The Development of Innovative Ergodesign-Oriented Design Is a Necessity of Our Time

Design, by its very nature, is no longer limited to shaping the material world around us. Its scope is becoming considerably broader. Design is evolving into a global instrument, displacing marketing and sociology. Design is reaching deeper levels of research: human behaviour, consumption, lifestyle and the discovery of new directions.

Traditional marketing is increasingly failing to meet the expectations of manufacturers and sellers and does not deliver the anticipated sales results. Today, design is commissioned not only by industrial companies or private individuals, but also by society itself.

Design, in its classical sense, is an artistic and technical project activity concerned with developing industrial products with high consumer value and aesthetic qualities, as well as creating a harmonious material environment in residential and industrial settings and the socio-cultural sphere. Design objects include industrial products (manufacturing equipment, household appliances, furniture, tableware, clothing, etc.); elements of urban, industrial and residential environments; visual information; functional consumer systems; and more. Design is divided into: industrial product design, environmental design, graphic design, fashion design and design within the socio-cultural sphere. Designers may also specialise within each of these fields. The purpose of design is to optimise the functional processes of human life and to improve the aesthetic quality of products, which is impossible without ergonomics.

Ergonomics is a discipline that comprehensively studies anthropometric,

biomechanical, psychophysiological and psychological aspects of human interaction with technical equipment, the object of activity and the environment, with the aim of giving the "human-machine-environment" system the qualities that ensure its most effective functioning while preserving human health and supporting personal development. Ergonomic support for design projects is provided through the direct involvement of ergonomists in the process of designing, developing and implementing ergonomic norms, requirements and standards.

It is implemented in the form of interconnected organisational measures, research and design activities that improve quality and working conditions while reducing the physical and neuropsychological strain placed upon workers.

Ergonomics is a necessary and essential stage of the design process, as a result of which the following must be defined: the rational functions to be performed by a person in the course of their work, work and rest schedules, the geometric and hygienic parameters of the workplace, and so forth.

Therefore, design is based on the scientific principles of object modelling, combining scientific and artistic principles within the designed image, and is applied in other areas of public activity, such as social design.

In times of crisis, declining demand and increasing competition, innovative design becomes one of the essential conditions for ensuring competitiveness in the domestic market and expanding the export volumes of products in a number of industries.

Innovation - the introduction of something new.

The development of international cooperation in the field of innovative ergodesign is one of the major channels through which the Republic can integrate into the global economy and international design culture. At the same time, it shapes the international community's perception of international design as a highly professional activity with considerable potential for industry, culture and education.

Under these conditions, important issues in the field of design must be planned and developed. Relevant information must be obtained, analysed and summarised in the field of contemporary design. Information materials on current aspects of design activity must be prepared and published for professionals working in design, industry, science and culture.

The practical implementation of a number of measures will make it possible to prepare and adopt important legal instruments required for the development of the design industry and, above all, an agreement and an interstate cooperation programme for the states participating in this process. A founding agreement is required to establish an interstate "Design Centre" for the states participating in this process, with the task of promoting the potential of regional design as a factor in the development of innovative national economies.

The organisation of exhibitions and competitions for design projects created by specialists from different countries. The exchange of information and the implementation of joint publishing and advertising activities in the field of design. The signing of a Memorandum on the Protection of Copyright and Intellectual Property in Design by the countries participating in the interstate organisation.

The main task in promoting innovative design is to discuss and coordinate joint actions aimed at creating the necessary economic, legal and organisational conditions. To develop design, scientific research and professional expertise must be provided in the following areas:

- the main provisions and principles for formulating design policy aimed at developing design and introducing it into production and the socio-cultural sphere.

- the development of unified regulatory and technical documentation on design and ergonomics.

- the collection, processing and dissemination of information on current issues relating to the development and application of innovative design (through the preparation and publication of professional, scientific, methodological and reference literature).

- the creation of a specialised interstate information portal on the Internet.

- the publication of a professional theoretical, scientific, practical and methodological journal and periodic express information bulletins.

- raising the professional standard of designers through the further development of the design education system, including the training of highly qualified specialists (exchanges of teachers and students, professional internships, advanced training and postgraduate study);

- organising and conducting international professional events (scientific and practical conferences and symposiums, exhibitions, competitions, festivals, presentations and design seminars involving designers from different countries in order to address socially significant issues of international importance);

- developing measures to provide professional recognition and financial incentives for design specialists (awarding national and interstate prizes for the best design work and active contributions to the development of design, and establishing national honorary titles in the field of design).

- facilitating the free movement of creative professionals and designers travelling for the purpose of cultural exchange.

- establishing professional contacts, exchanging experience and attracting investment through joint projects in the field of ergodesign.

The history of design, formerly known as artistic engineering, has passed through several stages. From the 1960s to the 1990s, design in our region was represented by VNIITE (the All-Union Scientific Research Institute of Technical Aesthetics). At that time, design existed under the name "technical aesthetics". The Institute had ten branches, including branches in several republics of the former USSR: Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Lithuania, Georgia and Ukraine. Productive international cooperation was conducted in various fields. This primarily involved cooperation with the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design (ICSID). ICSID, the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design, was founded in 1957. Its headquarters are located in Helsinki, Finland, and it brings together 148 design organisations from more than 50 countries. It conducts joint initiatives and General Assemblies together with ICOGRADA (the International Council of Graphic Design Associations) and IFI (the International Federation of Interior Architects/Designers).

ICSID's programme of activities includes exhibitions, seminars, educational programmes, competitions and conferences. It regularly publishes a press release for its members containing brief summaries of design news from all ICSID member countries.

VNIITE has held membership in ICSID since 1965, and the International Association "UNION OF DESIGNERS" has held membership since 2000.

The International Association "Union of Designers" is an independent creative organisation and the legal successor to the "Union of Designers of the USSR", which was established in April 1987. Following its re-registration in 1992, the International Association continued to unite most of the creative unions of the independent states, as well as regional and municipal branches of the Union of Designers. The International Association "Union of Designers" is a member of the Council for Cultural Cooperation of the Commonwealth of Independent States and a member of the International Association of Creative Public Organisations of Cultural and Art Professionals.

The International Association "Union of Designers" also includes the Union of Designers of the Republic of Moldova, which was established in February 1988. Today, it brings together more than eighty professionals from various fields of design. Members of the Union of Designers have developed and implemented major government and commercial programmes and projects in various areas of design activity. Moldovan designers participate in national and international symposiums, exhibitions and competitions. The International Association "Union of Designers" provides access to relevant professional information, facilitates the exchange of experience at the international level and enables the establishment of personal creative contacts with leading designers from many countries. Implementation of the results of technical and aesthetic research, as well as other organisational and methodological documents and recommendations.

The International Association "Union of Designers", together with VNIITE specialists, actively organises seminars and conferences devoted to current issues in the theory, history and practice of design and ergonomics. This facilitates the exchange of experience and the development of scientific and creative contacts among specialists. Another area of international cooperation involves bilateral and multilateral relations and research into current issues in design and ergonomics, constituting a creative legacy in the theory, methodology and practice of design that remains relevant today.

The relevant ministries and the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Moldova, with the participation of the Union of Designers of Moldova as the country's leading organisation uniting professionals in this field, must develop a concept for innovative ergodesign for a defined period, shaped by internal patterns of development and by numerous connections with industry, trade and consumption.

The fields of ergodesign for industrial and cultural products, as well as for the social and domestic spheres, must be strengthened. The scientific and educational potential of design in the broadest sense must be enhanced.

These steps will help transform the material environment, make it possible to achieve optimal solutions in the production sector and fully utilise the available scientific and educational potential.