ENSAAMA, école nationale supérieure des arts appliqués et des metiéres d’art, Paris
2 december 2015 Open lecture

Last week I have done an interesting experience. I have been invited to give an open lecture to the students of ENSAAMA, a stunning public university based in Paris, where new creatives and makers are trained to a high standard.

The first tip of the day was OBSERVE

As my passion is the observation of the sociocultural aspects influencing design trends, I have started my speech by talking of social changes occuring and their influence on lifestyles; this perspective helps creatives understanding new behaviors and future design trends and somehow influences their approach to creative thinking.

The second tip of the day was BE CURIOUS

My speech went from new spiritual paths to food design, creative mending and nests building, craftsmanship and textile science, contemporary nomads, community living, genders merging, romanticism, slow fashion, urban tribes, green living, followed by the analysis of sustainable fashion and the paths to the creation of honest quality products.

The third tip of the day was STICK TO YOUR VALUES

I have talked about design opportunities built among these new ways of living.I have gone through the meaning of ‘ethical design’ and presented practical examples of the ethical design challenge.
I have told them about my profession, my projects, my beliefs.
Looking with them at my projects I had a chance to explain what is humanity behind products, what is the meaning of the ‘made in’, where design and ethics lead to, the deep link between craft and new design thinking, the meaning of honest design.

The fourth tip of the day was HAVE COURAGE

I hope I have planted in them the seed of curiosity and the urgency to merge ethics and esthetics.
Most of all I hope that they will continue their education with the concept of ethical design deeply grounded in their creative spirits