This year’s TechDay conference series, under the title ‘Exploring the Future of AI: Insights from Engineering’, aims to highlight how design engineering, scientific research, speculative design, sustainability and design ethics are part of the creative process to envision and propose approaches to new proposals that allow reflection on possible future scenarios and their needs. In particular, the relationship between humans and artificial intelligence systems in various fields, such as conceptualization, design of futures, experimentation, development with generative design and communication.
The conference will reflect on recent advances in artificial intelligence and the need to look critically at these developments. For this reason, it aims to reflect on the needs, considerations and ethical issues raised by the relationship between humans and the intelligent systems that are shaping our future.
The TechDay is part of the program of teaching activities of the Bachelor in Industrial Design Engineering. The Design and Experimentation Project course organizes an annual knowledge event focused on a specific topic. The aim is to offer a broad overview of all possible factors for the inspiration of new design proposals to students and professionals related to the subject. The day will feature several presentations by professionals in the sector.
Elisava organizes this event in a format open to the public. For this reason, the TechDay is held in collaboration with the Ateneu de Fabricació de Gràcia in order to disseminate knowledge in an open way.
Schedule
3:15 pm – Access
3.30 pm – Introduction to the day by Alberto Ibañez
4.00 pm – Lecture by Laura Gusart: Conceptualization and narratives with AI
4:30 pm – Keynote by Joan Achon: Co-creation with AI: Expanding the Creative and Productive Process
5:00 pm – Lecture by Àlex Casabò
5:30 pm – Break
6:00 pm – Dialogue and debate
6:30 pm – Final
Conference by Laura Gusart: Conceptualization and narratives with AI
In her talk we will see an introduction to the functioning of AI and ethical aspects, why humans still have a key role, the conceptualization through AI of designs and future scenarios and the curation of images for a good visual narrative.
Laura Gusart is a Designer and Creative Consultant with experience as a Design Director and Manager of B2B and B2C projects in the Food & Beverage and Luxury sectors. As an associate professor at ELISAVA, she teaches the Trends Module for the Masters in Executive & Beyond Branding, focusing on trend forecasting methodologies and sector innovation, and the Phygital Materiality Module, which explores the future of materials through visual conceptualization with AI. He has also led creative workshops for companies such as SEAT Cupra, visualizing new concepts and devising disruptive materials based on context.
Conference by Joan Achon: ‘Co-creation with AI: Expanding the Creative and Productive Process’.
In this talk, we will explore together how artificial intelligence has become a driving force to expand our creative and productive capacity the creative fields we move in. We will discover how, through AI, we can explore, accelerate and enhance creative processes at all levels, from textual to visual and animated. We will see how this interaction between AI and humans allows us to explore, integrate and open new aesthetic and narrative contexts, optimize production times and create impactful and unexpected results. Moreover, this co-creation with AI leads to faster and more efficient working methodologies, offering new opportunities to transform the way we think, create and produce.
Born in Barcelona in the 80’s, Joan Achon and passionate about the interactive and audiovisual world. My background includes graphic design, animation, art direction and interaction, which led me to co-found The Others and Fort studios. As a creative and art director, I lead multidisciplinary projects using creativity, storytelling and art direction design to create unique narrative and visual experiences. In addition, I’ve been teaching for more than 10 years in design universities in Barcelona and I direct the motion graphics master at Shifta, training future digital creators.
Conference by Àlex Casabò
How will society change once AI is massively present in all fields and sectors, and what role will the industrial designer have then?
Àlex Casabò is a freelance industrial design engineer in Barcelona. As a child he had decided he wanted to be an inventor, which led him to study industrial design at Elisava, where he graduated in 2013. He has worked with different clients and studios, collaborating closely with Anima Design, and covering different disciplines in industrial, graphic, space and footwear design projects.
Specializing in recent years in 3D visualization and rendering, he has explored new technologies, especially in the application of artificial intelligence in product design, exploring how these innovations can transform the industry. In 2024 he co-founded KASAK, focused on Generative AI training. In addition, he shares his knowledge by teaching project, modeling and 3D rendering classes at Elisava, IED and Fundació CIM (UPC).
