Changing the change: Design Visions, Proposals and Tools is an international conference on the role and results of design research in the transition towards sustainability. The conference will be held in Torino, Italy, 10 to 12 July 2008, in the framework of Torino World Design Capital, 2008.

Changing the Change seeks to make a significant contribution to a necessary transformation toward a sustainable future. It specifically intends to outline state-of-the-art of design research in terms of visions, proposals and tools with which design can actively and positively take part in the wider social learning process that will have to take place.

At the heart of the conference design researchers will present concrete research results. This will be complemented by invited keynote speaker’s presentations that will help paint a clearer picture of the common ground from which the conference will take off.

The first European regional conference of the Usability Professionals’ Association (UPA) will take place on December 4th, 5th and 6th, 2008 in Turin, Italy, when the city is also the 2008 World Design Capital.

The conference is taking place in the Italian city of Turin which will then also organise a large variety of activities as the first ever World Design Capital – a title it was awarded by ICSID (the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design). Reflecting this context, the UPA conference will particularly focus on usability and design.

See www.upaeurope2008.org for more information and how to get involved.