Report of the Hungarian Design Council for the year 2005

Report of the Hungarian Design Council for the year 2005

Foreword by Dr. Miklós Bendzsel, Chairman of the Hungarian Design Council and President of the Hungarian Patent Office

At the beginning of 2005 we looked ahead to our tasks with a new mission statement, new program and new members in the Council. Just as before, our main goal was to support our Government in power in implementing a comprehensive design policy.

Although the HDC had serious financial problems in 2005, I still believe that we were very successful. In 2005 we participated, among other things, in the APCI (Agence pour la promotion de la création industrielle) conference held in Paris, where we studied design promotion practices that had proved most effective in the European Union. We were reassured that it was not questioned by any decision-makers of the "developed West" that design played a crucial role in the economies of post-industrial societies. I also consider it a big achievement that the Government finally announced a tender for small and medium-size enterprises under the Széchenyi Enterprise Development Program in order to provide financing for their intellectual property protection activities and sales opportunities for their patents abroad, thereby encouraging Hungarian firms to enter the European market.

The Ministry of Economy and Transport issued a decree providing legal background for the Hungarian Design Award. The success of the award was confirmed by the large attendance and wide press coverage of the award exhibition, which is traditionally held at the Museum of Applied Arts.

The increasing social response to our efforts is also demonstrated by the great popularity of our Design Week, organised in cooperation with the Design Terminal, which has also become a traditional event by now. Also, our website has been in operation and stood at the service of those interested for a long time. Among others, there you can find the white paper of BEDA (Bureau of European Design Associations) in English and an excerpt thereof in Hungarian, entitled Current Issues of European Design. We are proud of many other publications also prepared with our support. They include a book entitled Top Class Design, which presents the fifty-five-year-old history of the Design Department of the Hungarian University of Arts and Design that celebrated its 125th anniversary last year, and also the diploma work catalogues of three universities: the Budapest University of Technology and Economics, the Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design and the University of West Hungary.

I am delighted to mention that besides all domestic success, 2005 was the year of international recognition as well. In spring we joined BEDA and at the end of the year the Director of the HDC, Ms. Judit Várhelyi was elected to the nine-member Executive Board of ICSID (International Council of Societies of Industrial Design) with a unanimous vote. Both developments provide us with an excellent opportunity to promote Hungarian design in the world design community. We also participated in the re-design Europe exhibition of IDZ in Berlin with an exhibition presenting the twenty-five-year-old history of the Hungarian Design Award. We sent five entries to the INDEX:2005 competition in Copenhagen. We exhibited the works of five design award winning university students at the World Best Design Exchange exhibition in Seoul.

In summary, we have plenty to be proud of and a good reason to be optimistic. However, we should not be conceited as we still have a lot to do. One thing is for sure: we are moving ahead with determination and in the right direction, and our efforts will be rewarded, come what may.

Hungarian Design Council (2002-2005)

We need dedicated institutions to raise public awareness of design. The Hungarian Design Council (HDC) was founded on 9 April 2002 as the legal successor of the Industrial Design and Ergonomics Council. Set up for representing interest and exchanging opinions, the main objective of this advisory body is to improve the quality of life and the competitiveness of the national economy. The HDC works according to a triennial schedule. The task of the first term was to develop a working program, which could launch the development of the Hungarian design culture in terms of economic policy, environmental policies, education and innovation. It is on this foundation on which design can become one of the key drivers of the economy, a factor that improves our productivity and efficiency.

The most important task at the close of the first term was to evaluate the achievements of the Hungarian Design Council - drawing a balance of the past three years and deciding the further tasks of the new Council set up according to Government Decree 266/2001 (XII. 21.).

The biggest achievement of the first term was the huge success, both at home and internationally, of the Moholy-Nagy László Grant, the Hungarian Design Award and the Design Week event in terms of both the number of visitors and press coverage.

Our international role was strengthened in September, as the Director of the Hungarian Design Council, Ms. Judit Várhelyi was elected to the Executive Board of ICSID (International Council of Societies of Industrial Design). Our membership and representation in the Board signify the appreciation of what we have done so far, and they are also important for our future as they provide opportunities that we should not miss and an appropriate background for our work in the coming years.

The mandate of the Council Members of the first term expired in 2005 and a new Council was set up with new members and a new agenda, which will proceed according to the new triennial working program adopted by the Ministry of Economy and Transport ("GKM") for the years 2005 to 2008.

Annual Report, 2005

As a result of the Council's dedicated efforts and operation, more and more key decision-makers and members of the general public recognise and accept the importance of design.

