behance.net/Circles/Design-Camp/30920

Network with like minded, best site on the web right now.

REGISTER HERE: http://designcamp.eventbrite.com/

DesignCamp is a variation of the ‘un-conference’ by groups like TorCamp for designers and makers.

We have a good number of people interested in the Design+Camp events, which means we need to set a venue and a date!
Venue & ‘Tickets’:
The inaugural event will be an intimate one, held at The Establishment’s studio: Suite 611, 21 Dundas Square.
In addition we’re happy to provide wine, cheese and beer to help ‘the creative process’. Out site: www.establishment.ca

Attendance will be limited to 10 people for our little space. The main objective is to stop talking about it and get an event under our belts, by setting a date we can truly measure the interest of community, and should the RSVP’s exceed that number we will reserve a larger venue (sadly we will not be able to BYOB to most venues).

We’ll keep the 1st event short with the opportunity to move on to a pub.

Topics:
* Introduction to Design+Camp / Vision, and concept
* The Business of Art, a dicussion on our collective succeses and failures

* Special www.behance.net DesignCamp Invites

What Do I Bring?
We hope this event will grow into a presentation+critique format however for this 1st event we ask that you:

- Bring some samples of work & be prepared to introduce yourself/company
- Bring ideas, and be ready to contribute (the free booze should help)

Agenda:
7:00 – 7:20 Doors open meet and greet
7:20 – 7:45 Introductions and www.behance.net memberships

7:45 – 8:10 Introduction to Design+Camp / Vision, and concept a discussion
8:10 – 8:30 The Business of Art, a discussion on our collective successes and failures
8:30 – 9:00 Overtime.

http://designcamp.wordpress.com/  +  Facebook Group

Globe & Mail: Mother Nature, industrial designer
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20060404.wxinnobiomimic04/BNStory/Science/

Pyrrha, a small but savvy jewellery firm, takes to the courts to protect its original designs — and livelihood — from counterfeits, ALEXANDRA GILL writes http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20060405.JEWELLERY05/TPStory/?query=jewellery+gill

One of the challenges I have faced pitching this idea to designers is addressing their fear of idea theft. Although this is a serious concern I would like to throw this back at those people and say; “are your designs that innovative?”. There was a lot of concern @ the recent Harbourfront production lecture about the quality of the work being produced in this country, and I agree. We are set in a 1970’s closet craft makers’ mindset and we need to break away from it. The only way to beat idea theft is to either never sell your product or produce a quality design and move on to something even more innovative. The Japanese artist Takahashi Mirokami is the ultimate example of a designer whose work is so commercially rich it’s copied almost immediately after being put into production – and by then he’s already moved on to something else which creates consistent public demand for his work(s).

Moving forward I have no plans to moderate the event or create any rule sets; attendees have complete control over how much they wish to contribute until they feel more comfortable with the group.
Concerns/Comments? Feel free to post to the blog or email me taylor@establishment.ca

More on: BarCamp http://barcamp.org/ & BarCamp Blog http://barcamp.wordpress.com/

Some of the ideas around ‘Design Camp’ are not new, but creating a free ,interactive, open format learning experience for art+design is. Forums, panels or events that centralize information are often expensive, require travel and limit time for 1 on 1 interactions. Design Camp eliminates the ‘conference’ format and nurtures a membership free open group environment that promotes the design community, ideas, creativity and collaboration.

The recently resurrected blog is open to comment/critique as is this Facebook group. As we develop agendas, announce presenters, activities and venues over the next few months we hope to have some feedback from the community.

I attended the trade opening of the T.O. Interior Design Show, the globe 'style council' review seemed to be fixated on botanical themes, and bathroom tiles. I thought I'd be looking for a bit more… Well the globe was right, tiles, tiles and more tiles (ala roman bath mosaic work) were HUGE this year followed a close 2nd by wooden designs and the 'Muskoka' cabin look. Interesting to see Canadiana marketed beside some extremely contemporary almost minimalist works.

Renny Ranmakers from Droog Design / Netherlands: had an inspiring presentation on young design work being done @ http://www.droogdesign.nl and more importantly she sparked some ideas for collaborative efforts to roll-out within the design community here. She has also founded a 2nd company called; chi ha paura… ? http://chihapaura.com/ which is a bit more jewellery-centric, however they share similar design principles.

Torbjorn Anderssen from Norway Says http://www.norwaysays.com cancelled his 2pm presentation, and I was a bit too tired to see Jack Lenor Larsen speak ~ bit disappointed about that.

My Q: "Where are Canadian production artists falling short"
Patty Johnson: "Critical Thinking"

I didn't get a chance to thank her @ the presentation however I am most appreciative of her honest feedback.
Combined with the presentation by Renny Ramakers @ the interior design show, I was inspired to create this blog and start modelling a group in Toronto that emulated the EU arts experience.

More about Patty: http://www.keilhauer.com/designerbio/designerbio.asp?DesignerID=13&CompanyInfo=true
More about Paul: http://www.paulmcclure.com/