agIdeas 2012 international design week. 21 to 25 may

agIdeas 2012 International Design Week opened the International Design Forum with American Design Director of VSA, Dana Arnett - the 500^th speaker for this annual Australian event. Taking place from May 21 to 25 in Melbourne, Australia, 11 amazing events attracted over 12,000 delegates to this annual event.

Now in its 22^nd year, agIdeas continues to be one of the largest, most prestigious and longest running design events in the world, attracting a national and an international audience. The event is curated to explore the theme ‘design is difference'; the differences within design and the differences that design can make to the world.

The main aim of The Design Foundation is to present an extraordinary program of events that celebrate design excellence and promotes the value of design driven innovation. It understands that design shapes the world in which we live and champions design excellence.

In 2012 the Design Foundation continued to deliver valuable programs through agIdeas that were designed to educate, create conversation, help develop business advantage, strengthen the design workforce and inspire emerging designers and design students.

agIdeas 2012 presented 56 speakers across 11 events who represented a broad range of creative industries that included:

illustration, graphic design, typography, 3D advertising, virtual entertainment, film, photography, cartooning, character arts, advertising, industrial design, sculpture, branding, architecture, urban design, millenary, web design and lighting design.

The agIdeas program is carefully crafted every year in order to create a perfect marriage between a range of uniquely different disciplines. Presenting the best in traditional techniques alongside the most current and innovative new technologies, has become one of the major draw cards of the event.

Again, the attendance at agIdeas 2012 was exceptional with sell out events across the five days. With an audience of 2500 each day the International Design Forum shared the insights and experiences of 46 international design leaders across design disciplines.  The week also presented events for 2500 secondary school students and their parents and teachers at agIdeas Futures, a further 900 primary school students engaged in a design workshop with over 100 designers. 700 business people attended the Business Breakfast, 550 in Melbourne and 150 via video link in Wellington, New Zealand. 100 students and professionals took part in Workshops and master-classes and there were a further 500 designers that participated in Studio Access visits throughout Melbourne. 170 attended the Design Research Conference and more than 1,500 attended social events throughout the week. In total over 12,000 people attended events during the week and more than 100,000 will view exhibitions at the Melbourne Museum over two months.

The event has built partnerships with international design organisations and cultural institutions presenting an exhibition of Russian posters in partnership with Moscow Golden Bee, providing traveling scholarships to Fabrica in Italy to rising design stars and hosting a networking drinks with the Design Management Institute in the USA .

‘At agIdeas 2012 the convergence of design, business and education has highlighted the significant opportunity that design will play in the future of economic success. It is an exciting time for designers who are well positioned to act as facilitators of innovation.' Kristin McCourtie, Manager & Director, Design Foundation.

Thank you to all who participated, our generous speakers, our tireless sponsors, our enthusiastic committee, the incredible Design Foundation team ad our fearless leader Ken Cato. Thank you to all our supporters in the academies and design studios. And thank you to all our attendees. We look forward to amazing you all again next year.

To see photos and footage of the event go to our gallery.