Some of the events associated with Design Week occur before the week starts (such as Sweettalk, which was Awesome, and Refresh Dublin, going on on the 29th Oct), but there's still a huge amount to see and do between the 2nd and the 8th. Things kick off with the Thomas Heatherwick launch event in CHQ on the evening of the 2nd. For access to the lecture from the innovative designer/architect/artist as well as cocktails and shmoozing, you have to register for tickets with Slattery Communications here:
Heatherwick's Plank can be folded and unfolded into a stool or coffee table
Heatherwick's flagship store for Longchamp in NY, using steel walkways shaped with the fluidity of fabric to lead shoppers from street level up into the store. All images via Heatherwick Studios
Two events during DW will take the Pecha Kucha format and take place in the Sugar Club: DEFUSE - Design for Use, an evening of Ignite talks on November 3rd, and Pecha Kucha Three hosted by the Irish Architecture Foundation and The Small Print on November 5th. Pecha Kucha is a lecture format devised by the people at Klein Dytham Architecture in Tokyo back in 2003, and it boils down to many speakers speaking for a short amount of time each. At DEFUSE each of the 12 designers and technologists chosen by IxDA Dublin, the Interaction Design Association, will be allowed 20 slides which will play for 15 seconds each, making for a fast-paced frenzy of information from some of the best interaction designers Dublin has to offer, attempting to demystify interaction design for us all. As for Pecha Kucha with the IAF and The Small Print, their speakers will stick to a 20 slides x 20 seconds format. For a nominal cover charge (€5 or so) you'll get a flavour of a wide range of work in the design field, all in the tasty surroundings of the Sugar Club.
For The Love of Live is one of the most intriguing events on the DW09 line-up. On November 4th artists and designers have a 2-hour window in which to make some work live in Filmbase, "bringing their studios to you". You'll also be treated to live music, a live short play devised in 2 hours and drinks, and it's all for FREE! For the Love of Live kicks off at 7pm, for more info, visit the website.
Here's something that was on offer during Open House but if, like me, you missed out then, here's your second chance. On Friday 6th November at 10am you can go on a hard hat tour of The Convention Centre on Spencer Dock a year before it opens. Designed by Kevin Roche, it's already a landmark in the Docklands area, and I think it's well worth a nosy. Contact barry@sheehan.ie with your boot size to reserve a place for free.
Alas, i like local* will not be in attendance at , the first of what will hopefully be an annual graphic design conference, running from 6th - 8th November. I am broke, so couldn't buy a ticket to Offset(at €120 - €150) and now they're all sold out. *sigh* To those of you who'll be there, enjoy, and let me know how it goes! If you need to refresh your memory regarding the line-up, visit iloveoffset.com. And this just in: visit www.scamp.ie for your chance to win two golden tickets!
