Dutch Design Days 08:
From Idea to Marketable Design
Holland Design Power!
15.04.2008. - 31.05.2008.

.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... Dutch Design is a term coined in the last few decades that stands not only for immense creative potential, but also for the skilful ability to turn first class design solutions into a commercial success.

The culture initiative e-text+textiles in a close collaboration with the Ministry of Economic Affairs in the Netherlands and the Royal Netherlands Embassy in Latvia is organizing Dutch Design Days 08 as a part of Holland Days 2008. The Dutch Design events will take place in Riga and will include a seminar, a residency, lectures and workshops. The key event of Dutch Design Days 08 will be a one day seminar From Idea to Marketable Design on the 29 th of April with invited design professionals from Studio Dumbar, Studio Skujeniece, Mattmo design group and BIS Publishers, design group ONLY, Dutch Interior Design and Philips Design. They will share their professional insights with representatives from the Latvian design industry who are interested in expanding their knowledge in design and marketing processes through a dialogue with the experienced designers.

There will also be satellite events in a form of guest lectures for the students from the Latvian universities held at the Riga School of Economics and a design workshop by Mara Skujeniece at the Art Academy of Latvia. Mara Skujeniece will also take up a residency at e-text+textiles in Riga within the framework of the Dutch Design Days 08. During this residency period she will work on her individual design project and will visit selected Latvian design and craftsmanship companies in order to exchange rxperiences and to establish new professional contacts.

The project Dutch Design Days 08 is realized with support from LIAA - the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia, the Swedish School of Economics in Riga, the Latvian Art Academy and hotel Valdemars. The information sponsors are Diena, Dizaina Studija, Deko, 1/4 Satori and A4D.

The seminar From Idea to Marketable Design will focus on the multi-faceted theoretical and practical aspects of the conceptualisation, development, production and marketing of innovative design products from the Dutch design specialists' perspective.

The internationally acclaimed design experts from the Netherlands from both large and small companies - designers, creative directors and others in decision making positions regarding the complex design processes - will share their ideas, experiences and expertise in dialogue with field specialists and young designers from Latvia. The issues of collaboration between designers and the relevant industries will be addressed by exploring various successful design, design marketing and self-promotion strategies through case studies. The forum will also provoke discussions around the changing role of the designer and the different contexts within which design is being made; respectively in the Netherlands and in Latvia.

The event aims to bring together designers, industry representatives, marketing experts, researchers, design educators and design critics from the Netherlands and Latvia.

The initiative as such hopefully will create higher publicity for Dutch design in Latvia and will help to establish new personal and institutional contacts between the design specialists and the industry in the Netherlands and Latvia.

The language of the seminar is English.

Confirmed speakers for the seminar are:
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Lucy McRae, Body Architect, Philips Design
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Monique Mulder, Founder and Creative Director and Paul van Ravestein, Art Director of Mattmo

Both are also working as the Art Directors of
BIS Publishers
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Danielle Oosterbeek, Design Marketing Specialist,
Dutch Interior Design
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Hary Puts, Co-Founder and Creative Partner, ONLY
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Mara Skujeniece, Designer and Creator of the Brand,
Studio Skujeniece
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Cristof Zürn, Creative Director Interactive,
Studio Dumbar
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Special invited Latvian representatives for the seminar:
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Ivo Strante, Director Product Development, ZNAK
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Zane Rugina, Brand & Marketing Director, MADARA
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Registration for the seminar:
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Registration for the seminar From Idea to Marketable Design is essential. Please confirm your participation at the seminar (name, institution/field of occupation and full postal address to where we can send you an official invitation) by 21.04.2008: info@e-text-textiles.lv. Places for the seminar are limited. The organisers reserve rights to select the participants.

Registration for the satellite events:
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Registration for the Creative Workshop led by Mara Skujeniece for the Latvian design students is essential. Please confirm your interest by writing to: lab-art@sveiks.lv
(Before the registration please read the Information about workshop by Mara Skujeniece PDF file).
The workshop will take place on the 25th of April, 2008.

Registration for the Guest Lectures by Dutch Designers for the Latvian students is essential. Please confirm your interest at:www.sseriga.edu
(Before the registration please read the Information about guest lectures PDF file).
The lectures will take place on the 28th of April, 2008.

Information Pdfs
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Click on the links below to download pdf documents with information about Dutch Design Days 08.

Press release (English)
Press release (Latvian)
Seminar programme (English)
Seminar programme (Latvian)
Made in Holland introduction by Dingeman Kuilman, Premsela Dutch Design Foundation (English)
Made in Holland introduction by Dingeman Kuilman, Premsela Dutch Design Foundation (Latvian)
Information about seminar speakers (English)
Information about seminar speakers (Latvian)
Information about workshop by Mara Skujeniece at the Art Academy of Latvia (Latvian)
Information about guest lectures at the Riga School of Economics (Latvian)