Jørgen Rasmussen – Head of Department for Design. Sustainability - Social and Environmental sustainability Designing Design Aarhus School of Architecture, 2008

Jørgen Rasmussen – Head of Department for Design.

SEEKING COLLABORATION IN FORWARDING THE IDEALS OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT The members of Cumulus, representing a global community of design educators and researchers, undertake the initiative outlined in this, ‘THE KYOTO DESIGN DECLARATION’, to commit themselves to the ideals of sustainable development. Furthermore, the members of Cumulus have agreed to seek collaboration with educational and cultural institutions, companies, governments and government agencies, design and other professional associations and NGOs to promote the ideals of, and share their knowledge about, sustainable development. 140 schools from 42 contries

Jørgen Rasmussen – Head of Department for Design. Statement: “It is well-known that Danish design is leading in designing for sustainable solutions!” Sustainability - Social and Environmental sustainability or: “It is well-known that Danish design is leading in designing for socially and environmentally responsible solutions!” ? Does Danish Design have any particular responsibility regarding social and environmental sustainability? If so, why? - and how does it show? Fact or vision?

Jørgen Rasmussen – Head of Department for Design. we share democratic values about equality and social responsibility we believe in, and value “honest” materials and “honest” compositions we believe in Scandinavian minimalism Danish Design products have a longer lifespan than ordinary consumer goods Etc. Statement: ”The good story” from the Danish democratic welfare model and the Danish Design tradition suggests that: If we are to brand Danish Design as a particular responsible profession, image is not enough. It must be based on documented facts and the will to implement it. How do we do that? ? How does sustainability (responsibility) connect to Danish Design, and how do we deal with it on a collective basis?

Jørgen Rasmussen – Head of Department for Design. Statement: Designers must become ”decision makers” To be able to take responsibility for any given development, you have to be part of the decision making process. All good intentions are useless if all important decisions are made by decision makers with alternative values and intentions. Future designers must have the skills required for sitting at the head of the table. ? If Danish Design have any particular responsibility regarding social and environmental sustainability? How do we implement our good intentions? Or: Must the process be bottom up – a user driven process?

Jørgen Rasmussen – Head of Department for Design. Statement: Cross-disciplinary collaboration! Sustainability issues become more and more complex and calls for cross-disciplinary and global collaboration. The designer has a central role in the collaborative process, developing and communicating ideas and concepts together with professionals within the fields of technology, humanities and economy. Particularly the “flat” and democratic hierarchy in Denmark is an important factor in building the mutual respect needed for successful collaboration between different professions. Danish designers have particularly good opportunities to develop unique methods of cross-disciplinary collaboration. ? Are there any particular skills in the “Danish Design process” today, that support the idea that DD should have a good position regarding sustainable issues?

Jørgen Rasmussen – Head of Department for Design. HISTORY: DOGME 95 ”In 1960 enough was enough! The movie had been cosmeticised to death, they said; yet since then the use of cosmetics has exploded. The “supreme” task of the decadent film-makers is to fool the audience. Is that what we are so proud of? Is that what the “100 years” have brought us? Illusions via which emotions can be communicated?... By the individual artist’s free choice of trickery?” (The official DOGME 95 – WEBSITE) ? Is there any way for the Danish Design community to communicate, on a global scale, the fact, that DD is a particular responsible profession?

Jørgen Rasmussen – Head of Department for Design. VOW OF CHASTITY ”- I swear as a director to refrain from personal taste! I am no longer an artist. I swear to refrain from creating a "work", as I regard the instant as more important than the whole. My supreme goal is to force the truth out of my characters and settings. I swear to do so by all the means available and at the cost of any good taste and any aesthetic considerations. Thus I make my VOW OF CHASTITY." In 2002 the DOGME-brothers terminated the brotherhood. At that time, 31 DOGME-movies had been produced. If you look at the DOGME 95-WEBSITE today, 284 DOGME-movies has been registered, coming from all over the world.

Jørgen Rasmussen – Head of Department for Design. How about design Does any of the DOGME-brothers (movie business) problems/ frustrations relate to any of the problems the design community faces today? Are e.g. designers blamed for encouraging consumers to excessive consumption? Are we putting gasoline on the fire of burning resources? What if: -we were to re-think the DOGME 95 concept to a design perspective, how would it look and what would it contain? What would be our VOW OF CHASTITY and who can write it?

Jørgen Rasmussen – Head of Department for Design. Additional questions. Do we deal with emotions of facts? Do we believe in doing les bad, or do we go “Cradel to Cradel”? What allies do we have if we decide to go “Cradel to Cradel”? What new knowledge do we need to acquire to lead the process? - and then some!