Herman Miller A+D Design Exchange 2017
Herman Miller's A+D Design Exchange program brings designers from different firms around the United States together in West Michigan to learn, share, and create together. We were thrilled to send Kylie Groenenboom from RDG in Des Moines to the Summer 2017 Session.
At Pigott and Herman Miller, we believe that the design industry is stronger when we partner and share knowledge. The Design Exchange program was initiated to connect designers from all over the country to support creativity and professional growth.
During their time in West Michigan, designers participated in core curriculum rotations focused on the design and implementation of workplace furnishings. From there, each designer could participate in a collaborative design charrette where a design problem was posed and participants responded using principles and solutions learned during their initial curriculum rotations.
The trip ended with a visit to Herman Miller’s corporate headquarters, The Design Yard, and the Herman Miller archives and production facilities.
Kylie shared that, "this trip was a good reminder of why I chose to be a designer. It is so easy to get caught up in the day-to-day work of a professional designer and it was so nice to take a step back and be reminded why I love doing what I do."
Other participants shared that:
"I really enjoyed the design charrette – this was a great & immersive way to really deep dive the product in a realistic application. It also brought the teams closer together which was nice to make those connections.”
“Meeting other designers from all over North America was my favorite part.”
"I really enjoyed being able to see the product in action within a company that values the concepts and design strategies that we, as designers, try to educate our clients on every day."
We are so glad that Kylie accepted our invitation to share in this experience at Herman Miller and hope to share this experience with another local designer in 2018
