Gdynia Design Days 2020

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ATTENTION! (UWAGA!)
Festival's statement.

We live in profound time of change. Now, more than ever before, we need mindfulness and focus on values. Global crises in food, water, and resource scarcity seep into our everyday lives, also in Poland. We cannot solve new problems by old methods. The time has come for action.

The way to get out of chaos is to deepen relationships with other people and nature. We should focus on the common good to create a sustainable economy based not on growth but on social well-being. We make thousands of decisions every day. Are we able to be thoughtful enough so that our consumer behaviour influences what is available on the market toward sustainability with a smaller impact on ecological degradation?

Organizers of the Gdynia Design Days wanted to show that good design can become an effective tool for solving complex problems. They presented interesting solutions which encourage producers to be more responsible for the common good and empower consumers with knowledge to consciously impact the environment and check where overconsumption has led us.

The visual identity of 2020 edition, was based on an optical illusion because we wanted to attract the attention of recipients and engage their perception. We contacted with a world-class expert in optical illusions – Professor Akiyoshi Kitaoka. This edition was different than the previous ones. The pandemic forced the organization of an online festival, all activities were carried out digitally, which made designing this festival a real challenge.

AKIYOSI KITAOKA

(北岡明佳, born August 19, 1961) is a Professor of Psychology at the College of Letters, Ritsumeikan University,
Kyoto, Japan. World-famous designer of optical illusions.