Experience Design Throwdown is something special consisting of two parts design thinking, one part punk rock show. It was born out of an intense love for the type of frenetic collaboration that usually only occurs locked away in innovation labs and agency open spaces. The idea was to set that magic free and celebrate it as a spectator sport.
The idea occurred to us in November 2018 as a way to celebrate what we do as problem solvers in an inclusive way that demystifies fancy research and design methodologies. A way to bring together people who are experts in the community to work along side those who are curious and starting out all for a common cause. The teams get to be rockstars in the pit for the night as they compete head-to-head on the problem space. The spectators get to witness the action unfold while armchair quarterbacking, learning a thing or two and throwing back drinks.
The problem spaces chosen for XD Throwdowns come from local non-profits and the winning team makes a commitment to help bring their idea to life.
Have you ever been down in the dumps, feeling like garbage, waste-ing time trying to come up with design ideas, only to come up with litter-ally nothing? This workshop will teach you ways to find inspiration in one of the most uninspiring places: your trash bin. We will start by exploring the relationships between trash and design— what can waste material tell us about the life cycle of a product? How has trash been used by artists around the world to create something new? How can we reimagine trash as something useful or beautiful?
While we discuss these topics, you’ll be encouraged to work with your hands. Discover new ways to play, tinker, and problem solve as you cut, fold, and glue colorful scraps together into a unique creation— maybe a geometric graphic collage, a colorful pair of dice, a functional pull-tab pop-up card— and let the creativity flow. We’re just working with trash after all, so you can set your perfectionism aside and let your imagination take the lead.
All materials and tools will be provided, and you’ll leave with a beautiful art piece! Feel free to reach out to Jess via Instagram (@jamworth) with any questions, comments, or if you want to chat before or after the event!
Speaker/Panelist 1 Jess Lamworth, Host Jess is an LA-based artist and maker with an imagination for delightfully out-of-the-box creations. She builds sets, fabricates props, constructs wearable art, paints, draws, sculpts, and everything in between. Jess has a background in engineering, architecture, sustainable design, and visual arts. After graduating from Haverford College she worked in Brand Consulting in New York City. In 2021, Jess was a contestant on NBC’s crafting competition TV show “Making It,” which inspired her to move to Los Angeles and work in art departments across TV, film, commercials and more. Jess was the Art Director for Youtube show “Good Mythical Morning” for two years, and now she is an independent artist, creator, and designer.
Jess makes fun and joyful art from unexpected materials and a lot of imagination. Her work includes wearable food clothing such as her Tea Shirt, Pencil Skirt, and Cheeto Puff Jacket. She builds sets and props like giant confetti cannons, ten foot tall gingerbread houses, and laser beam obstacle courses.
IG @jamworth
Friday October 11, 2024 1:00pm - 2:30pm CDT
Experience Fresh2815 Locust St, St. Louis, MO 63103
