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Thursday, September 10, 7:00-9:45pm
via Zoom. Join Zoom Meeting -

Kristen Peterson

Creative Collaboration

In this highly experiential workshop, you will:

• Explore and experience the attitudes, behaviors, vocabulary and skills that contribute to effective team collaboration, creative thinking and problem solving.
• Experience how basic improvisation rules can (and should) be applied to life and creative collaboration.
• Learn & apply select creative thinking methods, tools, techniques to group challenge.
• WARNING: in the spirit of Creative Collaboration you are encouraged to have a divergent mindset and to participate actively.

Kristen Peterson brings a big dose of passion, energy & infectious can-do mentality to her work as an Innovation Catalyst as well as 20 years of hands on experience for global clients such as Clorox, Disney, Google, Intel, Kellogg’s, L’Oréal, Michigan State, University, Ontario College of Art & Design University, PepsiCo, Pzifer, Starbucks, Wavemaker. She is the former Director of the Creative Problem Solving Institute and a founder of Mindcamp. She holds an MSc in Creativity and Change Leadership from the International Center for Studies in Creativity at the State University of New York at Buffalo. For fun and to stretch her brain Kristen completed the Improvisation Program at the Second City, Toronto.

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Thursday, February 4, 7:00-9:45pm
via Zoom. Join Zoom Meeting -

Latise Hairston

The Recipe of Me: Developing Your Personal Mission Statement

Most companies have developed a mission statement. It helps guide them by defining who they are and why they do what they do. So how could a personal mission statement be of value to you? A personal mission statement is a tool that provides you with a path for success and permits you to say no to the things that are distractions. It sets guidelines for life. It is the beginning of personal leadership. By referring to it and internalizing its significance, you can make choices aligned with your values and discard what conflicts with them. In this session, participants will identify their “ingredients” and develop a personal mission statement.

Dr. Latise Hairston is a dynamic, accomplished certified Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Strategist respected for delivering a consistent creative vision based on data-driven decision making. She has a proven track record of effectively designing and managing large-scale culture transformation projects overseeing the entire implementation cycle. Latise is known as a motivational, influential thought leader and collaborator, who is a life-long learner.

With over 20 years of leadership experience, Latise has counseled and coached hundreds of individuals, leaders, and organizations in the government, non-profit, and corporate sectors. She designs, manages, and facilitates enterprise-wide innovative solutions around strategic planning, change management, and leadership. Latise has experience leading Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion strategic plans and implementation, including within a multi-billion-dollar hospitality organization.

Latise is the Founder and Chief Impact Officer of HOPE Consulting and an adjunct faculty at Medaille College. She holds an M.S. in Counseling, M.S. in Creativity and Change Leadership, and a Ph.D. in Leadership and Policy (focus- Organizational Development). Latise is a sought after speaker and a published researcher.

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Thursday, February 11, 7:00-9:45pm
via Zoom. Join Zoom Meeting - - Meeting ID: 854 2128 2421

Jason Belaire
Founder/Design Strategist @ Belworld Creative, Inc
Chair, Board of Directors, Industrial Designers Society of America

EQ_Design_Self

"We are living in a world that is full of distractions, influences and fear. As creatives we don’t often take the time to REFLECT on why we THINK the way we do. Yet, we live in a cyclical construct that yields the same results, even when we try to apply new processes. Why is this? 

Imagine, if you are trying to solve a problem and the only way you can look at it and define that problem is though the optics/mindset of what you knew to be true. However, one day your eyes opened up to a NEW truth, one that when looking at that same problem you could see things never discovered before. 

I have spent many years trying to tackle this issue of ‘being’ as contrasted with “how I wound up being”. As a result, it has lead me to explore many NON-DESIGN related paths to develop a knowledge base that is helping me to redefine myself first and hopefully the world consequentially after.

Join me as I explore how the Emotional Quotient connects to design and research as a process for designers/creatives to consider that will lead into realtime results.

To compliment his 25+ years as an industrial designer, Jason has spent the past 8 years on the Board Of Directors for the IDSA (Industrial Designers Society of America) as District Vice President for the Western US, Director At Large – Conferences and the incoming President for 2020.

To compliment his core competencies for IDSA with research, development and curation for the many conference experiences for the design community he has put on, he also sits on local EDU advisory boards, international incubators and is an investor in design centric companies in France and Argentina. 

As part of the curation process for design conferences, Jason has to directly communicate with some of the WORLDS top designers/creatives engaging them with in-depth conversations that leads to a knowledge base that is unique to the design community. 

Jason is annually invited to judge the Home and Housewares Design competition and was invited to judge the 2019 Taipei International Design Awards program and gave a presentation on “Emotional Intelligence + Critical Thinking” in Taiwan to over 200 creatives.

