NEXT GEN DESIGN: Women Creating the Future of Design

On Friday, 20 September 2024, at designforum Wien, designaustria is hosting a networking event about gender balance in the design industries.

Gender equality is an essential condition for an innovative, competitive, and thriving European economy. However, the gender disparity exists across the design industry.

Survey results by designaustria showed, while for instance 70% of graphic design students are women, only 11% of female entrepreneurs employ staff, even 0% of female creative directors employ more than 10 people.

To overcome disparity, a concise positioning and a conscious choice of business partners are essential. Connecting with peers is a crucial way to reflect, encourage, evolve and support.

Entrance: Free admission
Registration: at [email protected]

Programme

Moderation: Sigrid Bürstmayr

Curators’ introduction: to IN*VISIBLE x Raum der Erregung
by Christine Poplavski, Johanna Wicht & Kira Schinko

Talks by:
Maja Lalic, director Mikser
Valentina Auer, communication designer, lecturer FH Salzburg
Barbara Weingartshofer, initiator of the gender study »Frauen zählen.«, designaustria

Panel discussion

Outlook on future meetings
with Kerstin Pfleger (studio re.d), Lisa Stolz (MOWO), Evija Kraukle (designaustria) and Therese Balslev (Danish Design Centre).

About Next Gen Design

Next Gen Design is a three-year endeavour in the prestigious program Creative Europe by the European Commission to connect and enable young designers in Europe to create, adopt and disseminate a sustainable approach to the design profession that contributes to the European Green Deal.

Five European design platforms and annual festivals are collaborating: Skopje Design Week, Mikser Festival from Belgrade, designaustria based in Vienna, What Design Can Do in Amsterdam, and Barcelona Design Center.

Recognising the potential of youth-driven innovation, Next Gen Design responds to the urgent need for fresh perspectives in designing a sustainable future. By empowering especially young designers and amplifying their voices, the project aims to bridge the gap between vision and action, towards a more equitable future.