Hamburg in rain

Fantastiskt värdskap av honorärkonsuln Leif A. Larsson i privata Hafen Klub intill Elbefloden igår kväll. Leif är Vansbro-karl, så honom har jag förstås ett extra gott öga till, heja Dalarna! Elegant och god fyrarättersmiddag till Design S-tags ära med 16 arrangörer och talare. Sprudlande Birgit Kassovic, som arrangerat allt från början tillsammans med Helena Wallander från Tocado PR, och alla andra involverade. Flera bekanta från invigningen av Design S på Folkerkunde-museet 2008. Bland annat den spännande professorn Michael Erlhoff, som kommer att dela med sig av intressanta nya funderingar idag. Tyvärr hade jag bara min nya iPhone 4-kamera med mig igår, och det kändes lite påträngande att fota för mycket. Birgit kommer med desto fler bilder som ni får se sen.


Arrived yesterday with Oscar Magnusson in pooring rain. He will speak about Design & Marketing: How to inline sustainable design strategies with your overall corporate strategy. After checking in at our Stella Maris hotel by the harbour, we went to the generous and elegant dinner hosted by the Swedish Honorary Consul Leif A. Larsson for the speakers and organizers of the Design S-tag. He has been very generous in sponsoring  a great deal of the realization of the Design S-tag and exhibition tour here. Today we will enjoy the full day seminar. I also look very much forward to see the actual exhibition in Europa Passage this afternoon. I also look forward to listen to the new thoughts by brilliant professor Michael Erlhoff, whom I got to know during a seminar in 2008 here in Hamburg.

Oscar Magnuson getting ready to cross the street to go to the exclusive Hafen Klub, where our welcome dinner was served

Printed individual 4-course dinner menues - pas mal

Hur kan svensk design bli mera konkurrenskraftig internationellt?

Verkar som om mitt blogginlägg försvunnit i etern, om den kväll som arrangerades i Svensk Forms lokaler i onsdags av IAA - Inspring Excellence in Communicaitons Worldwide. Ett  internationellt nätverk av bl a kommunikationsbyråer och företag som träffas kring olika ämnen och mingel. Kvällens tema handlade om Svensk designs internationella konkurrenskraft, och Electrolux designchef Henrik Otto, tillsammans med mig hade inbjudits som talare och sedan en fortsatt diskussion med publiken och inbjuda presentatörer som Susanna Barrett tidigare BVD och Oscar Magnuson, designer. Foton från kvällen ligger redan uppe på www.iaasweden.com

You have to be more proud of your high genera quality of design in everyday life, the functional basis and the historical heritage, was the conclusion made by Susanna Barrett, former creative director at BVD, graphic designer born in Canada and having lived in Sweden many years, ENJOY IT, BE PROUD OF IT. JUST LEARN TO PACKAGE IT AND TO COMMUNICATE IT BETTER. She considered our humble "jante" attitude both as a drawback and as an asset. So true, so true. Design as a driver and modern competetive weapon, was the theme of the friendly and lively evening, organized by International Advertising Association Sweden  at Svensk Form Wednesday night March 23. Henrik Otto and I gave each a presentation on our view, very similar, on the strength of our historical heritage, at the same time the need to look forward. I was asked to talk for 25 minutes, but felt it would not work under this informal circumstances. Better with open discussion. More photos can be found directly on the IAA webb A really nice meeting, perfect format for discussion and get-together.

Henrik Otto, Senior VP Global Design at Electrolux

Anna Blomdahl, project manager Design S, 17 Swedish Designer and also now Ung

Designer Oscar Magnuson and the organizer of the evening Robin.. share the same view and glasses, design Oscar Magnuson of course