Montreal-based World Design Organization (WDO)® announced its new 2019-2021 Board of Directors during its 31st World Design Assembly™ held in Hyderabad (India) on 11-12 October 2019. The results of the election were one of the key highlights of the two-day event that drew a record number of members from the international design community, as well as guest speakers from leading institutions and corporations in addition to municipal representatives and government officials who gathered under the banner of humanizing design. The event also marked the official acceptance of the World Design Capital® (WDC) 2022 designation by Mayor Joan Ribó from the City of Valencia (Spain) and the auspicious ratification by WDO Members of a new membership category for cities committed to strategically employing design towards social, economic, cultural and/or environmental development. Located on the south-east of Spain, Valencia is a strategic portal city located on the Mediterranean coast. Their impressive urban infrastructures are directed towards coexisting with the natural and built environment. According to WDO President and member of the WDC 2020 Selection Committee, Luisa Bocchietto, “Valencia’s bid, articulated a compelling proposal that clearly demonstrates the effective application of Mediterranean design, of design for change and design as a key reference point to improve citizen’s quality of life.” The city’s strategic positioning on the Spanish coast, as well as its well-established design expertise, was clearly reflected in its bid and promises to deliver a programme that reflects the city’s aspirations and commitment at local, regional, national and international levels. “We also hope that this designation could motivate other regional and Ibero-American cities to bid for a future WDC cycle,” stated Bocchietto.In his address, Mr Srini Srinivasan, CEO of Lumium and now WDO President for the 2019-2021 term, expressed his desire to expand the membership outreach to those underrepresented regions of the world such as Latin America, Africa and Oceania. Srini is the first Indian president of the organization in its 62-year history. “I wish to continue to support the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, as well as focus on creating meaningful programmes to work alongside cities and large corporations that are making an impact on society.” The United Nation Sustainable Development Goals are a universal set of 17 goals and 169 targets adopted by UN member countries as a 15-year roadmap to solve some of humanity’s biggest challenges and how it relates to our World Design Agenda. The 2019-2021 WDO Board of Directors comprises (in alphabetical order): Mr. Srini Srinivasan – President Chairman & CEO LUMIUM DESIGN, Inc. (India/USA) Mr. David Kusuma – President-Elect Vice President, Research and Product Innovation Tupperware Brands Corporation (USA) Ms. Anne Asensio Vice President of Design Experience Dassault Systémes (France/USA) Mr. Chi-Yi Chang Chairman Taiwan Design Center (Taiwan, Chinese Taipei) Mr. Eray Sertac Ersayin President Industrial Designers Society of Turkey Prof. Thomas Garvey – Treasurer Associate Professor, School of Industrial Design Carleton University (Canada) Prof. Dr. Yongqi Lou Dean, College of Design and Innovation Tongji University (China) Prof. Pier Paolo Peruccio Architect and Associate Professor of Design Politecnico di Torino (Italy) Ms. Makiko Tsumara General Manager of the annual Good Design Award Japan Institute of Design Promotion (Japan) Prof. Pradyumna Vyas Director National Institute of Design (India) Prof. Martha Zarza Director of the School of Architecture and Design Autonomous University of the State of Mexico (Mexico) About WDO The World Design Organization (WDO)®, formerly the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design (Icsid), is an international non-governmental organization founded in 1957 to promote the profession of industrial design. WDO advocates industrial design-driven innovation that creates a better world, engaging more than 150 member organizations in collaborative efforts and carrying out international programming—World Design Capital®, World Design Talks™, World Design Impact Prize™, World Industrial Design Day™, and Interdesign™. WDO has United Nations Special Consultative Status.
