In every case that ended up in the show, you could tell that a really good designer with a really great eye did it. Whether I agreed with the style or not, everything was in its place. Everything had a really strong concept.
"The Minnesota School of Design" was a phrase coined by one of the judges. A school of thought and an approach that is very craft and color oriented, very tactile. I was very interested in seeing this in person. The craftsmanship of nearly everything was exquisite. Nothing seems to be arbitrary. Very solid design decisions. There is a workhorse mentality to the work. It was really exciting.
The quality far exceeded my expectations. This is NOT a second tier design market. This is a first tier design town. Being here elevated my respect for this town. There’a a lot of great design here. Enough that you do this [Design Show] every year. It says a lot. On a per entry basis, this is the strongest show I’ve judged by far.
It was a completely different judging experience. You really emphasized [that we needed to] spend time with each piece and study the purpose. Because sometimes we think we’re good enough to look at something and go right by it. But by really stopping and looking at a piece, I learned a lot, and there were some things that made me look at a piece in a different way and just think about the purpose of it.
It’s not just the show, but it’s the entire AIGA Minnesota chapter….how many people were involved in this process, the energy level. You can really tell that this was a well-represented show. It seems more like a community than a competition. Everyone was very approachable, very nice. There is a synergy in this town.“