nuevos valores del diseño new design values - IED Madrid

Learning forever
The progress, transformation and omnipresence of new
media in our lives, particularly in the case of younger people,
have meant that our behaviour, leisure activities, professional
environment and, essentially, our ways of communicating by
means of truly surprising technological channels, have altered
the manner in which today’s homo digitalis perceives reality.
Thus, we are living in a time of profound technological,
economic and social transformations, which have brought
about a much faster pace, which several generations have had
to bear, since the mid-twentieth century, in a way which may
never have been experienced by any previous generation.
In addition to understanding audiovisual language, the designer
must be an expert in the handling of technology in this
context, to carry out interactive and web 2.0 developments,
have extensive knowledge of the culture of his/her profession,
both in the area of design in general and in that of visual art
and its coexistence with television, film, advertising, music,
the plastic arts, photography, video-art, net.art, exhibitions,
fairs, etc., and know about the latest trends in this profession,
as much in conceptual, projectual and managerial terms, as in
the use of technological tools, as well as knowledge of future
media which will significantly facilitate and widen our business
opportunities.
This exaltation of the image and the audiovisual accompanies
us in most of our everyday activities, from the time we get
up to the time we go to bed. The human being from the first
world has never before had so much information and such an
astounding range of possibilities at his disposal to organise and
carry out tasks, communicate from one end of the planet to the
other, convey ideas and concepts, and “visualise” a genuine
and unprecedented mine of culture, leisure and activity.
As was to be expected, this metamorphosis has affected the
various disciplines within the field of design, particularly the
visual arts, where it influences the current and future training
of designers and their way of working and undertaking
projects and commissions.
Currently, network processes, that is, multidisciplinary
and transverse collaborations with other professionals and
companies, are not only enriching but necessary, keeping in
mind that one of the essential characteristics of this new professional,
the VISUAL DESIGNER, is to be qualified, involved
and prepared to intervene totally in every stage of the design,
from project management to the development, carrying out
and manufacturing of the product, as well as its marketing and
final communication.
All of this effervescence and its modus operandi, often based
on the immediacy required by an increasingly competitive,
versatile and flexible market, means that the training updating
of a visual designer is constant and permanent. Therefore,
the institutions which provide training in this field, such as the
Istituto Europeo di Design, must be able to analyse, be aware
of and be on the alert for these changes, in order to provide
their students with a syllabus which fulfils the demands of the
professional sectors, companies, institutions and those who
commission these services.
Lastly, an information-based society requires a very advanced
training and education, aimed at producing future
multi-faceted designers who must be able to work in many
different fields and disciplines. Nowadays, the specific borders
of design have begun to blur. Welcome to the renewed and
strengthened Visual Designer.
Manuel Jiménez
Visual Arts Director, IED Madrid
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