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Cumulus Design Conversations

French Perspectives & Global Challenges: A unique opportunity to connect academia and business 

Registration coming soon.
Event open to general public, registration coming soon.
The cumulus conversations are included in the Cumulus conference program. 
« Designers are no longer just problem-solvers—they are problem-framers, strategists, and ethical leaders. If we embrace this role, we can turn constraints into opportunities, and build the foundations for a more resilient and responsible future. »

In a world of geopolitical uncertainty, climate crises, and disruptive technological advancements, design emerges as a strategic lever for addressing systemic complexities.  However, designers primarily operate within global economic systems, often driven by performance and efficiency. Ethical leadership in design questions how designers can create value while embedding more sustainable and equitable practices. What will be the new roles and skillsets required for designers to tackle these interconnected global issues? How can design education evolve to prepare future professionals for this shifting landscape?

This Cumulus conference invites a dialogue on the unique position of design as a catalyst for innovative and resilient solutions, striking a balance between economic ambition, societal responsibility, and the need to adapt to an ever-changing global landscape. The conversation will delve into three key themes that reflect the intersection of design, ethics, and global challenges:

  1. Ethical Leadership in Design: Why does design stand out among other disciplines as a potential lever in addressing societal and environmental challenges?
  2. The Competencies of Designers: As global challenges evolve, what are the essential designers skills? How might they adapt to new roles while maintaining their creative and ethical core?
  3. The Role of Design Schools: How can educational institutions redefine their mission to equip designers with the tools and mindsets necessary to shape a more sustainable and inclusive future?

These Cumulus Design Conversations will consist of two roundtable discussions inviting a dozen key figures from the academic and industrial worlds to collaboratively outline the 10 principles of Ethical Design Leadership.

Roundtables

1/ Climate Change and Resilience

The Key Role of Ethical Design leadership

Climate change demands a profound transformation of industrial and social practices, where resilience becomes essential in the face of growing geopolitical and environmental constraints. Can design play a pivotal role in developing sustainable, eco-responsible models adapted to an ever-evolving world? This panel explores how various industries collaborate with design to address these challenges, showcasing concrete and innovative solutions.

Panel 1

Innovation and Territorial Design Challenges 

Speaker: (TBD)

1. Risk New Normal: Anticipating and Managing Climate Risks

Speaker: Clara BOVE, User Research and Design Lead at AXA DCP

2. Producing and Living Differently: Building Resilient Spaces and Materials

Speaker: Katie COTELLON, Head of Design and User Experience at Saint Gobain

3. Industrial Model for the Future: Designing and Scaling Resilient Value Creation  Models

Speaker:  Nicolas BUCHE, Business Innovation Manger at Orano

4. Designing for Change : Embedding Sustainability in the Mass Market

Speaker: Decathlon (TBC)

Design as a Catalyst for Territorial Innovation

Keynote witness: Emmanuel THOUAN, President of APCI

2/ AI and the Designer

Rethinking Intelligence & creativity in the Age of Machines

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming industries, professions, and our understanding of what it means to be human. For designers, this shift raises critical questions: How does AI challenge traditional practices and create new opportunities? What role does the designer play in maintaining human-centric values in an increasingly automated world? This panel explores the intersection of AI, design, and humanity, addressing the balance between innovation and ethics, and examining how design can lead in shaping responsible and sustainable futures.

Panel 2

1. Design only challenged by AI ? Set up the Challenges

Speaker: Jerome FERRARI FROMAGER, Head of Design at Orange,

2. Future of Work 

Speaker: Anne ASENCIO, WW Vice president, Design Experience at Dassault Systems

3. Design, Trust and AI

Speaker: Gaël JAFFREZIC, Lead / Staff Product Designer at Meta (TBC)

4. Design Education and Resilience

Speaker: Joseph PRESS, Vice Dean and Professor at NACAA

Keynote Witness: Lou YONGQI, Vice President of Tongji University