Designing Forward: Ethics, dialogue, and the role of ICoD
May 30, 2025
Collaboration, EDAwards25, ICoD, Interview, Melike Taşcıoğlu Vaughan
A conversation with the ICoD President on ethics, community, and why the edge is where the future begins.
Words matter to Melike Taşcıoğlu Vaughan. As a designer, professor, editor and now President of the International Council of Design (ICoD), she speaks with the clarity of someone who’s deeply thought about what design can do — and what it must do.
Ahead of her participation in the ICoD Regional Meeting during the European Design Festival 2025, we spoke with her about her journey, her hopes for the design community, and the evolving role of institutions in shaping the profession.
“Design became my mother tongue before I even had a name for it.”Born to architect parents, Melike describes her early exposure to design as both intuitive and formative. But what makes her trajectory unique is not just where it began — it’s how it keeps unfolding.
Teaching, she admits, was never in the plan. “It’s something life brought to me, and I consider it one of the greatest gifts,” she says.
Her work at Anadolu University, combined with international workshops and travel, led her organically into ICoD — a place where design, dialogue, and social purpose meet.
“My practice has often been in editorial design,” she explains, “and often around issues of social justice. I’ve come to see design as a space for reflection, for resistance, and for repair.”
Awareness as a Creative Force
What excites you most about design right now? Whether from a conceptual, technological, or social standpoint, what sparks your curiosity or gives you hope?
What excites me most about design right now is that it’s becoming more aware. Aware of its consequences. Aware of the systems it takes part in. I see this in so many ways — whether it’s the growing attention to sustainability, or the rise of strong, self-organised communities that go beyond traditional structures like “company” or “nation.”
Personally, I’ve been very into gardening and composting in the last few years. Observing nature—how nothing is wasted, how cycles sustain themselves—has been a quiet teacher for me. It is slow. It is patient. But it reveals so much.
There’s something incredibly hopeful about how many people are learning from this, sharing knowledge, and taking responsibility. It shows me that we, as designers and as people, are starting to understand the long-term effects of bad design — and choosing to do better.
I also find a lot of hope in the voices that are rising: women, queer designers, people from the margins who are building power together. What excites me is not the tool itself—whether it’s AI or anything else—but how people are beginning to use it with intention. To listen better. To question boldly. To connect in ways that matter.
You’ve recently assumed the role of President of ICoD. What does this position mean to you and what are your initial thoughts stepping into this global leadership role?
When I was elected and handed the gavel at the General Assembly, I remember feeling its weight—literally and symbolically. I saw the names of ICoD’s founding Presidents carved into the handle. In that moment, I understood the depth of the legacy I was stepping into.
I remembered being a student at the Grafist event in Istanbul, seeing the then Icograda logo at the International Design Day celebration and thinking, “Wow, this is cool.” And now, somehow, I’m here—honored to be the second woman and the first Turkish President of this global community. It is still very cool.
Taking on this role, my first thoughts were gratitude and curiosity. I’m surrounded by an amazing team—each person is sharp, kind, and deeply committed. From the very first day, we’ve shared the belief that ICoD must lead with transparency, equity, and inclusivity. These aren’t abstract values for us—they’re guiding principles in how we make decisions, communicate, and build trust.
This position, for me, is about connection. We want to reach more people. We want to connect more deeply with our Members, and with our Members’ members. ICoD is a 62-year-old roof under which the global design community gathers. Our role now is to hold that space, protect it, and make sure it’s strong and relevant for future generations.
We are here not just to honour the legacy, but to carry it from our hands to the next.
Our collaboration is officially beginning. With ICoD’s Regional Meeting now travelling alongside the European Design Festival, what are your hopes for this partnership?
This collaboration feels like a natural and exciting alignment. The European Design Festival (EDF) has become a respected platform for showcasing contemporary visual culture and setting quality benchmarks. EDF is not only a celebration of creative excellence—it brings design into the public space, creating a vibrant cultural moment in the host city.
By holding the ICoD Regional Meeting within this context, we are connecting institutional leadership and advocacy with the grassroots creativity and recognition that EDF and the European Design Awards (EDA) represent. This partnership creates space where policy and practice can meet—where conversations about ethics, education, and the future of design can take place right alongside exhibitions, awards, and public celebration.
Also, with the strength of Brumen Foundation and the organizing team, we feel lucky to be working together.
As ICoD, one of our key goals through this partnership is to reach out to younger generations of designers in Europe—to invite them into the conversation about the profession: where it is now, and where it is going.
We want to be able to carry forward the legacy of ICoD—what it stands for: professionalism, ethics, international collaboration, and a commitment to design as a tool for societal betterment.
This shared platform can become a space not only for reflection, but for active exchange across generations, practices, and perspectives.
