Research Article
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Industrial Design Studios of Warsaw: Pushing Forward For Socially and Ecologically Responsible Design

Year 2023, , 206 - 226, 01.08.2023
https://doi.org/10.58850/bodrum.1281962

Abstract

The aim of this research was to understand the approaches of Polish design studios to project management as well as socially and ecologically responsible design. These issues were investigated through a perspective of Polish design history and today’s socioeconomic realities. A qualitative approach was used in this study with interviews as the main research method. Recorded interviews were deciphered and coded according to common themes within the answers. Five prominent industrial design studios based in Warsaw were interviewed and their design projects were analyzed in detail. Common threads among these projects appear to be a natural evolution of the democratic design approach that started in the ‘60s in Poland and other Baltic countries. The design philosophy, project management, and resulting products suggest that Polish design studios struggle to keep active, competitive, and innovative through ecologically and socially responsible design in spite of the conventional market demand emphasizing styling and form in industrial products. Challenges such as financial limitations, low prices paid for design projects, and having to deal with a broad range of design activities are overcome by using different strategies such as research about local culture and resources, user studies, experimentation with new concepts and materials, professional networking, cooperation with academia, and using national or international funds.

Supporting Institution

NA

Project Number

NA

Thanks

We would like to express our sincere gratitude to Prof. Michał Stefanowski from the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw for his most valuable help and comments at various stages of this study. We also thank to all the design studios which provided valuable information during the interviews.

References

  • Betts, P. (1998). Science, semiotics and society: The Ulm Hochschule für Gestaltung in retrospect. Design Issues, 14, 67-82. https://www.jstor.org/stable/1511852
  • Björklund, T. A., Hannukainen, P., & Manninen, T. (2018). Measuring the impact of design, service design and design thinking in organizations on different maturity levels. In A. Meroni, A. M. Ospina Medina & B. Villari (Eds.) ServDes.2018-Service Design Proof of Concept Politecnico di Milano, (pp.500-511). Linköping Electronic Conference Proceedings No. 150. http://www.ep.liu.se/ecp/contents.asp?issue=150
  • Bochińska, B. (2011). Poland welcomes a world of socially responsible design. Review, 22(1), 24-32. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1948-7169.2011.00107.x
  • Crowley, D. (1994). Building the world anew: Design in Stalinist and post-Stalinist Poland. Journal of Design History, 7(3), 187-203. https://www.jstor.org/stable/1316115
  • Curtis, G. E. (Ed.). (1992). Poland: A country study. Library of Congress, USA.
  • Czerwinski, M. (2011). Pragmatic modernism: Project [projekt] and Polish design, 1956-1970. [Master’s Thesis, University of Kentucky].
  • Davey, C. L., Andrew B. W., Angharad, T., Cooper, R. & Press, M. (2005). Design for the Surreal World? A New Model of Socially Responsible Design. In: Proceedings of the 6th International Conference of the European Academy of Design, EAD06, Bremen, Germany.
  • Ernyey, G. & Stefanowski, M., eds. (2018). Steps ahead, product design in Poland and Hungary after 2000. Adam Mickiewicz Institute.
  • Frejlich, C. (2010). Polish design in a nutshell. Polish Design Quarterly, Special Edition, 2-5.
  • Jeglinska, M. & Czerniewska, K. (2018). Review: Gallery of Polish design, Warsaw. Disegnodaily. https://www.disegnodaily.com/article/gallery-of-polish-design-warsaw (17.12.2018).
  • Margolin, V. (1998). Design for a sustainable world. Design Issues, 14(2), 83-92. https://doi.org/10.2307/1511853
  • Mrozek, J. A. (2018). From prehistory to history, or: Educating designers in a non-consumer society. in C. Frejlich & M. Kochanowska (Eds.), Design Every Where (pp.14-36). Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw.
  • Papanek, V. (1972). Design for the real world, human ecology and social change. Pantheon Books.
  • Pawłowski, M. (2011). Poliphony – contemporary Polish Design. The Association of Industrial Designers.
  • Piechocki, A. & Siciński, D. (2017). An overview of intellectual property protection system in Poland. https://www.paih.gov.pl/polish_law/intellectual_property_rights. (17.12.2018).
  • Solarz, E., Kowalska, A., & Szydłowska A. (2017). The ABCs of Polish Design. Wytwórnia.
  • Sońta-Drączkowska, E., & Mrożewski, M. (2020). Exploring the role of project management in product development of new technology-based firms. Project Management Journal, 51(3), 294-311. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/8756972819851939
  • Starostka, J. (2012). Different Approaches to Design Management-comparative study among Swedish and Polish furniture companies. Swedish Design Research Journal, 8, 46-52. https://journal.ep.liu.se/index.php/SVID/article/view/528
  • Vazquez, D. & Bruce, M. (2002). Exploring the retail design management process within a UK food retailer, The International Review of Retail, Distribution and Consumer Research, 12, 437-448. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09593960210151199
  • Wybieralski, W. & Stefanowski, M. (2007). Wzornictwo w Polsce do roku 1989 na tle politycznym i gospo-darczym, (Design in Poland to the year 1989 in a political and economic context). Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw, Faculty of Industrial Design.

