The First Edition of Future Design Week

The seven-day program highlighted how design can be a driving force in building a better future.

Future Design Week, curated by Desa

Potato Head, was a festival encompassing exhibitions, talks, workshops, art installations and music events, bringing together inventive minds across conservation, design, music and fashion. Centred around sustainable design and its potential to be a driving force in building a better future, Future Design showcased both world-renowned and local designers, studios and brands whose fresh approach is pushing towards a more enriched and thoughtful tomorrow.

The impressive roster of talent includes a mix of both homegrown and international names such as Max Lamb, a british furniture designer who established his own practice in 2007 after graduating with a Master’s Degree in Design Products from the Royal College of Art. He mainly works with elemental materials and traditional processes to create pieces with an innovative yet primitive sensibility. Greg Long is one of the most successful and highly decorated big wave surfers. He is also a passionate activist working with environmental groups like Parley for the Oceans to help protect the planet’s blue spaces through awareness and education. Another big name is Dirk Vander Kooij, a Dutch furniture and lighting designer best known for his playful extrusions of recycled plastic. His work is exhibited at museums, galleries and fairs around the world as a leading example of forward-thinking design.

Lim Masulin, founder of BYO Living, the world’s first weaving company to produce architectural works which carry artisanal

craftsmanship into the future by bridging traditional techniques with innovative technologies, was also present at the event. Many other big names include Tony Fadell, Faye Toogood, Virgil Abloh, Borneo, Canaan, Studio Eksotika & Dea, Eric Duncan, Green School Innovation Hub, Greg Long, Indosole, Nano Uhero, Space10, Smile Plastics, Sustainism Lab, The Shelter Project and Alex Olson.

How can design help build a better world?

Transitioning into a circular economy is one of the biggest challenges of our time; it requires asking the right questions, keeping an open mind and establishing global collaboration across multiple industries. Future Design Week was meant to show the incredible scope and ingenuity of forward-thinking designers, studios and brands whose innovative approach is pushing towards a more sustainable future.

The opening program began with ocean conservation experts “Parley for the Oceans” on Friday, 17 May with a full day of talks, workshops and music; a Design Exhibition and Sustainism Lab was opened to the public throughout the week; and a closing party with a DJ set by fashion’s lauded stylist/designer Virgil Abloh. This wide array of think-tank leaders will show how Desa Potato Head fuses visionary minds with Balinese culture.

Ronald Akili, CEO of Potato Head Family, fully supports Future Design Week and said that he himself likes nature and is scared that pollution will get worse and will be passed down to our descendants. “Of course we can start doing something ourselves to look after our environment, but it would be nice if we do these actions through our business”, he said.