Ania Olszewska Os. B. Chrobrego 8k/81 60-681 Poznan Poland aolsz@o2.pl "Hi, my name is Ania Olszewska. I am 24 and I am Polish. In September 2003 I received an MA in Product Design in the studio led by prof. Bogumila Jung at The Department of Interior Architecture and Design, Academy of Fine Arts in Poznan. I spent the year 2001/2002 studying design at The Department of Furniture and Interior Design at Edinburgh College of Art, in Edinburgh; while during 2003 I did work experience at Jerszy Seymour Design Workshop in Milan. At present, I have started to work together with my friend Basia Metelska and we are still searching for jobs in the field of product/industrial design. The jobs I have done together with Basia recently have been connected with interior and graphic design, because those fields of design are more common in Poland than product/industrial design. However, we do hope that in the future we will be able to set up our own product design studio. I am fascinated by the idea of making things; to create and improve not to destroy; things that bring happiness and have their story – that is what I would like to do. As far as the design landscape in Poland is concerned, many more architecture and interior architecture studios or advertisement agencies are working there than furniture, product or industrial design studios. Hence, the profession of the product designer is not so well recognized in society. Moreover, foreign producers start their production lines in Poland but do not employ Polish designers. Polish producers not always value the role of the designer and often buy the patterns from the West. The low recognition of the product designer profession might also have resulted partly from the fact that Poland and its nation, in its more than 1000 years of history and tradition, had to rise from ruins too many times. Poles had to fight for independence and existence, which in turn did not leave much space for free development in the field of production and consumer goods market. But graphic design, from which the Polish School of Poster Design emerged, was an exception. It was buoyant despite the whirls of history. It probably resulted from the fact that the poster was working as well as the tool of propaganda as anti- propaganda. Anti- propaganda at first aimed against the occupier, then against the system. The fact that the design educational system in Poland is closely linked to Academies of Fine Arts makes design be perceived as a field of art in general. However, people are rarely aware of what the product/industrial design is exactly and what kind of activities it is connected with. I hope that the situation of Polish design will improve and Polish society will become more familiar with the function of the designer in society; which may also happen thanks to the EU enlargement. One of the advantages of design in Poland being taught at Academies Of Fine Arts, is the opportunity to become familiar with and to try different fields of art. This co-existence of disciplines has a strong influence on the development of one’s creative way of thinking on art and life in general. Moreover, tutors are mostly recognized artists as well as designers, which also adds to the good development of a student. Unfortunately, the system of design education as it is, is still too far from the reality of the industry. The ideal would be to find the balance and a better connection between those two components. However, I do not feel entitled to appraise the system. I am aware that teaching design is a hard thing to do. Each design student has to learn also him/herself and should continue the process after his or her studies. In Poland all Academies of Fine Arts are closely linked to one another, which results in the birth of various initiatives such as: competitions, exhibitions and other design events. I hope that in the future more independent institutions and producers will also get involved and there will be more design events. At this time I have an impression that lots of producers in Poland do not appreciate the role of the designer in the process of making the product. However, accession to the EU may change this. I am convinced that, if the Polish producers want to keep their existing markets and win new ones after entering the EU, they will have to give more value to the role of the designer. I perceive the fact that Poland entering the EU is positive, because I approve of lifting artificial barriers and divisions. I hope the extension of the EU will bring an even freer flow of the design thought and thought as such. Learning about differences and interaction will bring better knowledge and more tolerance. I believe that the most important thing is who you are not where you are from; that creative thinking does not know borders. At the same time I strongly respect tradition and believe that nationality sculptures one’s personality, it is important and it has an impact on the way we are brought up. I don’t think that after entering the EU the situation of the Polish designer will change dramatically. I am convinced that young design graduates here and elsewhere are in a similarly tough situation. Not all of us will succeed and only a part will practice design. I think that everywhere to practice design you need a lot of determination, patience and consciousness; which is hard for sure. There are a lot of designers I do respect. But people in design who had the biggest impact on me so far are my professor Bogumila Jung and designer Jerszy Seymour. My icon of design is Achille Cagstilioni. I respect them all not only for their work but also for their views on life. I am aware that there is still a lot to learn ahead. I believe that design simply makes sense and that step by step you could reach the goal. That is why I am not going to give up and I will continue. I hope the EU enlargement will make it a bit easier."