On a more personal note, I hope this moment becomes a spark—where people who may never have crossed paths find each other, where ideas begin, and where we’re reminded of why we chose to work in design in the first place. That spirit of connection, curiosity, and shared purpose is something I deeply value—and something I believe this collaboration can nurture.
What are your priorities for ICoD moving forward? Are there particular areas — educational, ethical, political — that you feel need urgent attention in today’s global design landscape?
At its core, ICoD is a platform for shared responsibility. We are a Council of independent Member organisations—a global network that shares common issues, commitments, and standards. Our Members create a unified voice for the global design community and drive a high-level dialogue on the leading role design plays in society, culture, and the economy. ICoD is the world’s largest representative of professional designer entities.
As the new Board, our priority is to build on this legacy by making it more responsive to the needs and realities of today. One of the most urgent areas we are addressing is the evolution of design ethics in the face of rapidly shifting technologies.
At our upcoming Regional Meeting—titled “The Next Code of Conduct”—we are opening a conversation on the future of ICoD’s influential Professional Code of Conduct, with a particular focus on emerging ethical questions around AI, automation, and responsibility in contemporary practice. More than just revising a document, this is about creating a shared framework that reflects the realities of today and the challenges of tomorrow.
Another important priority is widening the Council’s network to include new voices—especially from the industry side. With the launch of our new ICoD Industry Friends programme, we are inviting companies, platforms, and production partners who share our values to join the conversation.
As one of the most respected and long-standing global platforms connecting designers, educators, and institutions, we believe Industry Friends adds the missing piece—bringing industry into the circle in a meaningful, committed way.
We are also working to elevate the quality, visibility, and impact of design events globally. Through our ICoD Member Events and ICoD Endorsed Events programmes, we support and highlight initiatives that align with our values of professionalism, inclusion, and cultural contribution.
These events are platforms for knowledge exchange and for modelling best practices in promoting the value of design.
These initiatives—as well as ongoing widely-known programs like IDD (International Design Day), new projects and upcoming gatherings—reflect a broader goal: to ensure that ICoD not only represents the profession, but actively shapes its future.
The European design scene is constantly evolving. How do you perceive its role today within the wider international context — and what do you think it contributes uniquely?
At ICoD, we hold meetings in many parts of the world—from Asia to Latin America to Africa to Europe—and every region brings its own distinct values, concerns, and creative energy. That diversity is one of the most powerful aspects of the global design community.
When it comes to Europe, what stands out to me is a combination of deep-rooted design traditions and a strong sense of public responsibility. This is a region where design has long been viewed as an intrinsic part of public life—closely tied to questions of ethics, policy, and education.
Europe has built a rich legacy of design schools, critical discourse, and socially engaged practices that continue to influence the profession worldwide.
In today’s fractured and fast-moving world, I believe Europe has a responsibility to lead by example. With its strong tradition of social democracy, emphasis on human rights, stable governance, and long-standing culture of public investment in design, Europe holds a unique position.
These conditions create the space for designers to work with depth, purpose, and accountability. When governments invest in design as a civic tool, they enable designers and design firms to produce work that genuinely improves lives.
At the same time, Europe is experiencing a profound demographic shift. A new generation of immigrants and multicultural citizens is bringing fresh perspectives, global awareness, and lived experience shaped by adaptation and resilience.
A stable system that welcomes these alternative ways of thinking has the potential to flourish in truly interesting ways. This vibrant dynamic can push design beyond its conventional boundaries—challenging assumptions, reshaping narratives, and opening up more inclusive ways of working.
That’s a future ICoD supports, and one I believe the next generation of European designers is fully equipped to lead.
Community remains at the heart of design. How do you see the role of institutions like ICoD in strengthening and connecting design communities worldwide?
For me, ICoD has always been about community. Not just as a concept, but as a living practice. At its core, the Council is built by people who believe that design can be a force for good in the world.
Some of the most respected designers and educators from around the world give their time and energy to ICoD voluntarily. They do it because they believe in what ICoD represents: a space where knowledge can be shared, values can be protected, and the meaning of design can be continually redefined across borders and generations.
Our role as an institution is to hold that space and nurture it. To create frameworks for collaboration, to advocate on behalf of our Members, and to make sure that important conversations about ethics, education, and design’s societal role are happening—and just as importantly, being heard.
In a field that is constantly evolving, ICoD serves as a kind of northern star—not prescribing a single path, but offering guidance, orientation, and a shared sense of purpose for a global community of designers.
We don’t build community for the sake of numbers. We build bridges—between disciplines, cultures, and generations.
ICoD is a community of peacemakers, contemporary thinkers, and problem solvers who believe in design’s power to connect and uplift. With Members from 59 countries, we carry a global voice rooted in shared values.
It’s not always easy to create common ground across such diversity, but that’s exactly what makes it meaningful. That’s the kind of community we’re committed to building.