  • The professional organisations, experts and others interested can obtain up-to-date information about the Council's operation and activities via the website of the Hungarian Patent Office at http://www.mft.org.hu/.

  • The most important task of the year 2005 was to evaluate the first term of the Hungarian Design Council drawing a balance of the work done in the past three years and deciding the further tasks of the new board set up according to Government Decree 266/2001 (XII. 21.).
  • The first three years' operation of the Council drew the attention of decision-makers and economic experts to the importance of design and its potential impact on the economy. The program for the new term was prepared in cooperation with the Hungarian Patent Office for the re-election meeting of the Hungarian Design Council with a view to achieving even more success. This program is designed to assist the Government in developing its comprehensive design policy.

  • Similarly to the previous year, we continued to renew the system of our design awards and scholarships. After extensive preparations, the legislative background for the Hungarian Design Award was secured by Decree 17/2005 (III. 26.) of the GKM.
  • The Moholy-Nagy László Design Grant was announced again this year, in which we were supported by the Ministry of National Cultural Heritage and the National Institute of Research and Technology.
  • The series of our professional events in 2005 started by the Home Trend & Design exhibition, where the HDC office shared a stand with the Hungarian Patent Office. In addition to the traditional annual events, a major professional forum was held last May with the Furniture and Wood Industry Association, which gave an opportunity for HDC to evaluate the achievements of its first three-year term and to make preparations for the tasks of the next three years.

The Council is consistently working towards the acceptance and promotion, at every level of the economy, of the potential role of design in boosting the economy.

  • Although the role of design and design promotion as economic drivers has not been fully recognised yet by all participants of the Hungarian economy, design events are gaining more and more attention thanks to the efforts of the professional organisations including the Hungarian Design Council.
  • The Design Terminal PBC and the Hungarian Design Council also continued to make efforts in 2005 to make public institutions realise the natural and inevitable role design plays in economy, which was largely supported by the fact that the Minister of Economy and Transport was made responsible for the issue of design.
  • The Ministry of Economy and Transport announced a tender for small and medium-size enterprises under the Széchenyi Enterprise Development Program in order to provide financing for their intellectual property protection activities and sales opportunities for their patents. The tender supports enterprises in their research and development or innovation work evaluating the potential market of their inventions. It also assists enterprises involved in design projects in improving and increasing their competitiveness.
  • The Hungarian Design Award competition announced by the Ministry of Economy and Transport was managed by the office of the HDC. In addition to the Ministry of National Cultural Heritage, the National Institute of Research and Technology and the Hungarian Patent Office, the Hungarian Design Council also gave a special award at the competition.

  • The domestic subsidy programs and tenders, the expanding international relations of the Hungarian Design Council and the press coverage of its operations, and the success of designers who had won awards abroad drew more attention to design and its potential impact on economy in Hungary as well.

As a result of the dedicated activities of the Hungarian Design Council, design and the events related thereto became a public issue with a high profile.

  • Developing, creating and promoting the means of communicating design to the general public remained the focus of the Council's work also in the year 2005. Our traditional events and competitions did not only provide news material for the trade press but they also became major events for key participants of the economy and the general public as well, thanks to the growing media coverage. This was confirmed by the high attendance at the Hungarian Design Award exhibition and the increasing popularity of the Design Week event, organised in cooperation with Design Terminal PBC, which was aimed at presenting and underlining the service functions of design.

  • In 2005 we issued for the fourth time the quadrilingual publication Design institutions in Hungary with an updated content, also including the list of the new members of the HDC.
  • The Hungarian Design Council issued a Hungarian language excerpt of the publication Current Issues of European Design. The purpose of this study of the Bureau of European Design Associations is to give a wide interpretation to the concept and the opportunities of design, with particular respect to the European Union. The editor grouped the studies into four chapters - innovation, social responsibility, culture and education - presenting the potential of design in value creation and increasing competitiveness.
  • In 2005 we supported the publication of OFF, Top Class  Design, which presents the 55-year-old history of the Design Department of the University of Arts and Design.

Our reliable cooperation agreements were aimed at presenting the inevitability and crucial role of design in the economy and improving high-degree vocational training.

