"In Search of Good Design and Innovation Driven by Technology and New Materials: inspiring lecture by Prof. Dr. Peter Zec at the CONVERGE 2016"
The latest developments from the field of virtual design creations are the topics of the new conference organised by the software company solidThinking in Essen on 20 and 21 September 2016. Product designers, developers and innovators from around the globe come together at the CONVERGE 2016 in the the SANAA building in Essen, which like the Red Dot Design Museum Essen is placed on the world heritage UNESCO Zollverein. The key note speakers include Prof. Dr. Peter Zec, Founder and CEO of the Red Dot Award, Franco Cimatti, Head of Vehicle Concepts and Pre-development at Ferrari, architect and artist Il Hoon Roh as well as Prof. Dr.-Ing. Irmgard Lochner-Aldinger, Professor at the University of Biberach.
The symbiosis of design, technology and new materials
With his keynote, Prof. Dr. Peter Zec got the participants in the right mood for the CONVERGE 2016 already on the first day of the conference. Under the motto "In Search of Good Design and Innovation Driven by Technology and New Materials" he presented the exciting symbiosis of design and technology as well as new materials. Using the example of the chair "Chassis" by the German designer Stefan Diez, he showed among others a traditional design process.
Many steps were required to design the seating furniture: From the sketch, to the handcraft manufacturing of a prototype, to testing and optimisation and building further models – it took five years to design the final chair. Today, the use of softwares shorten the design process and make it more efficient, because calculations and tests regarding stability or possible weak points can be made on the computer and the best materials possible and production processes can be included. Zec underlined that today a chair can be designed in 15 minutes with the help of a good software. "The digital age makes design much easier. It saves a lot of time, a lot of money and maybe opens up new areas for inspiration and gives us the imagination of a new future" concluded the Red Dot CEO.
Additionally, specialists from companies like RUAG Space, Philips, Alstom, Apworks, indigraf and Ferarri will talk about product innovations, challenges in the industry and solutions as well as the use of the latest technologies.
solidThinking presents exhibition in the Red Dot Design Museum
Following the CONVERGE conference, solidThinking shows outstanding design examples and product innovations from clients and keynote speakers in the Red Dot Dot Design Museum until 3 October 2016. The studio exhibition "Digital Tools for Innovative Design – solidThinking" presents a selection of products which have been developed using the software tools provided by the company. The exhibits, coming from areas such as industrial and product design, architecture and engineering, present how the company's smart solutions have a formative influence on a product – from a first draft to the definition of the design direction to production stage. Following this approach, innovative products are developed which convince with both their extraordinary forms and excellent functionality.
Studio exhibition "Digital Tools for Innovative Design – solidThinking"
20 September – 3 October 2016
Red Dot Design Museum Essen
Zollverein UNESCO World Heritage Site
Areal A [Schacht/Shaft XII], Kesselhaus [A7]
Gelsenkirchener Straße 181
45309 Essen
Germany
