Part of the agenda for Saturday afternoon at the 2012 Oregon Design Conference was set aside as a forum for audience-promoted ideas and interests. Joseph Readdy of Schemata Workshop organized a facilitated two hour discussion using Open Space Technology. Initiatives raised by conference attendees were actively discussed in small groups and summarized with a short wrap-up discussion of the work completed that preceded the conference’s closing reception. The conference organizers identified four themes for consideration:
Design Excellence – community adaptations;
The New Now – individual and firm adaptations;
The Academy – educational adaptations: and
Beyond the Norm – breaking free of traditional adaptations
But everyone was encouraged to bring their best ideas forward for discussion, regardless of how they might be categorized. And that’s exactly what happened as multiple individuals raised topics important to their practice and attracted others with similar interests into very lively discussions – discussions that we hope will continue long after the conference closed.
Open Space Technology
Open Space allows groups –large or small– to self-organize and effectively deal with complex issues within a limited time.
Open Space is a fast, cheap, and simple way to better, more productive meetings. It enables people to experience a very different quality of organization where self-managed work groups are the norm, leadership is constantly shared, diversity is a resource to be used instead of a problem to be overcome, and personal empowerment is a shared experience.
Who, What, When…
Whoever comes is the right person;
Whatever happens is the only thing that could have happened—you let go of expectations and work with whatever unfolds in the moment;
When it’s over, it’s over—if you find a solution in twenty minutes,…

Another weekend of skiing, shoveling, and games at Mount Baker. The snow was deep and fresh, just like last year.

Saturday morning greeted us with about 18 inches of the new, leaving the Mountaineers parking lot burried.

After a day of skiing and snowshoeing, we settled in for an evening of gaming.

The Mountaineer’s Lodge provides a great and convenient place for over night lodging. Close to the slopes and inexpensive.

Sunday morning was the big dig-out. Those of us who had our fill of the slopes on Saturday, filled our morning (and got our fill) of shoveling out the vehicles from about 24 inches of fresh . . . .

. . . . . with the task proving to be quite invigorating to some us . . . . .

. . . . . and of great necessity to all of us.

After the great dig-out, many of us retired to Boundary Bay Brewery in Bellingham, for some well earned libations.

We will be closed December 23 & 26 and January 2.

Thank you everyone who made it out last week for our 7^th Annual Holiday Party. We continue to be impressed and grateful for all our awesome clients, consultants, collaborators, family, and friends. Our success is yours.

Even our bike out front got into the Schemata spirit.