TURN ME ON: SOPHIE KRIER
Channel: MUDAM Luxembourg 
Date: 15/05/2012

Field Essay: Where do I end and where do you begin
Experiential interlude by Sophie Krier - designer, researcher and conference curator (L/B)

OUTLINE / LEADING QUESTIONS
Leading questions of the day include: which added value can design thinking bring to Luxembourg's business, education and culture?

What's going on in the contemporary, international design field and what can the Luxembourgish field learn from these developments? How is design currently being perceived and applied across the country? How can Luxembourg's enterprises and designers foster a design culture of international relevance? Which roles can design and its stakeholders (policy makers, educators, designers, enterprises, citizens) take on in order to enhance the service economy and make it sustainable?

The format of the symposium is geared at addressing both, the economic and the cultural sector of Luxembourg, in order to bridge their respective interests. The program is designed to attract two groups of people at the same time: culturally minded and business-minded persons. Both will be given the opportunity to experience design as an integral part of society: indeed, the guiding idea behind the symposium is the integration of design in all levels of our society, through accurate responses to actual needs.
The symposium looks at design in an inclusive way that goes beyond disciplines: "It is not about the world of design, but the design of the world." (John Thackara)

While the morning has a visionary focus, the afternoon has a more hands-on character, with best practices and participative expert session. As such, the day conveys the principle of design thinking: bridging thinking with making, expert sessions and strategic innovation with an open, creative mind-set.

The target audience of the symposium includes independent designers, CEOs and designers of SMEs and large enterprises, policy makers and mediators in the field of design at large.