Graz - Design is Everywhere

Graz is a vibrant city that sits nestled in the foothills of the alps in the Austrian province of Styria.  It is the second largest city in Austria, yet despite its size, it maintains the feeling of a historic small town, with a thriving creative economy woven seamlessly into the fabric of the city and exerting influence on its other core industries.

Last Winter, I spent a semester studying at FH JOANNEUM (FHJ) in the Information Design program as part of an exchange from February to June and I can attest to the importance and visibility of good design and the creative economy as a whole in Graz.

Karl Stocker, my professor, and the Head of the Institute of Design & Communication at FH JOANNEUM (FHJ) Design & Kommunikation, writes that Graz is, “characterized by a unique juxtaposition of old and new, tradition and innovation, handicraft and high-tech” (Stocker, 2013). 

During my exchange Graz hosted a festival called “Designmonth”. The festival features various pop-up exhibitions, lectures, installations and showcase cross-disciplinary design and makes it accessible and visible to all. Stocker and the organizers of the “Designmonth” festival see the importance in making design and the creative economy and its contributions to the community known and inclusive for all.