As a creative resource for high-profile global clients in the categories ranging from commercial/industrial equipment to children’s products, for brands like; Field Piece, RE:THINK, TARGUS, Columbia, Zen Postures, GoLite, UMPQUA, Nature’s Lodge, Cotopaxi, Lafuma Groupe, BlueBird, Sierra Designs, Ultimate Direction, Kelty, Slumberjack, Wenger Swiss Army, Mountainsmith, Browning Camping, and Cabela’s. 

Jason strategically works with clients where he can create “environmentally” positive changes, Interior Design Cultures and teach overall Design Thinking principals.  

He is an Entrepreneur, Keynote Speaker & Presenter, Conference Chair, Content Creator, Creative Cultural Director @ Large, Industrial Designer, Product Manager, Graphic + Brand language developer, Packaging Designer...”

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Thursday, February 18, 7:00-9:45pm
via Zoom. Join Zoom Meeting -

Wolfgang Joensson
VIEWSDESIGN

Minimalism in Design

In an overpopulated world with excessive consumerism, reduction seems like an obvious choice to improve lives. But how much less do we want to achieve more?

'Less is more’ has been postulated by architects and designers since ages. But how much less do we want to achieve more? And why? The lecture explains the origin of minimalism, its reasons as well as arguments and examples for and against it. It intends to propose a non-dogmatic guide for design students how to achieve and deal with minimalist design.

Wolfgang Joensson is a South African born German industrial designer and educator. He lives in Paris, France and Corona del Mar, CA. Throughout his career he has worked with international clients ranging from small startup companies to industrial giants, creating award-winning product, graphic, interface and package design which can be found in shops and museums worldwide. He is also the co-founder of a start-up company for sleep technology out of San Diego, CA, and a book author. He likes cocktails, cooking, culture and conversation with clever people.

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Thursday, February 25, 7:00-9:45pm
via Zoom. Join Zoom Meeting - ;
Meeting ID: 860 9054 7412

Spencer Nugent
Sketch-A-Day

Spencer Nugent, founder of IDSKETCHING.COM and Sketch-A-Day.com, has been engaged in providing free, high quality online design sketching tutorials and on-site sketch workshops since 2008. He has created an extensive online network and following within the Industrial Design community and continues to connect with students and design professionals via his online websites.

His experience includes working at General Motors in Warren, Michigan, San Francisco based design firm Astro Studios, heading up his own design consultancy, Studio Tminus where he worked with several clients primarily in the consumer electronics and apparel industries. Spencer has worked with brands such as Microsoft, Intel, Hewlett Packard, BodyGlove, Adidas, Verifone, Kyocera Altec Lansing, Hasbro, Dell, Tupperware and Motorola.

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Thursday, March 4, 7:00-9:45pm
via Zoom. Join Zoom Meeting - ;
Meeting ID: 897 9538 1552

Anika Ballent
Algalita Marine Research and Education

The Fate of Plastics: Promoting Responsibly through Design​

The complex and widespread issue of plastic pollution can be traced in part back to design - meaning that the overarching goal for safe, responsible and minimal use of plastics presents huge and exciting opportunities for designing products, infrastructure, and systems based in just societies and nature’s constraints. We’ll present design challenges and provide space for discussing real-world scenarios.

Anika’s academic experience is in oceanography, freshwater and benthic microplastics, and developing educational content around the complexities of the plastics issue. Her adventures have brought her on a research expedition in the Baltic Sea, back country hikes in Yosemite, Ontario’s freezing winters, and rowing races in the Netherlands, Spain, Germany. Her creative inlets are all types of handiwork; at present, gardening.  Anika’s Bachelor and Master’s work at Jacobs University Bremen and University of Western Ontario, are the foundations for her resolve contribute to the issues of plastic pollution and climate change. Based in Long Beach, CA, her current work with Algalita is focused on creating novel education programs to prepare young people to be critical thinkers who demand a beautiful future.

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Thursday, March 11, 7:00-9:45pm
via Zoom. Join Zoom Meeting -
Meeting ID: 898 0283 3052

Glen Kim
Vizio Senior Director, Industrial Design

Perspective

Limitation or creative opportunity?  Set back or moment to reflect?  Half empty or half full?  Identical situations but completely different paths, outlooks, and potential outcomes.

Whether it’s facing a critical crossroad during your thesis project, major setbacks with a client’s program, or uncertainty with your career path or life, proper perspective is everything.

Glen has been producing and leading design programs that have been awarded numerous international design awards, patents and used in millions of homes for 20 years. His work has been featured in the Harvard Business Review, the cover of Newsweek and multiple international design and business publications.

Throughout his consulting and corporate career, he has worked with and provided solutions to companies like: HP, Nike, LG, Acer, Nokia, and JBL. He currently leads the Vizio Industrial Design team based in Irvine, CA.

