New Delhi : This coming March, from the 4th to the 6th, Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) will hold an exhibition titled Japanese Good Design Exhibition. This event will be the first of its kind to be held in India. It will highlight roughly 90 products from Japan including appliances, cars, motorcycles, lifestyle items and even machinery. The exhibition will be held in association with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and the India Design Council (IDC) at Federation House. We will be inviting the Hon’ble Minister of Commerce & Industry, Shri Anand Sharma to inaugurate the exhibition at the opening ceremony being held on 4th March.
In recent years industry has become increasingly aware of the importance of product design. In response to this growing awareness, India’s government announced their National Design Policy in support of fostering innovative design. This policy, which was announced in 2007, calls for a mechanism for recognizing and awarding industry achievers in creating a brand image for Indian designs through the award of an India Design Mark. To help establish India’s own award system, the India Design Council (IDC) contacted the Japanese government to learn from their experiences in creating Japan’s Good Design Award and the two organizations signed a memorandum of understating in April 2010.
The Good Design Award is a comprehensive program for the evaluation and encouragement of design organized by the Japan Industrial Design Promotion Organization (JIDPO), which was established in 1957 by the then Ministry of International Trade and Industry (the current Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry). JIDPO receives approximately 3,000 submissions from more than 1,000 companies and designers every year. These designs are screened by about 70 design experts, who select and recommend those designs worthy of the Good Design Award. However, the Good Design Award is not a beauty contest, nor is it an award that assesses the design’s outcome in economic terms. Rather, the Good Design Award is a system that aims to channel the eminent powers of design to build prosperous lives and encourage sound industrial development. Ultimately, it is a campaign to brighten and enrich society through design.
METI hopes to build on the 50-year history of the Good Design Award, and through collaborative efforts, establish an Indian design award to create a mutually beneficial relationship between Japan and India. Additionally, a key aim of the event will be to further understanding of how design in Japan has contributed to industrial, economic and social development, and apply that knowledge in India.