Industrial Design Conference Coming to Providence

Industrial Design Conference Coming to Providence

Providence will host 400 design professionals and students this weekend as the Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA) Northeast Conference sets up shop in the Creative Capital.

RISD's own John Maeda will deliver the conference keynote on Friday afternoon on "Education Redesigned," but perhaps the bigger star of the weekend is Scott Wilson, the founder of MINIMAL and the entrepreneur behind Xbox Kinect, the fastest selling gadget in consumer electronics history, who will speak to attendees on Saturday on "Entrepreneurship Explored."

While the city fills with creative hands-on problem solvers, there will be several opportunities for the public to mingle and enjoy the vibe. As part of a "Rhode Island Design Walkabout," there will be three overlapping events on Friday evening that are open to all:

7-9pm: DESIGNED IN RI: a gallery open to the public (and conference attendees) showcasing some of the breadth of products and innovations spawned in Rhode Island (AIA Gallery, 158 Washington St).

7-9pm: MAKE + MINGLE: a hands-on look at AS220's new Fab Lab (131 Washington St).

8-10pm: Creatives + Cocktails: a meet and greet at the Salon (57 Eddy St) that includes ping pong, pin ball and pilsner. Conference attendees get special beer rates with a badge (not to mention free snacks).

For more information, go to the IDSA RI Web site, here.