“THE DESIGN OF PROSPERITY” SUMMIT IN NOVEMBER 2006 WAS THE FIRST OF A SERIES OF YEARLY CONFERENCES FOCUSED ON THE PROCESSES INFLUENCING CHANGE AND INNOVATION AND
HOW THESE MAY GIVE RISE TO NEW PATTERNS OF PROSPERITY.
The dream of Modernity that was once the driving force of our affluent western societies is over. It has shifted to the emerging markets of our global economy and has left taunting memories of a longed for past in its wake. This has led to a general atmosphere of disillusionment that is reflected in our saturated markets which, instead of generating sustainable change and innovation , are caught in an endless repetition of an “always different and yet the same” marketing approach generating our over-designed product world, where design is just addressing customers’ wishes instead of creating new needs. There are many indicators showing that since the 1980´s in most European countries economic growth has not added to people’s perceived quality of life. Today this widening gap is seriously inhibiting the further development of our western economies and is leading to consumption stagnation. It is therefore high time that new viable paths be sought out that might point the way towards a consumption culture linked to the prospect of a new prosperity.

The purpose of “The Design of Prosperity” annual conference is primarily to understand the most important driving forces behind the development of our western cultures and take this as a starting point from which to shape our “present future”. By involving a unique panel of high-class experts in Economy, Science, Technology, Humanities, Design and Arts, this conference introduces a groundbreaking trans-disciplinary approach to change and innovation in times where market research and customer surveys would seem to preside over creativity. It represents a break with the mechanistic approach of traditional marketing and defines its own cultural model for strategic design, product development and market communication.

“The Design of Prosperity” project is marked by new modes of cooperation between the academic, the cultural and business communities that have the potential to set the parameters for a new and sustainable culture of consumption. It provides a unique opportunity for

• the Swedish business community to get new insight into future market
developments influencing their strategic planning and innovation management activities
 
• for designers, design managers and marketers to acquire food for thought on the role of design as a creative discipline
that is in a position to generate new consumer needs and a process capable of adding sense and meaning to products and services
 
• for students and scholars who can get first hand access to state of the art knowledge supporting their
study, research and teaching  commitments together with the possibility of initiating new types of interdisciplinary cooperation.
 
• for policy makers and citizens who are here given the chance to get an understanding of the dynamics of our fast changing
economies, societies and cultures that should be of help in facing the challenge to develop a vision of a better life for many.

“The Design of Prosperity” project was conceived in the fall of 2004 and began in 2005 with a series of seminars and workshops devoted to paradigm shifts in our marketplaces organized by The Swedish School of Textiles in Borås:

• April 28th, 2005: “ExtraOrdinary Fashion Design” dealt with the subject of new
customer demands and the paradigm shift in luxury  (case histories of Neiman Marcus and Muji)   (PDF-english)
• September 19th, 2005: “What is Made in USA made of?” discussed the added-value of the
sweatshop-free, “made in USA” production policy of the company American Apparel.   (PDF-english)   (PDF-swedish)
 
• November 28th, 2005: “What is Made in Italy made of?” investigated the key success factors of the Italian fashion
system and strategic  design model, placing emphasis on Business Design, Retailing, Value Branding and Communication. 
 (PDF-english)   (PDF-swedish)