As a start of Stockholm Design Week, I was invited by the Swedish Institute to welcome the international press and inform them about Swedish Design. The focus was on sustainable design, and in my presentation I showed how we integrate sustainability in our design processes. My aim was to communicate the dna of Swedish design. I also got a chance to market several good examples that was provided to me from Swedish design companies. I was representing The Swedish Association of Designers. Also participating in the press information were Ewa Kumlin from Svensk Form, Teo Enlund from Green Leap and Susanne Helgesson. The presentation was very appreciated by the attending press.

Design that engage people and develop communities – that was the heading when Daniel Byström from DBD/Design Nation was invited as key note speaker at Business Swedens event; Scandinavian Light and Design in Vienna November 7th 2013. Arranged together with the Swedish and Norwegian Embassies. About 500 registered guests was attending the event that was held in fantastic Semperdepot – Academy of Fine Arts Vienna. The guests was architects, designers, purchasers. Among the other speakers were norwegian designer Vibeke Skar and  Sweden’s Ambassador to the United States 2007-2013 Jonas Hafström. Participating exhibitors was Swedish and Norwegian producers of furnitures and lightnings.

Except of showing the characteristics of nordic design aesthetics, Daniel talked about our way of design thinking, the reasons and methods when working in design processes. He explained what community design is about, and how it always must be a sustainability focus in several layers in every design project. In his role as chairman of the Swedish Association of Designers, Daniel also showcased good design examples from contributed from Swedish design studios. There were 65 examples containing everything from sustainable products, concepts, fashion, graphic designs, packaging, services. The speak was focusing on the question – What can design do?  The question isn’t what design is, but what design can do. Designers are practitioners of an applied process of creative skills; researching, analyzing, evaluating, synthesizing and then conceptualizing, testing and communicating solutions. We live in a world full of opportunities. Design can be used to connect to people, engage and develop communities and regions. How do we utilize the creativity of the community? How do we create shared visions? How do we make real sustainable products and environments?

This summer I will participate in Designers & Forest from July 29 – August 10 in Utah, USA. Designers and Forest will initiate a conversation surrounding problems currently facing the Western United States forest and specifically the forests of Utah.

Who we are: Designers and Forests is a group of invested and interested individuals from around the world and is growing. The forests of the world are connected through climate, international trade, and governmental policies. Through similar traditions of forestry, agriculture, and craft. We feel that our experiences working with and handling forests should also be connected. The founding members of the group are composed of individuals from the United States, (New York, Utah) and Sweden. We are educators, designers, foresters, scientists, storytellers, community organizers, and students.

Who we seek: The project is seeking interested individuals from various backgrounds who wish to join our conversation about forest and community health. We are educators, graphic designers, furniture designers, foresters, and community activists. We seek collaborators, designers, and artisans who are interested in exploring new materials or old materials in new ways. We seek scientists and foresters who can inform and educate about pest, weaknesses, and forest health. We seek community members who are looking for alternative means to traditional economies. We seek storytellers who can share the narratives that bind us to places and teach us lessons from the past.

When it will happen: During the summer of 2013 we will assemble as a small group in the forest and rural communities of Utah to begin the conversation. This event will take place July 29-August 10, 2013 and will include workshops, seminars, and site visits. During these two weeks individuals will meet to define the parameters of the project. Expertise and knowledge will be shared. A solid plan for continued collaboration will be fleshed out.

Interested individuals are encouraged to contact the project organizers directly by email: info@designersandforest.us or daniel@bystromdesign.se. You can also follow the project and read more about it at www.designersandforest.us

designers and forest flyer

Daniel Byström Design / Design Nation participated on the conference – Make it Happen 25-28 September 2012. Daniel was one of the keynote speakers on the topic Destination Design and he also lead a full day workshop for the community of East Iceland. The audience was creative thinkers from East Iceland and also many international attendees, well renowned specialists within design and regional development. More about the project – www.make.is and www.creativecommunities.is

Here is a film about the conference by Alice Masters:

Make It Happen – Creative Thinking Conference in East Iceland from Disegno magazine on Vimeo.

On the 21 of september Sveriges Designer held the conference Design Action in Pukeberg, Nybro – DesignAction 2012. It was a very inspiring day with 140 participants and great speakers! Read more about the conference and watch the videos from the day at www.designaction.se.

The purpose of the conference was to bring together key individuals in Swedish business; design expertise, manufactures, design buyers and organizations – with focus on increasing our understanding of how design efforts can create more innovation, higher level of customer satisfaction and better growth. The conference were planned within the national program for the creative industries and Vinnova’s program “Innovation and Design” to encourage innovation, entrepreneurship and growth in Sweden.

As the chairman of the board for Sveriges Designer I am very satisfied with the result. It has been a lot of work though, where I was involved in all parts and responsible for the planning and making of the conference. Very well – now remains only the summary and report. It will be interesting to analyze the reflections that were given from the audience during the day! I will come back with more information.

Key note speaker Magnus Lindkvist on stage. A really great speaker!!

