DesignxRI: how our partnership is elevating the design community
As we enter our 5th year of partnership with DesignxRI, we’re sharing some of the stand-out moments from 2018.
We’ve been partners with DesignxRI since 2014 and what an incredible journey it has been. From sponsoring DesignWeek to hosting Eat & Speak lunch seminars, we are proud to contribute to the work that the organization is doing for the Rhode Island design community. In 2018, we were featured in the launch of DESIGN IS Magazine, Design is RI trailer, Design is RI campaign kick-off, and Designers at Work. To top it all off, eight of our (add)venturists took part in Design Forward RI programs
DesignxRI has provided an endless amount of opportunities for our team and as we begin our partnership for 2019, we think it is important to share some of our (add)venturists’ experiences from the past year.
Mixing it up – a blend of industry professionals.
“I loved the idea of coming together as different disciplines to solve problems. I worked with interior designers, architects, and technologists to solve communication problems with clients and everyone had different stories to tell.” - Bryan W., senior animator, motion/graphics
Knowing your audience – an unbiased approach.
“The instructor covered how to really understand your audience and connect with them by asking neutral, open-ended questions. This will definitely help me refine my listening skills, evaluate my own biases and try to better understand what is most important to the client.” - Kiera V., assistant director, illustration/design
Building a network – a collaborative connection.
“I enjoyed that the program connected me with more local young designers from different fields. I’d love to collaborate with them more. It has also given me the confidence to meet more young entrepreneurs to work with.” - Nick C., specialist, digital/strategy
Making it real – an interactive experience to find solutions.
“We broke out into groups and were tasked to pick an experience that everybody shares. My team chose going to a restaurant as our experience. We mapped out every possible stage of the process: deciding on a restaurant, making a reservation, traveling there, parking, waiting for a table, sitting down, looking at the menu, ordering, eating, paying, etc. We mapped out every single sense we are feeling at each stage and our happiness level throughout the process to see the pain points. It allowed us to really diagnose the problems and drill down on solving for those.” - Steve L., animator, motion/graphics
Breaking the norm – a fresh burst of inspiration.
“My experience helps to bring in fresh perspective and design ideas from the fellow participants of Emerge as well as the great people leading our classes. It has been extremely energizing to break the daily grind and explore design principles beyond the walls of the office once a month. This time allows me to return to work better than I was before and ready to dive into designing with a fresh perspective.” - Juliana W., specialist, design/branding.
We are eager to advance the creative footprint in RI and with DesignxRI as a partner, we can achieve that goal. Stay tuned for more partnership updates in 2019.
