Cool Hunting

This year's festival proves that design—more than ever—is an interactive experience. Throughout the next 10 days there are plenty of workshops, talks and one-day events across the city where everyone gets a chance to be a designer. Below are our top 10 recommendations (again, in alphabetical order) for getting involved.

1.) Blueprints Design Talks
The series of seminars hosted by the magazine provides a platform for leading design figures, such as Ross Lovegrove, Sebastien Wrong and Zaha Hadid, to contribute to debates on design and London. 17-22 September 2007
Royal Festival Hall
Southbank Centre
Belvedere Road
London SE1 8XX map
tel. +087 871 663 2501

2.) Craft, Creativity & the Computer Controlled Age
The Crafts Council and the Materials and Design Exchange (MADE) present a lively discussion chaired by Sir Christopher Frayling to consider what a dialogue between the materials industry and the aesthetic world of contemporary craft might deliver.
17 September 2007, 5:45-7:30pm
Royal Festival Hall, Function Room, Level 5
Southbank Centre
Belvedere Road
London SE1 8XX map
tel. +087 871 663 2501

3.) iDesign: design for life
Dynamo London's unique one-day conference examines the impact of digital interactive media on a host of design related industries.
17 September 2007, 9am-5:30pm
Southbank Centre, Purcell Room
Belvedere Road
London SE1 8XX map
tel. +087 871 663 2501

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4.) Friday Late Create
An unmissable party at the V&A Museum of Childhood in Bethnal Green, celebrating the playful side of design.
25 September 2007, 6:30-10pm
V&A Museum of Childhood
Cambridge Heath Road
London E2 9PA map
tel. +020 8983 5200

5.) Anticipating the Future
Hidden Art Forum presents a discussion of globalization, British design within the global industry and innovation and the environment.
26 September 2007
City Gate House
39-45 Finsbury Square
London EC2A map

6.) LDF: Edits 2007
To make life easier for the impatient and inquisitive Urban Gentry launches TDLF:Edits, a series of ruthlessly edited, lively daily tours that take in the best of the Festival's design talent and London's creative buzz.
15-25 September 2007

7.) [re]design workshops
Inspiring workshops utilizing household waste and sustainable materials to make visually striking, well designed products.
15-16 September and 22-23 September, 10am-6pm

8.) Superactive i2i
Artists Ben Langlands and Nikki Bell created an interactive virtual world accessible by laptop and at a hub at the Somerset House that enables visitors to create an identity and become part of the art.
6 September-14 October 2007
Somerset House
Strand
London WC2R 1LA map
tel. +020 7845 4600

9.) The Business of Design Breakfast Seminars
A program of seminars in association with the Financial Times, looking at and aiming to promote synergy between business and creativity, London's top two industry sectors.
18-22 September 2007
Royal Festival Hall
Southbank Centre
Belvedere Road
London SE1 8XX map
tel. +087 871 663 2501

10.) The Dirt Café's Water Debate and Water Salon
A collaboration between designers, chefs, food specialists, medical and well-being researchers, economists, scientists, social entrepreneurs and many others. As part of an on-going series of projects since 2004, this Dirt Cafe project is centred on global and local water issues. 18-19 September
La Fromagerie
2-4 Moxon Street
London W1U 4EW map
tel. +020 7935 0341