What do Chobani yogurt, fashion in LA’s Crenshaw neighborhood, Marilyn Manson, affordable housing, and Agnes Varda have in common? All are “objects” of design, in that they’ve received meticulous treatment (graphic identity, branding, publication, product design, and more) from some of the world’s most intriguing, multidisciplinary design artists.
This year’s lineup kicks off with branding expert Leland Maschmeyer, who as co-founder of the design agency Collins helped reimagine such brands as Spotify, Airbnb, Facebook, and Chobani. Multi-disciplinarian Daniel DeSure places his emphasis on his local community in Los Angeles, but has also worked with the likes of Nike, Olafur Eliasson, and Sundance. In the work of visual artist and designer Hassan Rahim, skateboarding, clubbing, art, and fashion cultures are intermingled.
Veronica Ditting founded The Gentlewoman, a magazine dedicated to “women of style and purpose,” (including filmmaker Varda). Design ethicist Ruben Pater delivers his lecture via Skype, to emphasize (and reduce) his carbon footprint. He’ll talk about climate change, affordable housing, and other hot-button issues. All the speakers will be available after their lectures to take questions from the audience, and hobnob over drinks, providing innumerable takeaways and insights for architects and interior designers alike.
The Walker Art Center’s annual Insights Design Lecture Series, co-presented by AIGA Minnesota, runs Tuesdays, at 7 p.m., from March 3-31. Tickets can be purchased here.
