Les différents ordres et associations professionnels du design au Québec, le ministère du Développement économique, de l’Innovation et de l’Exportation (MDEIE) et le ministère des Affaires municipales, des Régions et de l’Occupation du territoire (MAMROT) s’associent pour annoncer le lancement officiel de Mission Design, le premier organisme de valorisation des professions du design à être une véritable émanation de cette industrie au Québec. Lors de la soirée de lancement, qui a eu lieu hier soir au Centre CDP Capital, la mission et les objectifs de l’organisme ont été présentés, ainsi que les membres du Conseil d'administration et son président, M. Jean-Paul L'Allier.

Design as driver for economic development 

This initiative was born of a simple observation: architects and design professionals can provide a springboard for the Quebec manufacturing and service industries on the international scene, not only by contributing to increasing productivity, but by creating real added value to products and services created by Quebec firms. Astoundingly, according to a survey conducted by MDEIE among manufacturers in Quebec, only 13% employ the services of these professionals. 

Now, Mission Design has set its primary mission as bringing together the actors in the design industry and formulating a common strategy to take design to the forefront in Quebec. “We want to make design a real economic force that will act as an driver for the development of Quebec industry,” explains Alain Dufour, executive director of the non-profit organization. 

A creation of the Quebec design industry 

This mission cannot be realized without the unconditional support of the industry as a whole, which comprises more than 39,000 professionals in the architecture, landscape architecture, graphic design, interior design, industrial design, and urban planning fields. Mission Design is the fruit of two years of consultations held by the Conférence interprofessionnelle du design du Québec. This major series of consultations with all actors in the design, architecture, and urban planning sectors confirmed that the creation of an organization to highlight design, supported by governments and the private sector, was viewed as a highly desirable initiative by those in the milieu. 

In addition, Mission Design has created a board of trustees with 25 members who are as representative as possible of the industry, bringing together individuals from the business, design, and academic domains, as well as government observers. 

Stimulating demand for design

A roundtable, gathering key actors in the public, private, associative, and educational sectors around debates on the industry's issues, will aim to ensure coherence in design initiatives and a positioning at the centre of Quebec's strategic orientations. “By making Mission Design a real roundtable for professionals in the industry, created by and for them,” notes André Bourassa, president of the Ordre des architectes du Québec, “we will help Quebec evolve into a world-class, innovative and creative society in which architecture, design, and urban planning are integrated into popular and organizational culture.” 

Moreover, Mission Design will set up a Web portal to be both a promotional tool for design and a platform for exchanges. Another part of the plan is to group all design professional associations and orders on a single site, which could become the Maison de l’architecture, du design et de l’urbanisme. 

Mission Design also intends to use concrete tools to encourage Quebec enterprises to use more of the services of the various design professions. To begin with, the organization is in the process of creating a diagnostic tool that can assess the level of integration of design practices into Quebec manufacturing, technological, and services firms. Inspired by the experience in Singapore, where design services are now used by the majority of firms, this multi-disciplinary diagnostic tool will be available online. 

Among its other projects, Mission Design is also proposing to make Montreal a design platform in 2017, by bringing a series of international interdisciplinary congresses for architecture, design, and urban planning to the city in that year. 

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

President

Jean-Paul L’Allier, lawyer and strategic consultant, Langlois Kronström Desjardins 

Vice-Presidents

Jean Simard, President, Aluminum Association of Canada 

Pierre Léonard, President, Société des designers graphiques du Québec (SDGQ); partner, Parallèle Branding 

Treasurer

Yvan Lambert, President, Association des architectes paysagistes du Québec (AAPQ) 

Secretary

Lucie Bouthillette, Senior Director, Institutional Communications, Executive Vice-President, Communications, Mouvement Desjardins 

Members

Valérie Bécaert, Executive Director, Interuniversity Research Centre for the Life Cycle of Products, Processes and Services (CIRAIG) 

Guy Belletête, Executive Director, Institut de développement de produits 

Claude Benoît, President and CEO, Société du Vieux-Port de Montréal 

André Bourassa, President, Ordre des architectes du Québec (OAQ); President, Bourassa Maillé Architectes 

Robert Chicoine, President, Ordre des urbanistes du Québec (OUQ); urban planning director, Aecom Tecsult 

Giovanni de Paoli, Dean, Faculté de l’aménagement, Université de Montréal 

Nicole Delorme, Partner, NATIONAL 

Clément Demers, President and CEO, Quartier international de Montréal (QIM) 

Helen Fotopulos, Executive Committee Member responsible for culture, heritage, and women’s issues, Ville de Montréal

Alain Fournier, President, Association des architectes en pratique privée du Québec (AAPPQ); Senior Architect Partner, Fournier Gersovitz Moss et associés architectes 

Ginette Gadoury, Co-President, Les productions interface design 

Mario Gagnon, President, Association des designers industriels du Québec (ADIQ); President, Alto Design 

Bruno Gauthier, President and publisher, Les Éditions Infopresse 

Angela Grauerholz, Director, Centre de design de l’UQÀM 

Jean-Paul L’Allier,lawyer and strategic consultant, Langlois Kronström Desjardins 

André Lapointe, President, Association professionnelle des designers d'intérieur du Québec (APDIQ) 

Charles Lapointe, President and CEO, Tourisme Montréal 

François Tanguay, director, Coalition BOIS Québec 

Nathalie Vallée, Assistant Director, Programs and Educational Development Department, CEGEP régional de Lanaudière 

Representative of the Fédération Québécoise des Municipalités (FQM) – appointment underway 

Representative of the Union des municipalités du Québec (UMQ) – appointment underway 

Source: Mission Design 
www.missiondesign.org 

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