
Design is more than just a tool for crafting attractive products or visual surfaces. It is a strategic approach that deeply influences many aspects of life and industry, making a significant contribution to a region’s capacity for innovation. For Creative Industries Styria (CIS), design is a central element of business strategies – a driver of change, a foundation for creative processes, and a catalyst for economic and societal progress.
1. A Comprehensive Understanding of Design
CIS defines design as a holistic concept that extends far beyond traditional disciplines. It encompasses not only architecture, urban planning, and landscape design but also interior and exterior design, industrial and product design, as well as strategic design and design management. Digital areas like user experience, motion, film, video, and game design are equally part of this broad definition, along with service design, communication design, branding, lighting and sound design, fashion, styling, and jewellery. Design permeates daily life, shaping how we experience spaces, use products, and consume information.
2. Design as a Driver of Innovation
Design is a core driver of innovation. Through creative processes, it generates not only aesthetic but also functional and strategic value. By strategically applying design, new solutions are developed that promote resource efficiency, circular economy principles, and sustainability. Design processes challenge existing structures and establish new ways of thinking – across industries, society, and environmental contexts.
3. Networks for Future Competencies
A key task of Creative Industries Styria is to connect the design community with relevant institutions, businesses, and other stakeholders within the Styrian ecosystem. As a cluster and networking organisation, CIS acts as a mediator and enabler, bridging the gap between creatives and industry, business, and public institutions. Through initiatives like awareness campaigns, networking events, pilot projects, and increased visibility, CIS fosters synergies that create clear advantages and competitive edges.
4. Creativity as the Most Important Resource
Creativity is the central resource of our time. It provides the foundation for generating transformative ideas within design processes and innovative projects. CIS actively promotes creativity, offering it a platform to thrive. Only through the power of design and creative approaches can we address the challenges of today and tomorrow.
5. Shaping the Future Through Design
Creative Industries Styria is committed to leveraging design as a comprehensive and integrative tool for building a better future. Designers bear significant responsibility in this process: they shape not only objects and systems but also contribute to solving global challenges such as climate change, resource conservation, and social inclusion. Design creates living environments that consider both human and natural needs – enabling a fairer, more sustainable, and more liveable world.
In summary: Design for a better life in a better world.
Graz, 2024