. Public architecture projects like the National Gallery of Victoria, Federation Square and Melbourne Pavilions show that the public is interested in good design, yet how is designing for the public different from designing for the private sphere?
Speakers:
Moderator: Angela Ferguson, Futurespace
Mark Healy, Six Degrees
Narelle Cuthbert, Plus Architecture
Nick Braun, SIBLING
Shaila Divakarla, GECA
Hosted by Interface

The War for Talent
How do you foster a sense of community in a working environment? How do you create somewhere that makes the best new and developing talent in any given field want to work there? What are the key elements that the latest generation of talent is looking for in a contemporary workplace?
Speakers:
Moderator: Max Thomson, Spitfire Control
Heidi Smith, Gray Puksand
James Grose, BVN
Kellie Payne, Bates Smart
Sue Fenton, Woods Bagot
Hosted by Cafe Culture + Insitu

The WorkLife and LiveLife Seminar Series is proudly sponsored by Scandinavian Business Seating and Herman Miller.