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Thursday, April 8, 7:00-9:45pm
viaZoom. Join Zoom Meeting - ;
Meeting ID: 828 1628 4910 

Qin Li
fuseproject

The Responsibility of Design

Industrial design is the creative process of generating tangible outcomes to support human needs. With rapid changes in technology, designers have more responsibility to create new products and experiences that not only bring meaningful impact to individuals but are mindful of the environment.

Qin Li, VP of Design, leads fuseproject’s industrial design, packaging, and CMF practice. Harnessing her creativity and leadership, she takes a holistic and multidisciplinary approach to teaming and engaging all the disciplines within a fully informed, thorough, and integrated process. Human-centered experience design serves as the foundation of Qin’s philosophy around how designers can add value, improve quality of life, and address some of the world’s most pressing problems. In her more than fifteen years at fuseproject, she has helped Fortune 500 companies, start-ups, non-profits, and entrepreneurs shepherd designs to market in a number of categories, including AI & robotics, health & wellness, wearable tech, consumer electronics, furniture, packaging & soft goods, among others. 

Qin’s work has been honored with global recognition and numerous awards, including Gold and a Special Award from IDSA for the Snoo bassinet and Ori Living, 100 Best Inventions of 2020 from TIME Magazine for a smartbot designed for Embodied, and 2020 Best of Year Award from Interior Design Magazine for the VOX Ventilator. Qin is also the recipient of The 2020 Distinguished Alumni Award from Academy of Art University.

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Thursday, April 15, 7:00-9:45pm
via Zoom. Join Zoom Meeting - ;
Meeting ID: 829 6492 7145

Evette Cordy
Agents of Spring

Cultivate Your Curiosity

Evette Cordy is curious – and she's curious about making you curious, too. As an innovation expert, registered psychologist and the chief investigator and co-founder at Australian problem-solving agency Agents of Spring, she has a rich understanding of customer behaviors, motivations and needs. This is how she identifies opportunities and facilitates new ways of thinking in organizations. Evette has led innovation projects for some of the world’s leading brands in over 50 countries. Evette is also author of the book: Cultivating Curiosity: How to Unearth Your Most Valuable Problem to Solve.

Many breakthrough discoveries and innovations in history, from the lightbulb to autonomous vehicles, have something in common: They are the outcome of curiosity. Before creativity comes curiosity. The impulse to seek out new information and experiences and explore novel possibilities is a basic human attribute. We all have the gift of curiosity, we just need to activate it.

In this experiential workshop, you will be led on a guided visualization, interact with others in break-out groups, and learn the science, strategies and tools to make more intentional space in your day for a curious mindset.

‘The real voyage of discovery consists of not in seeking new lands but seeing with new eyes.’ Marcel Proust

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Thursday, April 22, 7:00-9:45pm
via Zoom. Join Zoom Meeting - ;
Meeting ID: 894 3602 9538

Nico Raddatz
GHD Partners

Questions

How to approach your design career by constantly asking questions of yourself, clients, colleagues, and anyone else. Who is the design for? What are our next steps in the design process? Where is the design going to be when it’s complete? When does it need to be done? How are we going to achieve the project goals? And most importantly, why are we designing this?

Nico Raddatz is an Associate Partner at GHD Partners, a design firm based in New York City and San Francisco. After living and working in New York City for 10 years he moved to the San Francisco Bay Area to run GHD Partners San Francisco office.

Nico has led an extensive portfolio of workplace branding clients including YouTube, Business Insider, Federal Home Loan Bank of New York, Truth Initiative, Surdna Foundation, and Google. Projects for Google have spanned the United States in New York City, Austin, Seattle, and Mountainview. In addition to workplace branding, Nico has led large-scale wayfinding projects for General Motors and Google. Additional work includes branding, signage, and exhibitions for May Mobility, University of Connecticut, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and RFR. Throughout his career, he has collaborated with many leading architecture firms including Kevin Roche John Dinkeloo and Associates, SmithGroupJJR, Mithun, Spector Group, HLW International, Mitchell Giurgola Architects, Studios Architecture, and Robert A.M. Stern Architects.

He studied at Western Michigan University and the Basel School of Design in Switzerland, with renowned designer and educator, Wolfgang Weingart. His work is rooted in Swiss design philosophy and largely influenced by the work of Charles & Ray Eames; he believes that a good designer can create anything. During his studies and career, he has focused on context-driven design solutions and believes that there is no correct visual style, only designs that thrive in their unique environments.

Nico’s work has been recognized for design excellence by the Society for Environmental Graphic Design, Graphis, and the Communication Arts Design Annual. His work has also been featured in Lettering Large, Steven Heller and Mirko Ilic’s collection of large-scale typographic work. He has been a guest lecturer for an undergraduate typography course at the Rhode Island School of Design, a panelist in roundtable discussions on branding, graphics, and signage in the workplace, and a semester long mentor for an exhibit design class at Cal State University Long Beach.