2013 International Design Alliance Congress

Istanbul Technical University (ITU) announced that new dates have been confirmed for the 2013 International Design Alliance Congress, which will take place in Istanbul (Turkey) from the Nov. 15-17 2013.

Under the theme “Design Dialects,” the congress will encourage a dialogue about the value of design-based collaboration between the disciplines of industrial design, communication design, interior architecture/design with government leaders, INGO's, business, science and technology, education and the social sciences.

The proposed theme is a metaphor for confrontation, conversation and collaboration to enable creation and exchange of discourses about, for and by design during the professional dialogues among its different agents. The unique culture and the congress theme will be weaved together to offer participants a stimulating program and exciting social events.

When asked about the upcoming event, Dr. Alpay Er, Head of the Department of Industrial Product Design at ITU and head of the local congress organizing committee stated, "Istanbul is a living design lab where the city is experiencing a 'design renaissance' characterized by increasing internationalisation, rapid expansion and the diversification of design education. We strongly believe that the IDA Congress will mark a milestone within the perspective of positioning Istanbul as a leading actor within the global design network.”

The visual identity of the 2013 IDA Congress is also being launched, which has been customized by prominent Turkish graphic designer Sadik Karamustafa. The event’s concept borrows from the main congress identity originally designed and developed by Pentagram, but sets itself apart by visually representing the signature cultural intersection of Istanbul where North meets South and East meets West. It is a “map within a map” that emphasizes the paradoxical location of the city that is divided by a sea and unified by two bridges.

The key congress visual will be used in different colors, each of them referring to different events and sections of the former.

With less than a year until the congress, organizers are also launching the call for papers for the education conference, which will take place on 15 November 2013. The deadline for submissions is 7 January 2013. More information is available on the newly designed congress website at www.idacongress.com/2013istanbul.