Last October we had the honor of being selected as a Place By Design finalist for SXSW Eco 2016. Trevor went down to Austin to present our group and construct two outdoor installations during the event.

Because they can pack down into a small box; Decatron version 2.0 and fan-favorite, the ReFractor were shipped to Texas and we installed in Brush Square Park along with 7 other installations from artists and designers around the country.

Place by Design is a pitch competition put together by SXSW Eco to "highlight innovative design work that transforms our everyday surroundings and creates positive social and environmental impact." The competition consists on an initial application process which is then narrowed to 6 finalists in each category; finalists present for 4 minutes and are questioned by a jury for another 4 in a very rapid fire session that encourages clarity and simplicity. Aside from the possibility of an award it was a valuable process to reconsider & refine our goals.

You can watch our PXD presentation below and see the rest of the finalists presentations here (including Seattle designer Katrina Spade)

The Seattle Design Nerds are an all volunteer non-profit organization dedicated to design in the public realm. We attempt to engage the public with their city & with its design community through interactive inflatable spaces, AR games, & more DESIGNED BY Seattle Design Nerds LOCATION Seattle, WA PRESENTER: Trevor Dykstra SXSW Eco's Place by Design Finalists envision public space as something greater than a backdrop for human activity.

While we didn't win we're happy to lose to a project like BoomBox, and the opportunity to meet and be counted as peers with so many great organizations was affirming of how far the group has come from our first 3 person meetup in Rachel's Ginger Beer 3 years ago.

The ReFractor also made an appearance as a lounge at the SXSW Eco Closing Party. Special thanks to SXSW's David Fox for kitting it out with all sorts of party lights and Julie Yost for being our blob champion.