Christian Guellerin

The capitalist world, in which development and the creation of wealth went solely to enriching the happy few, has just fallen. The designer, more than anyone else, is responsible for reconstructing the world towards social and ecological progress. If the engineer has the key to technological development, and the marketer, to sales and economy, the designer has the responsibility to put Mankind and social sciences at the heart of a reflection on how we will live in the future. Cumulus should be at the center of debate and bring on board all students, professors and anyone else wishing to join our great adventure to search for new unknown territories which will help us live happier together tomorrow on our “good old planet.”

[ Lire → ]

The recent emergence of low-cost countries – China, India…– compels us to reorganize the industrial world. People are now starting to realize that mass-production economy might slip off the hands of Western economies.
This is not a new trend. For thirty years, Maghreb countries, South-East Asia, Eastern European countries, among others, have already led us to adapt our economic models, especially companies dedicated to production.
The evolution of those companies can be divided into three main phases: in the late sixties, boundaries gradually opening up and the World Trade Organization’s liberal policy entailed a harsh competition over prices which, in turn provoked a rationalization of production costs. This first phase was followed by a quality-oriented reflection: producing quality and manufacturing better products than the competitors became the leitmotiv of many a company in the late seventies. This type of quality-oriented approach to production often led to proceedings designed to “kill costs”, an issue fundamental to production-oriented companies undergoing pressure from their competitors and anxious to increase their margins. Unfortunately, in many companies quality-oriented policies also resulted in killing all innovation policies.
The third phase focuses upon creation and innovation as means to generate wealth.
Mass-production industry might slip off the hands of Western economies. Some countries such as the United Kingdom have already understood this 20 years ago and got rid of entire sectors of their industry while adopting very purposeful policies to promote design.
However, emerging countries also represent a tremendous opportunity: the mass arrival of a huge number of new consumers. 300 million Chinese now have the same life standards as Europeans. New markets are opening up, especially in the service industry where they are really lagging behind.
Besides, the appearance of all the new information technologies brings about great upheavals in the economic world, turning the least store at the other end of the world into a corner shop, hindering any sustainable commercial proposal, bursting up all landmarks framing international markets. Economically speaking, the “old world” is falling to pieces… We must give it new meaning and re-empower it.
Design for a sustainable development, this current crisis gives a chance for all the creators and a fantastic playground. Crisis, which crisis?

[ Lire → ]

Like all higher education institutions L’École de design Nantes Atlantique is soon going to have to cope with major development-related issues, namely:

1) Strengthening the winning triumvirate “research – education – business” upon which its curriculums have been constructed.
2) Giving a true international dimension to its curriculums and finding new enhanced solutions to attract students and teams from all over the world to Nantes.

The “research – education – business” triumvirate:

To take an ever more relevant stance in creation and innovation-related fields of activity, L’École de design Nantes Atlantique has decided to reorganize the fourth and fifth years of its five-year curriculum around a series of themes/orientations rooted in contemporary social and economic issues.
These themes will blend in with our teaching approach in the shape of 6 main orientations meant to reshape and reinforce the curriculums leading to our five-year state-approved Designer’s Degree.
Thus, in September 2008 our curriculum will be divided into 6 six main orientations (see enclosed document) with a view to furthering our expertise in each of these issues while tightening our bonds with the industrial world.

The chosen themes are radically different from the ranking system design schools have traditionally been opting for, a system that has gone through two main steps: first a profession-based ranking (product designer, interior architect, graphic designer etc.) and then a ranking based on economic sectors (designer for the transportation industry, for luxury goods, designers from different socio-economic environments…).

A number of clusters revolving around the 6 chosen themes will be created so that students can become involved in research activities that will undoubtedly complement and feed our teaching approach.

Restructuring its activities in this original, unique fashion is a way for L’École de design Nantes Atlantique to try and stick out on the worldwide scene in terms of expertise, knowledge transfer and building skills so as to better confront major social, cultural and economic issues.

Innovative business incubator

Design is to be understood as a creative and innovation-oriented discipline intricately linked with the business world. To evaluate the innovative potential already contained within the design field, we intend to set up a business incubator that will, in turn, provide the right environment for economic activities to develop, thus instilling progress and better-being.

Going global

Thanks to the process launched in Bologna and to the new credit transfer systems, European and international students benefit from a great flexibility in choosing how and where to pursue their studies.
Today a student can easily consider completing undergraduate studies in his home country and then enroll in a Master’s Degree in a foreign country.

In this context, as competition between education institutions is growing sharper, their ability to attract foreign students to their shores is going to become more and more significant in determining the strength and quality of their curriculums.

Thanks to our new theme-based orientation and to our increasing involvement in research activities we will grow more and more visible and attractive on the world map. But to take up this challenge, we need to draw up a proper and solid international roadmap beforehand.

Our Managing Director being president of the international network Cumulus paves the way to and lays the foundation for fruitful interaction with foreign research labs, teacher exchanges and international team building.

L’Ile de Nantes , a hotbed of urban activity

Design cannot but remain open to and aware of society’s evolutions while taking root in the thriving life of the city. Establishing ourselves on urban ground, where we could be immersed in the social and economic environment, is an opportunity for us to meet this essential requirement and to benefit from urban facilities such as transportation, food places, cultural events etc.
The Ile de Nantes project – launched by Nantes Métropole, the institution running the city of Nantes – is driven by a will to weigh on the international scene; a will that echoes the development strategy implemented by L’École de design Nantes Atlantique. The “research – education – business” organization around which our Master’s curriculums and research activities revolve seems completely in keeping with this project as it is advertised. Moreover our team would greatly gain from having access to the shared facilities put at the disposal of all companies and institutions established on the site.

[ Lire → ]