In the autumn of 2011, a group of local designers organized our first Design Matters event, which was rebranded to D.I.C.E. the following year.
We had just come out of the “Great Recession,” one of the first downturns for many young designers, and for some young graduates, the atmosphere in which they found themselves starting their careers. Personally, many of us were trying to find some inspiration in the world around us, and the “getting by” types of jobs we found ourselves doing were not providing for us.
As an organization, the AIA Northern Nevada has always struggled to foster engagement in our design community. A group of local AIANN members — believing inspiration from great design was in short supply during this time — decided to create a design event to foster that design inspiration, and in turn, engage our local design community. We discussed and bounced around our lofty ideas amongst a handful of Northern Nevada architects and decided we needed to widen our reach.
In the design of a building, architects deal with the physical creation of a building; however, being a designer is not just about creating a building. In our everyday jobs, we 1) create marketing materials to get projects; 2) help our clients clarify and manifest the vision of their companies in the spaces they use; and 3) often help with marketing and branding efforts. We needed to reach out to other designers: graphic designers, urban planners, industrial designers, lighting designers, and landscape architects. We realized design impacts all aspects of our lives, and we needed to allow ourselves to be inspired by many different minds and ideas.
In our inaugural year, we invited Steve Frykholm to share his experiences as design director at Herman Miller. Also, as the local component, we held a chair design competition. This event cemented for our group how important this was for Reno. And as our event has ebbed and flowed over the past decade, we have been repeatedly elated at the great designers we have been able to bring to our little city. Designers that help challenge our design processes and inspire us to think bigger. We have also been able to keep a local design component as part of the event every year.
Whether it was a design competition or a group workshop, it felt important for local designers to have an outlet for their creativity. Although we have been on hiatus during the pandemic, we look forward to holding this event again and continuing to elevate the design conversation in our community. D.I.C.E. celebrates and advocates the value of good design. Well-designed objects, images, and spaces can empower individuals, inspire the masses, and enrich an entire community.
