Published: 3 September 2024
Design Stories London
Author: Magdalena Szczuka
Join us for an inspiring talk at the Royal College of Art in London, where a panel of designers, educators, and researchers will explore how women can advance design and foster social change through creative practice.
Women's Voices in Global Design Practices
"Design Stories" is part of the "Looking Through Objects" project, which explores how women drive change through design and creative practices. The project includes a traveling exhibition, a lecture series, and a series of talks and interviews in various locations in Poland, the UK, Belgium, and the Baltic States. "Design Stories" creates an interdisciplinary platform where design researchers, historians and practitioners can share their insights and experiences on women's contributions to design. The initiative seeks to gather both subjective and objective perspectives on contemporary design from its participating speakers.
Our intention with "Design Stories" is to position it at the intersection of all practices related to design, rather than confining it to an academic context. We want to create a platform for discussing design from a female perspective, with a particular focus on female designers, their roles and approaches. We believe that this approach is better suited to the contemporary landscape of design, where the fluidity of practice resists rigid labels and titles. Given the unique nature of design as a discipline, we find it more holistic and realistic to include the voices of both historians and practicing designers actively engaged in the field. This diversity of perspectives – from observers and researchers to practitioners – offers listeners and readers a broader understanding, allowing them to draw their own conclusions about what design means today.
Agnieszka Jacobson-Cielecka
"Design Stories London" is the second edition of the project, now taking the form of a panel discussion to foster new connections and dialogue between the UK and Poland. This event also serves as a springboard for the upcoming edition of "Design Stories Warsaw", scheduled for November 2025. The Warsaw edition will be part of the British Council's cultural exchange program between the UK and Poland.
The first edition of "Design Stories" took place online in November 2021. Contributions from that seminar were compiled into a printed publication, which is also available digitally at the following link .
From Muse to Main Character
"Design Stories" is part of "Looking Through Objects", a curatorial project celebrating women's contributions to change in Poland, the Baltic region and beyond. Over time, the role of women in design has evolved from muses and supporters to active protagonists, independent creators and thinkers. In the last decade, mindfulness and holistic thinking have become central to design processes, surpassing the short-lived, flashy qualities that once dominated the field. In addition to the "Design Stories" seminars, discussions, and lectures, the project includes a traveling exhibition showcasing the work of contemporary practitioners from Poland. The exhibition debuted at the Estonian Museum of Applied Art and Design in Tallinn in 2022, followed by a stop at NOMUS – the New Museum of Art in Gdansk in 2023. The next installment is planned for the spring of 2025 at the Design Museum in Brussels.Project Details
The project is curated by Agnieszka Jacobson-Cielecka, Ph.D., Dean of SWPS University's Faculty of Design in Warsaw and Program Director of SWPS University’s School of Form, Gian Luca Amadei, Ph.D., from the Royal College of Art in London.
"Design Stories London" is a collaboration between Royal College of Art and SWPS University. It is supported by the British Council and Polish Cultural Institute London, and is part of the Brompton Design District events programme as well as the London Design Festival.
Event Moderators:
- Oli Stratford
- Disegno Journal
Admission is free, but space is limited. Reserve your spot here.
Project Curators
Alicja Bielawska
Visual artist based in Warsaw. Her work focuses on the material sphere of everyday life and the relationships between objects, interiors, and memories. She is an Assistant Professor at SWPS University in Warsaw and a lecturer at the School of Form. Bielawska holds a degree in Art History from the University of Warsaw and a degree in Fine Arts from the Gerrit Rietveld Academie in Amsterdam; she also holds a PhD in Fine Arts.
Ewa Klekot
Cultural anthropologist, translator, and curator, and a Professor at SWPS University’s Design Institute. She earned M.A.s in archaeology and ethnology, holds a PhD in art studies, and has a habilitation in cultural studies. Klekot is interested in the interdisciplinary combination of liberal arts and social sciences with design and artistic projects, both in research and education.
Joyce Sheau Roei Yee
She is a Professor of Design and Social Innovation at Northumbria School of Design, UK. She holds a PhD in Design from Northumbria University and an MA in Communication Design from Central Saint Martins. Yee is passionate about designing for social good and advocates for culturally diverse and locally relevant practices, challenging industrialized and Western-centric models of design.
Teal Triggs
Professor of Graphic Design at the School of Communication, Royal College of Art. She received her PhD from the University of Reading. As a graphic design educator and researcher, she publishes on topics such as feminism, graphic design, and self-publishing. Triggs is a founding member of the Women’s Design + Research Unit (WD+RU) and is a Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.