designswarm thoughts

So I’m back in Montreal after 3 years and nothing seems to have changed. I’d like to be proven wrong though. I am really amazed that whenever we speak of design here, what shows up is either related to urban design, architecture or interior design. Where is everything else? Certainly not listed on the pathetic site of the Institut de Design de Montreal which is getting more and more flash-y and less and less usable for anyone in the industry.

A quick overview of last month’s “portes ouvertes” of Montreal designers is a testament to this lack of variety:

- architecture and urban design firms (24)
- graphic design firms (10)
- interior design firms (4)
- product design (4)
- fashion design (2)
- museum installation design (1)

This is to say the least, pathetic.

No interactive projects, no photography, no wacky stuff, no multi-disciplinary labs, independent small time product designers. The Internet hello? Multi-media stuff, internet of things, mobile, anyone? Where are they hiding? Where is creativity being channeled? What are the hundreds of designers graduating every year doing now? Where are they showing their work? What are they working on? How is the design industry doing? What are the roadblocks? What is this thing people here call “design”?

Whenever anyone asks me “why don’t you work here”, well I usually answer “there’s no work and too much education to do”. Why does that always sound like I’m being a traitor? Why do I feel I’m wrong but have nothing to prove it?

So I thought I’d put my money where my mouth is and try to spend the next month meeting people I already know, reporting from the frontiers, walking around the city, looking for design. You will of course be able to read all about it here dear reader :) I might even make a special section for it! (woohoo an excuse to use the page function on my blog).

I’m dying to understand.

——-
If you know anyone I should be talking to or places I should go, please contact me!
alex (c/o) designswarm (d0t) com