Oct, 1-11 2020, Toolbox Coworking

Visual design has always been a key factor in social development, mostly because it serves to convey the message, affecting the message itself. Besides its function of transmitting information, one of its primary purposes is stimulating reflections.

In our hyper-connected context, many geographic areas are facing the very same challenges, ranging from climate change to demographic change and migrations.

The recent global health emergency shows us that these interconnections exist, at the same time, on a higher and a lower level, affecting unstoppable processes.

In this scenario, the role of visual design is to use information and knowledge as powerful tools to understand and face the transition from a system to another (economy, politics, society, environment) through new approaches that aim at obtaining a change of the paradigm.

This year the event is renovating itself presenting Transitions, a special edition characterized by an accurate analysis of the most relevant themes of the system we live in, with interesting interventions by experts coming from different fields. This edition, which is taking place from October 1 to 11, 2020, anticipates the widespread edition of 2021.

Associations, institutional bodies, professionals and agencies from the visual communication field will discuss possible scenarios and new paradigms of our society and environment and their transitions through a systemic approach. The programme includes talks, workshops and exhibitions. 

The program presents participatory workshops of co-design dedicated to professionals of this sector, with institutions and companies involved in the event. 

The edition of 2020 presents also a remarkable exhibition itinerary dedicated to examining the new interpretation of the archetypes of traditional Italian culture, showing that the role of a visual designer deals with social activation and with the reconnection to values and history.

Social themes are also being discussed during talks and working tables, stimulating a reflection on issues like sustainable mobility and social inclusion.

From individual to environment through visual design. 

Graphic Days® Transitions aims at sparking an open debate on the multiple scenarios of the contemporary era: visual design can promote a transition from a traditional paradigm focused on human needs to a new one focused on our planet’s health. 

So far consumerism and globalization have been promoting a human centered model, emphasizing an immediate satisfaction of human needs through customized services. Today we are experimenting a new level of awareness about the impact of this model, which has a co-responsibility, on a global level, in the processes that are threatening the planet’s health. For many years we have been ignoring the side effects of this model, especially when these negative outcomes were affecting geographic areas that used to be completely neglected by the media.

Changing things means promoting sustainable methodologies, research, products and services that move away from the human centered paradigm, redefining design thinking methods in order to consider the needs of the planet as well as the aspects of an interconnected social system.

Visual design can contribute to improving the capability of society to take responsibility with a direct or indirect impact on the rules and values system. The challenge is “reinventing the human being” to make one aware of the risks and the changes that could be made in everyday practice.

Graphic Days® is a cultural project dedicated to international visual design. From famous icons of history to contemporary innovative professionals, it describes all the aspects of visual communication, including its contaminations with other disciplines. Every year, Graphic Days® involves the most relevant artists, professionals and agencies of the international scene in a widespread festival. 

This project aims at supporting the cultural value of visual communication, presenting new inspiring tools and promoting exchange with the audience through debates, exhibitions and installations.

Since its first edition in 2016, Graphic Days® has cooperated with an international network and has become an observatory on visual design, thanks to its research on possible connections between this discipline and today’s global issues.

It combines social commitment and environmental sustainability. Its main focus is the responsibility of the visual designer in the narration of the relation between different systems and their implications. 

Among the topics of the projects, symbolism and tradition are two crucial themes, especially for their relationship with the universal language of graphic design. This connection combines also form and content, meaning and significance, culture and nature. New tools can go along with traditional techniques, giving rise to new creative ideas.

Graphic Days® is promoted by Print Club Torino, a cultural and multi-project based center that combines social innovation design and visual culture with a wide programme of activities, events, collaborations and projects that deal with social inclusion and accessibility.