Speaking at Seattle Design Festival ‘24
Created around a theme of What if?, Seattle Design Festival spans six days of dynamic programming aimed at inspiring and fostering the creation of more equitable and vibrant communities through the power of design.
The event showcases the significance of design through a variety of experiences, including outdoor installations, a two-day block party, and diverse Mainstage events. It highlights the importance of collaboration and empowers communities to harness design as a tool for meaningful change.
I was thrilled to be a part of this year’s Mainstage program, kicking off Sunday’s line-up of other talks, panels, and performances. Seattle is an absolutely gorgeous city, and as a coffee aficionado who’s still an art school student in the grunge era at heart—feels very much like home. I had visited with my family for vacation just a couple weeks before returning for the festival, and it was energizing to be back.
A free event for all, the theme of this year’s SDF programming resonated with me to the core. To that end, I crafted the messaging of my talk around three core What if? pillars:
What if we were able to identify and prioritize our values to leverage in our design practice—for the betterment of the connection of us to one another, us to our craft, and our design to those who engage with it?
What if we created in an environment supportive of our growth evolution as designers?—that respected us as unique individuals with diverse perspectives?
What if we were tool agnostic, focusing on evolution of approach, strategic thinking, and overall craft?—letting the medium of creation be whatever drives the most effective process, and the highest quality outcome?
Given the state of the world over the past few years, with designers navigating the global pandemic, mass layoffs, hybrid / remote work, and a struggling economy, ‘connection’ is at is apex of relevance. The connection of us to one another, us to our work, and our work to those who engage with it. Be it a concert venue poster, a website, or an app icon, design is solving the problem of engaging people — agnostic of their circumstances — to connect and convey an experience.
When we’re in touch with our values, focus on craft evolution over tool loyalty, and create in an environment of support and inclusion: ‘connection’ is the result.
These are themes not only near and dear to me, but very much how we create and connect at my agency Anomali by Design. And thus, “Design is ‘Connection’ Made Manifest” was born.
The Block party
Held at beautiful Lake Union Park, the Seattle Design Festival Block Party was a two-day (August 17th and 18th) street fair that celebrated the impactful role design plays in our daily lives. In an open environment encouraging fluid participation and inclusion, the event provided a unique opportunity for the design community and the public to engage with one another through large-scale design installations, performances, and activities.
The installations were crafted to be accessible and inclusive for all, making it a family-friendly event that welcomed and encouraged participation from everyone.
Speaking on the Mainstage at Lake Union Park was a unique experience: with seaplanes landing on the lake in the background, a splash pad just behind the stage itself, and a stunning open green space encouraging connection and exploration, there was an energy in the air that was palpable.
The Virtual Mainstage is available on the SDF YouTube Channel, and will live online on the same channel moving forward.
More on “Design is ‘Connection’ Made Manifest” at SDF:
https://seadesignfest.org/event/design-is-connection-made-manifest/
View the full talk via the SDF Youtube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FW9DjBFl0kU
More on Seattle Design Festival:
https://seadesignfest.org/
More on Anomali by Design:
https://anomalibydesign.com/
