Onsite workshops
Wednesday April 26
Designing with Biology
Ethan Smith & Juan Rovalo, Biomimicry Institute
The outdoor industry has long pulled ideas from nature, whether through providing protection from elemental exposure to integrating nature directly into the product on the form of color, texture and pattern. In recent years, the science of biomimicry has played a vital role in providing learning and inspiration of how nature adapts and creates it’s own complex-but-simple ways to accomplish what we constantly strive for as product designers and creatives. In this workshop, learn how designers and biologists from the Biomimicry Institute work together to find new, more sustainable ways to solve design problems through the study and understanding of science and nature.
Wool Appreciation
Sarah Schlenger, Woolmark
Broaden your knowledge and understanding of wool’s natural technical abilities, what wool can accomplish in the rapidly-evolving active outdoor product landscape and why it is the ultimate performance fiber. From sheep to store, Sarah Schlenger will take you through the properties of wool and the process of turning it into beautiful and sustainable products.
Integrated Sustainability
Jeff Nash & Tabea Soriano, Futuremade
Sustainability is no longer a buzz-word but an integral part of any business model in our industry today. However, it’s a complex and confusing landscape to navigate. HIgg Index, bluesign, recycled, upcycled, organic, LEED certified, B Corp, GHG Reduction, GRI, SAC, BCI, RWS….what does it all mean and which should you and your company focus on? Whether you’re independent or part of a larger team, learn how to choose and coordinate your sustainability efforts in design choices and business planning towards a clear goal that enhances brand value.
Best Practices in Partnering with a Domestic Manufacturer
Britt Howard, Portland Garment Factory
Within the apparel and soft goods manufacturing industry, what does it mean to be a domestic factory and a creative partner? And how can designers who want to produce domestically carve out collaborative and productive relationships with local manufacturers? Portland Garment Factory owner/founder, Britt Howard, will delve into the process and benefits of working with local producers to create high quality and innovative products. For nearly a decade, PGF has been redefining what it means to be a factory through a strong commitment to ethical labor practices, environmental sustainability, and social justice issues.
Thursday, April 27
Futurecasting
David & Mary Sherwin, Ask the Sherwins
David and Mary Sherwin are co-founders of Ask The Sherwins, LLC, a consulting and training firm dedicated to helping leaders create design-driven teams and individuals gain the skills they need to solve complex challenges. In this dynamic workshop, David and Mary will take the group beyond the practice of forecasting into Futurecasting, expanding creative thinking outside the box and into the distant future. What will be the problems we need to solve in our industry 30 or 40 years from now when we are traveling across space, and how can we start to tackle and plan for them today? Futurecasting will help the leaders of tomorrow develop the mindset needed to plot that course through to the future.
Sustainable Color
Gaelle Berlioz & Maria Teresa Sampedro, Promostyl
A one hour active color trend presentation followed by a two hour interactive team workshop. Challenge yourself in creating compelling color ranges and moodboards using a mix of Promostyl colors, sustainable recycled textiles and non-dyed upcycled fabrics. You will come away with a new understanding of how to get creative with color and learn how to highlight hues defined by the recycled yarn process.
Sketching, Analog + Digital
Join Jeff Smith, Education Program Manager at Autodesk and brilliant sketch artist, for tips, tricks, and inspiration to grow your sketching skills. Hand sketching is fast becoming a rare skill that can set you apart in your design career. Practice it, nurture it, grow it…it is a lifelong practice and a key skill of communication for a designer. This workshop will cover analog sketch techniques, digital rendering and seamlessly moving back and forth between the two, using your Wacom tablet. Wacom will provide tablets and be on hand for support. Bring your own laptop, sketchbook, or tablet if you wish.
How to Give Captivating Presentations
Shelley Mitchell, MELT: Mitchell Executive Leadership Training
Fine artists and designers can easily express their inner-life on the page. In this two hour workshop, explore how to embody that same talent and demonstrate how self-awareness and mindfulness can help us become charismatic, inspirational and persuasive public speakers. Loose, comfortable clothing suggested, participants will be working on the floor.
Morning movement session
weMove x Kinstretch
Warm up on day 2 with a gentle introduction to Kinstretch, a movement enhancement system that develops maximum body control, flexibility and usable ranges of motion. Sponsored by weMove Magazine, a premium bi-annual publication based at the intersection of sport, wellness and style. weMove explores and nurtures the worlds of movement and creativity through a broad and open lens. No labels, no boundaries. Wrap up the session with healthy snacks provided by Nibs & Greens, a food blog that features recipes to nourish and fuel active bodies.