(smow) blog compact Dutch Design Week Special: Design Academy Eindhoven – Graduation 2014

Despite what popular myth may have you believe, the Design Academy Eindhoven is not alone responsible for Eindhoven’s current status as one of the most important design city’s in Europe.

But love it or loath it there is no getting away from the Design Academy’s influence on the development of contemporary European design. And so of course on Eindhoven’s current status as one of the most important design city’s in Europe.

Consequently the annual Design Academy Graduate Show is one of the high-points of the Eindhoven cultural and social year.
And culinary year, if we may be allowed to briefly digress to express our delight and thanks for the excellent pastries at the opening this morning. Believe it was some sort of pistachio cream filling. Regardless, well done to all concerned.

The students projects were, on the whole, less satisfying.

A lot of the projects appeared to be concerned with smell in various contexts. As if the consensus of opinion in Eindhoven is that public, private, commercial and industrial spaces can be no further improved tactilely, visually or acoustically and so its time to turn design’s attentions to the olfactory nerve.

Nothing against that, and we’re certainly looking forward to seeing what emerges.

However on the whole a lot of the projects seemed to be “coasting”. Were fine. Good and competent. But nothing special.

Naturally there was one the other exception. Projects that appealed to us as being particularly special and offering something genuinely interesting.

In the coming days we will bring you a selection of those we particularly enjoyed, but for now some impressions of the Design Academy Eindhoven 2014 graduation show.