Voxpop

Whether we’re architects, product, graphic, fashion or any other kind of designers, we do the same thing. We design. Hopefully, we set out to make things work better and bring delight to humanity. We try to do it in a way that causes the least harm and creates the greatest benefits. There’s enrichment and learning in respecting and collaborating with people whose talents are different from ours. Whatever the point of any festival, the wider its embrace the better.
Michael Wolff, Founder, Michael Wolff & Company

Having trained as an architect in an economic downturn, I happily crossed the line into other disciplines that encouraged me to question whether the making of architectural form is confused with the making of narrative and emotional experiences. The evolution of our built environment, ‘placemaking’, demands a broader blend of skills that may be provided by many other creative minds, such as designers, artists, scenographers and writers. Sadly, the critical arbiters of change – developers, planners and political bodies – don’t share this view.
Peter Higgins, Creative director, Land Design Studio

The main difference is that the designer drills down into the detail far deeper than the architect – particularly with brands, and any channel whereby the brand connects or engages with the consumer. The architect engages with planners, communities and processes. ‘Signature architects’ can be a supercilious bunch that are a client decision-making safety net and a burden for both architects and designers. I welcome the festival’s expansion to include designers. In my experience – having worked with some very dynamic architects – a far better creative and successful solution can often be achieved where there is a synergy which unites both the wider picture of architects and the finer detail of designers.
Gregor Jackson, Managing director, GP Studio

Designers can teach architects to be less dogmatic, and architects can teach designers to raise their critical game and be more questioning of their briefs. Together they can reinforce London’s role as a global creative hub, which is particularly vital in the current economic climate.
Peter Murray, Chairman, Wordsearch