ADC Design Experience 2019 Stuttgart

On November 13th, we visited the ADC Design Experience 2019 Stuttgart which took place in the New Palace, to get one’s inspiration from the latest developments in the fields of design and social media, from prominent voices from all over the world.

How is design and communication changing in the age of social media? Who sets tomorrow's trends? Is it the Instagram code? Or is it because of the new requirements of the industry? These were the questions that speakers such as Oliver Dering (MUTABOR), David Carson, Cécile Dormeau, and many others answered through their projects.

Throughout the event, two programmes were offered in different areas of the castle. While the lectures in the castle’s white hall on the Inspirational Stage were dedicated to the great visions of the future, the Interactive Stage on the ground floor provided the direct exchange of experience and workshops with experts from the creative sector.

The programme was opened by Andrea Thilo. After she had introduced Ines Aufrecht, the director of economic development of the state capital Stuttgart and explained the importance of social media for a cities alike, she brought the first speaker on stage.

Prof. Achim Menges, professor, institute director, and architect, presented amazing new construction methods that he and his institute are developing in order to save building materials, energy and space in a modern world and to use sustainable raw materials as far as possible. He uses state-of-the-art robot technology which ensures high precision and speed.

On the Interactive Stage, Claudio Wolfring, Creative Director at ARNO GmbH, made sure that the participants of his workshop got an insight into his work in the conception of shops. From design to installation, ARNO offers international shop and online concepts for customers such as Daimler, Rossmann, and Stuttgart Airport. In addition to the live experience for customers, he believes that social media presence is more important than ever for a store. At this workshop, Claudio Wolfring conveyed his approach to a good online campaign for his customers.

The importance of social media in the design industry and its customers was reflected in all presentations of the day. The speakers tried to show how Instagram and other platforms were integrated into their work and how they have an impact on customers.

French illustrator Cécile Dormeau is particularly interested in the responsible use of social media. With her media reach she tries to use her influence and posts humorous and intelligent illustrations, which especially call women to authenticity and self confidence with their bodies.

The graphic design legend David Carson, who became famous for his work on the Rock ’n’ Roll magazine Ray Gun, also presented his work for a nature protection campaign to stop the murder of sharks because of their fins and to express the cruelty of the killing methods. Kill the Fin Trade is also communicated through social media.

The event ended with a Get Together, which was organized together with Raumwelten, a platform for scenography, architecture and media. Prof. Dr. Braungart and Bruno Maag also had the opportunity to speak on this occasion.

The ADC Design Experience 2019 was a special opportunity to experience different trends, developments and points of view in today’s design and its handling of social media. Each speaker from the fields of architecture, design, illustration, or advertising made the topic of the conference (INSTA vs. INDUSTRY – What will shape tomorrow’s design?) experienceable and comprehensible on the basis of his or her projects.

In our opinion, the event was a complete success and we are looking forward to being inspired again next time.