Guest Speakers
General Overview
Design Dialogues

instructor: Peter Lunenfeld











peters notes
These are the things that arise sometimes from our dialogues. This is an image of the
notes Peter wrote to explain the history of the Rand Corporation and the origins of the
Institute for the Future (IFTF). We had just concluded a discussion with Jason Tester, head of IFTF.
About Design Dialogues
Design Dialogues is a seminar course based on visiting speakers and field trips. This course serves as a space to address issues of art, design and communication in relation to our understandings as a media designer and in relation to our existence in a transmedia era.

Students are required to participate and interact with the guests. Design Dialogues is a space that invites us to question one another's values and informed views of media, design and career, as well as invites us to analyze and critique the presentations of our guests.

Guest Speakers this term included:

. Lev Manovich, Artist/ Theorist
. Jennifer Steinkamp, Artist
. Julian Bleeker, Near Future Laboratory
. Gail Swanlund, Stripe LA/ Co-Chair, Graphic Design, CalArts
. Dustin Beatty, Anthem Magazine
. Scott Nazarian, Frog Design
. Jason Tester, Institue for the Future
. Jeffrey Inaba, SCI-ARC
. Rick Vermeulen, Graphic Designer

Tours:
. Murakami exhibit at MOCA with Tim Blum, Murakami's dealer
. Museum of Jurassic Technology with director, David Wilson

Reflections
The exposure to guests from a variety of fields of design and communication wasn't necessarily one of awe. Design Dialogues transformed itself into a space where I could question my own life goals and values as a media designer by being able to reference the work and ambitions of our guests.

We were exposed to a variety of topics that caught particular people's attention. We got a glimpse of where we wanted to and didn't want to take ourselves as media designers, and we were heavily encouraged to question how we would not only define ourselves to the rest of the world, but how we would eventually back up who we are and why we do what we do.

Practicing design and making things is one thing, but understanding the purpose of our creations is another part of the equation that needs to be cultivated.