  • The annual working schedule for the year 2005 was compiled under the three-year cooperation agreements with the Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design, the Budapest University of Technology and Economics, and the Applied Arts Institute of the University of West Hungary. The goal is to improve high-degree vocational training. Based on the working schedule, the HDC granted support to the three universities mentioned above for preparing their catalogue of diploma works, and also financed the DLA training of a student.
  • According to the working schedule the Hungarian Design Council, in cooperation with the Hungarian Patent Office, supports higher education institutions in order to place appropriate emphasis on including intellectual property issues in the training of designers, which will help them improve the effectiveness oftheir design work.

A key to safe author and user environment is that intellectual property protection be made available and known to everyone.

  • As an organisation unit within the Hungarian Patent Office, the Office of the Hungarian Design Council places emphasis on promoting the means of protecting intellectual property rights and copyright using the public service channels of the HPO. It tries to contribute to the creation of a secure environment for authors, users and, not least, investors with the help of the said tools. During the year the Office, in cooperation with the IP Promotion Section of the Hungarian Patent Office, set up information points at every event, which proved to be important in the promotion of design.
  • The training course organised for the recipients of the Moholy-Nagy László Design Grant was likewise designed to address the above main objectives. The participants received practical information about the protection of intellectual property.

The key to the operation of the Council in a prosperous and effective way, also bringing benefits to the country, is to build a wide network of international contacts.

  • Thanks to its effective work so far, the Hungarian Design Council has been invited to cooperate with several international institutions. Last year's most important event was the General Assembly of ICSID (International Council of Societies of Industrial Design) in September, where the Director of the Hungarian Design Council, Ms. Judit Várhelyi was elected to the Executive Board of the international organisation. On the one hand, our membership signifies appreciation of what we have done so far and, on the other hand, it provides major opportunities for, and an appropriate background to our work in the coming years.
  • In the course of expanding our international relations it was an important step when the Hungarian Design Council joined BEDA (Bureau of European Design Associations) that was founded in 1969 to unite professional designers. The BEDA General Assembly in Oslo provided a good opportunity to introduce Hungarian design to the delegates.
  • The Office organised Hungary's participation, with a collection presenting the 25-year-old history of the Hungarian Design Award, in the re:design europe exhibition of the IDZ (the Berlin Design Centre), which was organised to introduce the eight countries that recently joined the EU.
  • The Hungarian designers were given an additional opportunity to present themselves at the 2005 design award of the Danish Index Foundation as well as at the "Design Korea 2005" exhibition.

Having reviewed the activities of the Hungarian Design Council's Office in the year 2005, we can establish that last year brought us success both at home and abroad. Our activities did a great service to the cause of design; the exhibitions, events and our publications contributed to the promotion of design-related issues not only among professionals but also to the general public. Hungarian designers have more and more opportunities to present and test themselves abroad as well as at home. Our membership in the ICSID Executive Board gives us a chance to further improve our international recognition and to seek and expand our regional contacts. The re-elected HDC is working with professional commitment towards building new contacts at home and abroad, and it wants to effectively contribute, by its means and opportunities, to our increasing economic competitiveness and a full appreciation of design.

CALENDAR

10 January 2005
A.P.C.I. design conference in Paris.

26 January 2005
Annual report of the Moholy-Nagy László Design Grant recipients.

27 January 2005
HDC's exhibition 25 years - 25 objects presenting the 25-year history of the Hungarian Design Award held at the re:Design Europe exhibition in Berlin.

17 February 2005
The first session of the HDC.

21 February 2005
Identity and global structures conference in conjunction with the exhibition Scandinavian Design Beyond the Myth.

10-13 March 2005
Made in Hungary exhibition with the participation of the HDC.

11-13 March 2005
BEDA General Assembly, Oslo.

07-30 April 2005
Exhibition of the Moholy-Nagy László Design Grant recipients at the Museum of Applied Arts.

05 May 2005
The HDC, in cooperation with the Furniture and Wood Industry Association, organised a conference titled Individualism and globalisation.

26 May 2005
The second session of the HDC.

7 June 2005
Training course for the recipients of the Moholy-Nagy László Design Grant.

15 September 2005
The third session of the HDC.

19 September 2005
Training course for the recipients of the Moholy-Nagy László Design Grant.

23-28 September 2005
ERA 05 - Conference in Copenhagen.

29-30 September 2005
ICSID General Assembly in Copenhagen

17 October 2005
Gala ceremony and opening of the exhibition of the Hungarian Design Award.

18 November 2005
The fourth session of the HDC. Report on the ICSID conference and General Assembly.

27-28 November 2005
ICSID Executive Board Meeeting in Essen.

5 December 2005
Exhibition of the award winners of the Hungarian Design Award - at the birthday party of Stílus magazine.