It’s been a while since my last post on the blog. Not because I am dead, contrariwise I feel very alive. After a well needed holiday in January, I have been busy with clients, students and fairs. In beginning of February I attended the Stockholm Furniture Fair. Lots of good stuff to see, and above all – very nice to meet all dear design colleagues! My old pals Form Us With Love invited to a party on Arkitekturmuseet. I must say I really admire them and their work!

I have also been travelling around in Småland – Emmaboda, Växjö, Nybro, Nässjö and not at least the Kingdom of Furnitures – Möbelriket – Lammhult where I brought design students to from Nässjö for a field trip. We were guided by the king him self – Johan Sjöberg – who is very entusiastic and passionate in developing the region and the design related business. We visted Lammhults Möbel where we were guided by CEO Åke Jansson, and at last Svenssons i Lammhult. The students and I were very pleased with the reception we got. Thank you all!

Bento Chair by F.U.W.L and One Nordic Furniture Company

From the Furniture fair – storing system by Imeüble, Bjørn Jørund Blikstad

A classic with a new look

Nice apprentice work

Comet by Gunilla Allard and Lammhults Möbel

Dexter by Andreas Farkas and Lammhults Möbel

Close before the holidays I just need to write a review from the Generator Conference held in Norrköping 15th and 16th of November. The conference was arranged by Generator Sweden. For the last four years Generator has gathered regional stakeholders at a two-day conference on how Swedish regions can benefit from and support the development of cultural and creative industries.

I was participating on the conference representing The Swedish Association of Designers. Everything were great – the speakers, the facilities at Louis DeGeer, the entertainment, the food and the meetings. My impressions in between is how marginalized design becomes within the discussions on creative and cultural industries, though design really has a vital and catalyzing role to play and should be one of the corner stones to build on.

Swedish musician Jepson from The Ark

Lighting designer Kai Piippo

Pier Luigi Sacco

Dinner and entertainment in Värmekyrkan…

…and after that – party with live Jazz in the bookshop!
Happiest in the photo – Johanna Skantze and Anna Linton

In beginning of September I was the convener when the Swedish Association of Designers hosted the development meeting of Scandinavian Design Alliance, this time in Stockholm. As always it was very nice to see the colleagues in the working team and we really took big steps forward. It is a very exciting project that will mean a lot not for only Swedish design, but for all of Scandinavia and the nordic countries!

Participating on the meeting were except me from the Swedish Association of Designers, Lennart Eng, Charlie Norrman and Jenny Lindahl Persson from Svenska Tecknare, Rachel Troye and Vera Pahle from Grafill, Søren Yran and Jørgen Holo from Norske Industridesignere, Martin Larsen and Steinar Valade-Amland from Danish Designers.

Lucky enough we also got some quality time in the sun, before the sky opened up and the rain was pouring down…

My work within design has taken me to many places. I have seen a lot and learned more! That has given me a sound experience and insight to a lot of different areas, which in my opinion is also one of the key factors to understand and manage the design process. To gather knowledge about market aspects, materials, production techniques, and not at least about the users – the people who respond and connects to the products and services we develop.

My approach is to be open minded and not afraid to get involved in new areas. Besides doing commissions for clients, I also teach and give lectures in design related topics. I am engaged in regional development, creating business networks, promoting culture and creativity, and making meetings and events and so on.  In addition I am a member of the board in the Swedish Association of Designers where I am representative in international networks, and just recently I was elected to vice chairman of the board.

Well what can I say? I like to be involved and affect…  and I am very happy to get the opportunity to meet all the interesting and skilled people. And I look forward to upcoming exciting meetings and projects. But first I will try to squeeze in some holidays… enjoy the summer all of you out there!

Here is a picture of Carina Oscarsson elected to Chairman of the board for the Swedish Association of Designers and me, elected to vice chairman. From the annual meeting in June.

Just before the easter, I contributed in this Phorecast Session – Work Life in 2022 at Almega in Stockholm. The mission was ordered by Almega, Saco and Unionen, aiming to get input to the cooperation for the Swedish service sector - Tjänstesektorns samarbetsavtal. The participants were handpicked and I was one of them. We were divided into three teams, and we worked for three days. My team mates was Eva Ribbenhall and Lars Lundqvist. Very nice and skilled people! It seems we made a good team, since we after the presentations were designated from the jury as the winners! As a part of price we were invited to come back and present our scenario once again – this time for the leadership board of Tjänstesektorns samarbetsavtal. Very honoring…

Here is a pic of all of the participants.

I travel a lot, my clients are spread all over. But mostly to Stockholm, it is a very design intensive region where a lot happens. And because I am engaged in the Swedish Association of Designers I try to attend to important events and meetings. It is quite a lot interesting in the pipe line ahead. Next year Helsinki is World Design Capital 2012, and I last friday I met the committee from Finland at Svensk Form, exploring how we can collaborate more. Also I work close to SVID – Swedish Industrial Design Foundation, right now with a very exciting project –  I tell you more later…

Well – that’s about it at the moment… besides I am also on parental leave allowing me to spend more time together with my son. He is one year old now – time flies!!