Be there at Design Night: Mother Nature: Celebrity Designer

Design Night is an events program at the Autodesk Gallery. At each event, guests explore a different theme – such as biomimicry, light, or robotics – that challenges the conventionally narrow definition of design. The theme is reflected in all aspects of the event, from the activities guests enjoy to the food they eat to the music they hear. The result is a fun and fascinating venue for exploration, networking, and the exchange of ideas.

On Thursday, February 7, 6-10 p.m., the Autodesk Gallery in San Francisco will host our sixth Design Night: Mother Nature: Celebrity Designer, where we will explore how biomimicry generates radical innovation. I have blogged on this topic before — Eiji Nakatsu: Lecture on Biomimicry as applied to a Japanese Train.

They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. We say it’s a good thing nature never got around to patent protection or today’s designers might be in big trouble. Still, who better to take design inspiration from than Mother Nature? After all, you'd be a heck of a designer too if you had nearly 4 billion years of trial and error under your belt.

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So come to Design Night if you're curious about biomimicry and what it means for the future of design. Come and get in touch with nature with:

• World-renowned biomimicry expert Dr. Dayna Baumeister
  

• Hands-on Activities

  • Evolving Building: Looking at how the natural world adapts to survive changes, we can learn how to build buildings that are optimized to withstand extreme conditions. This is a community build-over-time project, where participants will build and modify a structure based on conditions that change every 15 minutes, from a heat wave to high winds to floods, etc. Materials: clay, Popsicle sticks, leaves, feathers, etc. Participants will experience how buildings can be designed to be locally attuned and responsive, adapt to changing conditions, and evolve to survive.
  • Biomimicry Parlor Games: Go Fish: Saddle up to the casino table for a rousing game of Go Fish biomimicry style. Learn how to look to the ocean to generate radical innovation.

• DJ: Listen to the sweet jams of DJ Animal.

• Specialty Cocktails

  • Rosemary Gin Fizz, served with a fresh sprig of San Francisco rosemary
  • Honey Rum Fizz, prepared by a highly organized society of bees

• Food: Tacos by Picante

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Also enjoy an open bar, food, activities, and much, much more so...um...hurry! Registration is required and ticket pricing is as follows:

• Advanced Tickets: $20 General / $15 Autodesk Employees / $10 Students
• Day of Event Tickets: $25 General / $20 Autodesk Employees / $15 Students

To attend the event:

• Visit the event registration site.
• Click Register (at the bottom right).
• Fill out the form.

Admission fees include admission to the presentation, as well as an open bar, food, music, and hands-on activities.

Imitation is alive in the lab.