Broadly speaking, it was an inspirational forum where the integration of design into organizations became tangible through five practical case studies and talks focused on innovation. The aim was to create a meeting point between design and the business world. The day was conceived so that “designers, design studios, and industrial companies could share space, present projects from both perspectives, and emphasize the impact design has had on their respective organizations—so that other companies can adopt this tool into their own business models,” as noted by our project coordinator, Lander Balza.
The session, moderated by writer and journalist Pilar Kaltzada, began with remarks from Leyre Madariaga, Director of Entrepreneurship and Digital Transformation of the Basque Government, who highlighted the value of our work. “It’s no longer just about creating an attractive appearance, but about using design as a strategic tool to drive business success and competitiveness,” Madariaga stated, also emphasizing its applicability “to all aspects of a company, including its corporate culture, internal processes, marketing strategies, and more.”
For her part, our president Angélica Barco briefly outlined the framework and scope of the event to demonstrate “how different languages come together, how businesses and design truly understand each other, and how we are able to jointly tackle complex challenges.” She also emphasized that “innovation alone is not enough—it’s essential to reflect on why and for what purpose we innovate, from today’s perspective but with an eye on a not-so-distant future.” Furthermore, referring to the latest PISA report, Barco expressed concern that it is “impossible to move forward as a region and as an ecosystem if we don’t use creativity as a strategic tool.” According to this report, Basque students rank among the lowest in Spain in terms of creative thinking.
The presentation of the research project “Nine Patterns of Design Use in Organizations,” developed under the Design Impact Observatory and led by María Navarro, Managing Director of ADCV (Association of Designers of the Valencian Community), served as a starting point to delve deeper into the subject and to acknowledge the diversity of possible application scenarios—or in other words, to unleash the powers of design at a tactical as well as strategic level in order to achieve business goals. This was followed by a panel discussion featuring Kike Correcher, former president of ADCV, and Alicia García, a member of the organization’s team.
The event concluded with the presentation of five success stories, shared by the companies themselves alongside designers linked to EIDE and DIGA. All were exemplary cases showcasing different disciplines of design applied in both national and international industrial companies: Bexen Cardio and Diaradesign, Vidrala and Zorraquino, Cegasa and bigD, Famo and AGV Estudio, and Acceleration Robotics and Estudio Línea.
From here, we want to extend our heartfelt thanks to both the participants and attendees. We hope the event lived up to your expectations. See you at the next one!
