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Thursday 23 October

What can we learn from Japan when it comes to innovation and design? The small island state of Japan is one of the worlds biggest economies, and Tokyo is the largest metropole on earth. Japanese art and design has always been appealing to the Dutch, its simple but refined craftsmanship always appreciated. Today, Design Academy Eindhoven is collaborating with the country. In the brunch conversation this collaboration is explored: Gabrielle Kennedy, design journalist working for the academy, has spent 8 years in Tokyo herself. She interviews Professor Daijiro Mizuno, Keio University and Bas Raijmakers, Reader Strategic Creativity about the links between DAE and Keio University.

So, the EMMA reporters are in their own way exploring the realm of Japan within the school. They heard some rumors about the new silkscreen teacher Lara, who apparently has spent a few months in Japan. After Lara, the pursuit of finding Fuji and Yuiko begins. And ends… in an interesting talk about ramen and chopsticks in a steaming Japanese eating house in Eindhoven. Where the toppings on the ramen have absolutely nothing to do with Japan. And where Yuiko claims she cannot live without Japanese food.

Wednesday 22 October

In today's show, 3 Master graduates (Camille, Lucas and Silvia) that are exhibiting in the show are questioned by EMMA. Sit and listen for some interesting quotes from the designers themselves. Is it shameful to end up in mass production as a designer? Obviously these 3 graduates are not too eager to gear towards a career in mass industry. Lucas Munoz stresses the fact, however, that we do need mass production, but in a smart and new way. 'I read somewhere that there are more people alive today on the planet than all the people who ever lived in the whole history. We have a lot of mouths to feed, the mass is alive. But we need to be innovative and stay away from looting the seas and the land."

The graduates have some clear advice for the mayor of Eindhoven. Stop using grey paint, we have enough of that already. Use some colour! Move the city to another place! And invest in inspiring architecture.

Another topic that is discussed is the shame in design. A round on the floor results in interesting quotes: When design becomes an insider's game, when you make people believe they are not smart enough to understand it. When you copy the creative work of others. When you create too much waste.

Then the other question arises: what is the glory of design? "When your personality shines through your project, when it shows who you are and where and what you want."

Tuesday 21 October

In Monday's brunch talk, Fablabs and 3D printing is discussed. The overall conclusions seem to sum up the advantages of the do it yourself trend. Anyone who has creative ideas and ambitions can realize their dream, even if they lack experience, financial means and materials. The labs and workshops bring all disciplines together. and enable designers, entrepreneurs, researchers and traders.
But, what is the role of the designer in a world where anyone can make anything? Will we need the creative minds if we can draw our own shoes and have them produced? A leap into the future might show the designer as a curator, coordinator, gatekeeper. Because there is a lot of craziness and follishness that comes up when poeple are enabled to make anything they want. Guns? Ideal husbands? Van Goghs replica's?

What anout the graduates? Have they made use of 3D printing? The reporters question them about the topic. Some projects would not exist without the technique, for example Roel Deden's Printhesis and Celine Roelofsma's eyewear. Many others however still truly embrace handcraft. Martina Lasinger invented her own technique of weaving with wood. Everything you see in her 'Meet the Wicker' furniture was made by her own hands. Goof van Baak's 'Havenlicht' lamp is controlled by an app, but was made without much computer science. Goof: "I think in the future we will have two kinds of design. One will still evolve around handcraft, the other will be based on 3D and do it yourself methods. They both have different qualities and a different look. That we are gearing towards a culture where people can create their own stuff is inevitable."

Monday 20 October

Designers are storytellers, mapping experts, explorers. Because design is for people. They use it in their daily life, they marvel at it, or they talk about it. The design has to appeal to them. So, how does the designer do that? How does he gather facts? What tools and methods does he use? And how does he bring that across in the actual project?

In today’s round table discussion Danielle talks to graduates, lecturers, alumni and researches about the tools of a designer. Empathy, journalism, storytelling, knowledge: all words often heard in the realm of design.

Monica Alisse, Design Academy alumnus graduated last year with her Mapping Malala project. She is intrigued by the crossovers between journalism and design. She has her own exhibition during DDW called Design and Journalism.

The reporters ask graduates and visitors about their associations with design tools. What is mapping? What is empathy and how does it serve the designer. As one of the graduates says: the word tool might be the most common word within the walls of Design Academy.

Sunday 19 October

Champagne connects

Mind the Step, the Graduation Show, Sense Non Sense and Hidden Treasures; Radio Emma visited the openings of various design exhibitions in Eindhoven on the first day of the Dutch Design week.

It turned out that champagne christenings were not the only commonality between the shows. Mind the Step is a collaborative effort of the three Technical Universities in the Netherlands (Eindhoven, Twente, Eindhoven). Olle Ludin questioned Daan van Eijk from Delft University of Technology, who explains how they tried to unite technology, research and design with the aim to increase the power of innovation in the Netherlands. He stresses the importance of collaboration; of course there is also healthy competition between the three Universities but they also all realise that they become more powerful when they unite forces.

Thomas Widdershoven, curator of both the Graduation Show of Design Academy Eindhoven and the Sense Nonsense expo at Van Abbe, is also looking for new connections. The Sense Nonsense expo, set up by the Van Abbe Museum and Design Academy Eidhoven shows sense-cal and nonsensical projects by alumni of Design Academy. Among them, Maarten Baas showing his design circus and acknowledged artists and designers like Wim T Schippers presenting a bumped taxi. Nicoletta reports a big salad of smells, humongous vegetables and lots of noise.

Olle also visits Oscar Tomico, key person in the network of smart textile networks who is knitting and weaving new collaborations in the Temporary Art Centre.

Finally Kim jumps on a drinking tour finding out how wine, beer and champagne bubbles connect designers and mere mortals alike.

Pre-opening Graduation Show 2014

Checking stress levels - and music preferences - at the building site

EMMA is back!

In this pre-opening show EMMA is doing a bit of research on Dutch Design Week and Graduation Show. Also, the reporters are curious and caring. How is everybody doing? Especially, the manager of the building team, Mark van der Gronden? He seems very relaxed for someone who likes to wake up with Missy Elliott. Who is this guy and what is he doing here? Listen to the first EMMA jingles….and be delighted!

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