The world around us is a place of encounters between individual interests and the common good. Now it is potent individualism and raging narcissism which mixes with mediocrity, glorifying simplification and reduced access to material goods. Consumerism cannot be combined with minimalism – the same is true of a love of beauty and perfectionism with simple ugliness and imperfection becoming more and more popular. High standards of collectible bric-a-brac, objects desired by a small group of privileged aesthetes, go against the mainstream of mass produced single-use everyday household goods, flooding our markets from far-off factories. Massive corporations driven by the force of collective workaholism have little in common with a growing group of self-employed freelancers whose workplaces are wherever they lay their laptop. Influencers absorbed by raising the visibility of their online profiles will fail to find a common language with those trying compulsively to evade Wi-Fi signals in search of digital anonymity.

During the 12th edition of Gdynia Design Days between 06-14.07.2019 we will gather together professionals and lovers of good design around this polarised reality. We will seek out alternative materials which are kind to the environment; analysing possibilities for better usage of AI for our age of information overload; considering how to redefine economic ideas in relation to politics; studying more closely the human body as a source of previously unused raw materials; while also asking questions about empathy and knowledge about psychological and physical health of those living beings involved in design.

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