A space for those seeking solutions, not just shapes
A space for those who aren't looking for form, but for solutions
Maximum functionality. Efficient manufacturability. Integration of new features. Appropriate aesthetics. These are the foundations that industrial design aimed at competitive products stands on. Form itself is then the layer that ties everything else together. Examples of good practice will be on offer at the industrial exhibition Design Harvest. It'll be on view from 29 August on the unique Design Field campus in Bílovice near Uherské Hradiště. The opening will take place as part of the outdoor gathering WiFič VEN!
Design Harvest set itself the task of mapping the current situation in the Czech Republic and raising awareness of the quality of Czech designers and manufacturers. The exhibition was held on an occasional basis in 2020 and 2021. What unites all the products on show is an approach in which design is the result of teamwork between designers, technologists, engineers, as well as marketers and salespeople.
“At the same time, Design Harvest creates a platform for manufacturers and institutions to meet. Our ambition is to bring the topic of industrial design back to the table. There's no systematic support for its development, and it still sits just below the radar of public interest. In our view, this state of affairs doesn't match the potential this field has to offer at all,” explains Richard Vodička, outlining the key motivation behind holding Design Harvest.
The exhibition will be installed in Building B and in the outdoor areas. So what will there be to see? The standout exhibit will be the Tatra Force III – an updated model that has already picked up a Red Dot Design Award. Fragments of the new tram being developed for Prague. The multifunctional Linet hospital bed. Alongside that, protective equipment, a modernised locomotive, a new freight wagon, smart public lighting, bentwood furniture and a few boats…
The exhibition won't only be open during WiFič VEN! It'll be accessible in the Building B gallery until at least the end of 2025.
Conversations that pull you beneath the surface
Design Harvest will be rounded out with a block of conversations with figures who work in industrial design, architecture or interactions in public space. Who's coming? What can you find out from them?
Lukáš Taneček – truck designer, Tatra Trucks
What does a truck cab actually have to cope with? How do you know the design you chose was the right solution? Is there room for emotion in industrial design?
Tomáš Chludil – rail vehicle designer, Škoda Group
Why is public transport said to be architecture on wheels? Is the age of autonomous trams approaching? Where's the line between design and engineering?
Eva Blažková – architect, Studio Ječmen
How should you think about scale – landscape, house, person? Where do you look for inspiration for architecture? How is designing for the countryside a different brief from designing for the city?
Daniel Baroš – architect, henkai architekti
How important are terms like self-sufficiency and simplicity in architecture? Why is it sometimes better to take away rather than add? How do you know a good idea has been born?
Richard Loskot – public space designer
How does public space influence how we behave in it? Where's the line between shared and private? How has our perception of streets and parks shifted over time? What trends can we expect in this respect?
WERKEMOTION – Czechoslovak design studio
How are the shapes of vehicles and vessels designed? What's the relationship between industrial design and healthcare? And what about entertainment and education, how does that work there?
Ladislav Škoda & Lenka Novotná – designers, Plastia
What does it take for plastic products to contribute to sustainability? What does innovation look like where others aren't even looking for it? What does design bring to cheap products?