Industrial Design Studios of Warsaw: Pushing Forward For Socially and Ecologically Responsible Design

Year 2023, , 206 - 226, 01.08.2023
https://doi.org/10.58850/bodrum.1281962

Abstract

The aim of this research was to understand the approaches of Polish design studios to project management as well as socially and ecologically responsible design. These issues were investigated through a perspective of Polish design history and today’s socioeconomic realities. A qualitative approach was used in this study with interviews as the main research method. Recorded interviews were deciphered and coded according to common themes within the answers. Five prominent industrial design studios based in Warsaw were interviewed and their design projects were analyzed in detail. Common threads among these projects appear to be a natural evolution of the democratic design approach that started in the ‘60s in Poland and other Baltic countries. The design philosophy, project management, and resulting products suggest that Polish design studios struggle to keep active, competitive, and innovative through ecologically and socially responsible design in spite of the conventional market demand emphasizing styling and form in industrial products. Challenges such as financial limitations, low prices paid for design projects, and having to deal with a broad range of design activities are overcome by using different strategies such as research about local culture and resources, user studies, experimentation with new concepts and materials, professional networking, cooperation with academia, and using national or international funds.

Project Number

NA

References

  • Betts, P. (1998). Science, semiotics and society: The Ulm Hochschule für Gestaltung in retrospect. Design Issues, 14, 67-82. https://www.jstor.org/stable/1511852
  • Björklund, T. A., Hannukainen, P., & Manninen, T. (2018). Measuring the impact of design, service design and design thinking in organizations on different maturity levels. In A. Meroni, A. M. Ospina Medina & B. Villari (Eds.) ServDes.2018-Service Design Proof of Concept Politecnico di Milano, (pp.500-511). Linköping Electronic Conference Proceedings No. 150. http://www.ep.liu.se/ecp/contents.asp?issue=150
  • Bochińska, B. (2011). Poland welcomes a world of socially responsible design. Review, 22(1), 24-32. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1948-7169.2011.00107.x
  • Crowley, D. (1994). Building the world anew: Design in Stalinist and post-Stalinist Poland. Journal of Design History, 7(3), 187-203. https://www.jstor.org/stable/1316115
  • Curtis, G. E. (Ed.). (1992). Poland: A country study. Library of Congress, USA.
  • Czerwinski, M. (2011). Pragmatic modernism: Project [projekt] and Polish design, 1956-1970. [Master’s Thesis, University of Kentucky].
  • Davey, C. L., Andrew B. W., Angharad, T., Cooper, R. & Press, M. (2005). Design for the Surreal World? A New Model of Socially Responsible Design. In: Proceedings of the 6th International Conference of the European Academy of Design, EAD06, Bremen, Germany.
  • Ernyey, G. & Stefanowski, M., eds. (2018). Steps ahead, product design in Poland and Hungary after 2000. Adam Mickiewicz Institute.
  • Frejlich, C. (2010). Polish design in a nutshell. Polish Design Quarterly, Special Edition, 2-5.
  • Jeglinska, M. & Czerniewska, K. (2018). Review: Gallery of Polish design, Warsaw. Disegnodaily. https://www.disegnodaily.com/article/gallery-of-polish-design-warsaw (17.12.2018).
  • Margolin, V. (1998). Design for a sustainable world. Design Issues, 14(2), 83-92. https://doi.org/10.2307/1511853
  • Mrozek, J. A. (2018). From prehistory to history, or: Educating designers in a non-consumer society. in C. Frejlich & M. Kochanowska (Eds.), Design Every Where (pp.14-36). Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw.
  • Papanek, V. (1972). Design for the real world, human ecology and social change. Pantheon Books.
  • Pawłowski, M. (2011). Poliphony – contemporary Polish Design. The Association of Industrial Designers.
  • Piechocki, A. & Siciński, D. (2017). An overview of intellectual property protection system in Poland. https://www.paih.gov.pl/polish_law/intellectual_property_rights. (17.12.2018).
  • Solarz, E., Kowalska, A., & Szydłowska A. (2017). The ABCs of Polish Design. Wytwórnia.
  • Sońta-Drączkowska, E., & Mrożewski, M. (2020). Exploring the role of project management in product development of new technology-based firms. Project Management Journal, 51(3), 294-311. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/8756972819851939
  • Starostka, J. (2012). Different Approaches to Design Management-comparative study among Swedish and Polish furniture companies. Swedish Design Research Journal, 8, 46-52. https://journal.ep.liu.se/index.php/SVID/article/view/528
  • Vazquez, D. & Bruce, M. (2002). Exploring the retail design management process within a UK food retailer, The International Review of Retail, Distribution and Consumer Research, 12, 437-448. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09593960210151199
  • Wybieralski, W. & Stefanowski, M. (2007). Wzornictwo w Polsce do roku 1989 na tle politycznym i gospo-darczym, (Design in Poland to the year 1989 in a political and economic context). Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw, Faculty of Industrial Design.
There are 20 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Subjects Architectural Design
Journal Section Research Articles
Authors

Murat Bengisu 0000-0001-6814-5861

Füsun Erdoğanlar Bengisu 0009-0006-6461-4425

Project Number NA
Publication Date August 1, 2023
Published in Issue Year 2023

Cite

APA Bengisu, M., & Erdoğanlar Bengisu, F. (2023). Industrial Design Studios of Warsaw: Pushing Forward For Socially and Ecologically Responsible Design. Bodrum Journal of Art and Design, 2(2), 206-226. https://doi.org/10.58850/bodrum.1281962