A Look Inside the Lake Superior Design Retreat

On a recent weekend, a colleague and I headed up to Duluth to attend a unique event: the Lake Superior Design Retreat. Organized by AIA Minnesota, the event is geared not only toward architects, but reaches all the far corners of design and explores how we can relate to and be inspired by designers from different disciplines.

SALA Architect Katie Leaf

Art Bridgman and Myrna Packer, a team of dancers from New York City, started us off with a dynamic performance showcasing their creative process of melding live dance and video technology.

SALA Architect Katie Leaf

Erin McKean, a San Francisco-based lexicographer, described her process of designing a new way of organizing and cataloguing the English language through Wordnik, an online dictionary that is now the world’s largest.

At the intersection of design and technology, Charles Yust, a Principal Design Technologist, discussed how he uses his design skills to push the boundaries of technology applications, imagining new ways to educate and solve problems.

We also heard from Carolyn Porter, a graphic designer whose curiosity and love of lettering led her to uncover an amazing story and bit of history from a bundle of handwritten letters acquired in an antique shop, all while developing her own font.

SALA Architect Katie Leaf

Len Bracken, a carpenter trained in Kyoto, Japan, shared the careful detail and impeccable craftsmanship of his work in creating Japanese carpentry on the west coast.

Lastly, Bob Borson, a Dallas-based architect, discussed how writing about his experience as an architect has developed into an incredibly popular blog which has become a powerful tool to educate millions about what architects do.

SALA Architect Katie Leaf

So what’s the common thread here? I came away from this experience with a feeling of amazement at all the things people can do. Each of these professionals had their own way of harnessing the power of design to do fascinating and important work for the world, whether its purpose is provoking thought, sparking conversation, solving problems, or simply adding beauty to the world. Design is a skill that is sometimes underappreciated by our capitalist culture, but its value truly cannot be overestimated!

The diversity of design showcased in this group shows that everybody has their own kind of creativity. What will you do with yours today?

SALA Architect Katie Leaf