We have been working with Latvia’s manufacturers, designers, educational establishments, institutions and the media for the fifth year, and we have witnessed real success and achievements in the field of design – product, graphic and fashion design. We have seen students, designers, manufacturers and organisers of design life achieving high results in their work. We have witnessed a real interest, responsiveness, huge work and energy devoted to public awareness raising about design, to activating a design environment in Latvia and to promoting the growth of Latvia’s design.

A design festival is a festivity for each design-related person. Every year, during the central event of the festival, we thank its participants, organisers and supporters for the work done and mention the highest achievements. It is important for every person that his or her work is evaluated accordingly. Therefore, this year the Design Information Centre has established an annual Design Excellence Award.

Pirmdien, 19. oktobrī plkst. 11.00 Dizaina informācijas centrs un Rīgas Kultūras aģentūras Rīgas pilsētas izstāžu zāle "Rīgas mākslas telpa" rīko studentu pētījumu semināru – iespēju iepazīties ar studentu pētījumiem ar dizainu saistītās jomās. Seminārā piedalās Latvijas Mākslas akadēmijas, Latvijas Universitātes, Rīgas Ekonomikas augstskolas, Helsinku Dizaina un mākslas universitātes studenti.

Participants: Latvian Academy of Children’s Artistic Fantasy and the Support Foundation of the New Talents. An auction of the drawn works will take place, and the generated income will be donated to the new talents of Latvia.

In order to emphasise the significance of design as an important innovation tool in European industry, BEDA (the Bureau of European Design Associations), in the framework of the European Year of Creativity and Innovation, will nominate 1 October as European Design Day.

A BEDA Board meeting takes place in Riga and in the framework of this meeting designers and representatives of design institutions, shapers of design life and managers from Central and Eastern European countries have been invited to participate in the regional meeting to discuss essential design-related issues in the context of the current economic situation.

An international conference Design and a National Policy, organized on 2 October 2009, brings together experts, shapers of design policy, designers, lecturers and researchers to discuss design development perspectives. Today design has been positioned as one of the leading forces which, through interaction of economic and cultural processes, can offer the public new solutions and set new development directions. The conference will acquaint its participants with Latvian and foreign experience which will allow to assess the current situation and understand future perspectives, and will invite to develop a responsive design policy.