Syracuse University's College of Visual and Performing Arts (VPA) has announced
the establishment of the Golden Mean Series in the School of Art and Design's
Department of Design. The series, whose name references balance and harmony, will
explore how critical good design is to good business. Each event will feature guests of
national and international acclaim who will present their individual perspectives and
then converse together and with the audience.
The inaugural Golden Mean event is based on the theme "Envisioning" and will
feature Gianfranco Zaccai, president and CEO of the international multidisciplinary
design consultancy Continuum, and Bill Mak, an interaction design professional and
innovation entrepreneur. They will speak Wednesday, Nov. 5, at 7 p.m. in Watson
Theater. The talk is free and open to the public. Parking is available in SU pay lots.
"Envisioning" refers to how the creative process is applied to nearly all human
endeavors. Zaccai and Mak will share how their keen ability to envision solutions to
societal needs has fueled their creativity and ultimately the needs of business. They
will also offer highlights from their respective journeys down the many paths that
took their ideas to reality.
Zaccai and Continuum's work has been acclaimed in national and international
publications and received numerous awards from organizations around the world.
Zaccai is a faculty member at SDA Bocconi School of Management in Milan, Italy,
and is a member of the VPA Advisory Council. He holds degrees in industrial design
from VPA and architecture from the Boston Architectural Center.
Mak is chair of the Industrial Designers Society of America's Interaction Design
Professional Interest Section. He works within IMI Studios, a global design
collaborative that guides business leaders in envisioning and creating the future. Prior
to 2007, he contributed to a wide range of products at Microsoft, including desktop
and online emerging technologies, and concluded a 12-year run with Tablet PC and
Windows Vista.
The Golden Mean Series is funded by a major contribution from the Ewing Marion
Kauffman Foundation. For more information, contact Don Carr at dwcarr@syr.edu
or Cookie Caloia at (315) 569-2808 or smartcookie@twcny.rr.com.
VPA is committed to the education of cultural leaders who will engage and inspire
audiences through performance, visual art, design, scholarship and commentary. The
college provides the tools for self-discovery and risk-taking in an environment that
thrives on critical thought and action. Learn more at http://vpa.syr.edu.
