Creative & Cultural Skills
03 November 2009

Members of Northern Ireland’s design sector were out in force supporting the launch of the new Northern Ireland Design Alliance, last week. At the event, organised by the Northern Ireland Design Alliance and Creative & Cultural Skills, designers and educators gathered to discuss how investment in skills training will build a competitive industry in the future.

Jonathan Sands, Chairman of Elmwood Design, who has been greatly involved in the UK Design Skills Alliance campaign for Good Design Practice, spoke about the success of his own agency Elmwood and his belief that investment in people is vital for a competitive workforce. In promoting Good Design Practice, he encouraged the sector to promote the benefits of professional skills for all designers and to support design teaching and learning in schools, colleges and universities in order to ensure tomorrow’s designers are ready for new challenges.

The Northern Ireland Design Alliance, is a partnership between industry, education and stakeholders who are committed to supporting designers in Northern Ireland. The Alliance's goal is to promote professional standards and develop design skills that will help designers compete in global markets. It will support the UK Design Skills Alliance campaign for Good Design Practice, which the Design Council and Creative & Cultural Skills are at the heart of, providing operational support with advice and leadership from an Advisory board.

The NI Design Alliance aims to:

• ensure Northern Ireland designers have access to quality professional development and skills training
• give Northern Ireland designers an influential voice in education
• influence government and business
• communicate the importance and value of Good Design Practice across all industries.

The strong support from those at the event demonstrated demand for this body, but we also want to know your thoughts on improving the Northern Ireland design sector. Our ambition is to get designers and design related industries across Northern Ireland engaged in the initiative and shaping the agenda. All the support gathered will be used to lobby government for funding in order to create a more permanent sectoral body that designers can take forward. If you are involved in the design industry in Northern Ireland, we would like to hear from you.

For more information on the Northern Ireland Design Alliance, and to leave your thoughts, please visit the Northern Ireland Design Alliance website.

www.nidesignalliance.com