Design Congress 2026 went forward the days 25.-26. september á Húsavík but the festival was now held í fourth sinn. Students in product design we LHÍ Iceland took episode í the festival there which emphasis is laid á design, innovation and energy. The program was diverse and together stood off lectures, presentations and events wide about the town. Á while á the stay stood won students that own projects and take advantage the opportunity to that fetch lectures and presentations. Kristin Malmquist, student á another year í product design, says the festival have gone well forward. „Us students offered that fetch various lectures and events but werem parallel because that tend our own projects.“
„Say Less, Do More“
The result of product design students was the exhibition Say Less, Do More which was set up in the Whale Museum in Húsavík. Among other things, the research work of the groups was on display, which developed at the same time during their stay. Then the students used the trip to get to know the community in Húsavík, which led the group to, among other things, Hvammi, a residential home for the elderly, where, according to Kristína, interesting discussions about art and design took place. „At the Design Congress, there was an opportunity to meet people on the same wavelength as yourself, and our project was largely based on a conversation with the residents of Húsavík“.“ The stay was therefore not only about the final result, but also about conversations, research and relationships.
New environment and new relationships
Kolbeinn Tumi, a first-year student in product design, says the project work was in the foreground, but that the community in Húsavík and the atmosphere in the town in the run-up to the Design Congress were very important. „I feel that I have learned a whole lot from the presence in Húsavík both from the speakers but also from the instructors who were in the area and always willing to give a helping hand“, says Kolbeinn Tumi. He also says that working in a new environment in the presence of fellow students and other professionals has had an impact: „Being around fellow students and other professionals for almost a week in a new environment has both aligned us as a student group but also developed us as a designer“ Kristín Malmquist takes the same line and says the stay has given students the opportunity to spend more time together and strengthen the cohesion of the group. She describes the trip as „a good life experience that goes into the experience and memory bank“.
We thank the residents and the community of Húsavík for the great reception and we all encourage you to attend Design Congress next year. Below you can see footage from the trip.
