Get details to participate in Kusske Design Initiative events such as the bi-weekly Exchange, KDI Lecture & Dialogue, Burst, and Vista on the University of Minnesota's central events calendar.
Exchange
The bi-weekly KDI Exchange invites participants to consider intersections of varied design motivations, disciplines, and methods through impromptu, collective dialogue. The conversational approach encourages students, faculty, and staff across the College of Design to get to know one another and build an increasingly interconnected community. By having an opportunity to compare views, vocabularies, and values, participants in the Exchange can broaden their perspectives on design and find opportunities for collaborative learning and creativity. Conversation partners with complementary perspectives informally lead each Exchange.
Do you have an idea for a great Exchange topic? Want to co-lead an Exchange session? