Join Smartpress and AIGA Minnesota for a caffeinated chat with Rob Patterson, designer for contemporary coffee roaster-retailer Intelligentsia, about his abstract poster series created for the new Kilogram Tea brand.

The gifted illustrator and southern transplant, who now calls Chicago home, regularly uses his company’s beans and tea leaves to inspire and inform his non-traditional designs. Rob opts to stir things up by creating small batch, limited editions that, as he puts it, “tell the story found in the cup.” This former coffee shop barista, whose artistic flourish goes far beyond a flawless latte pour, infuses his classic training and fine art background into stunning packaging, wearables, and wall art designs that are as conceptual as they are colorful.

Don’t miss your opportunity to get a first-hand account of this fascinating design backstory. Join us for the evening, post-interview Q&A and happy hour with snacks served.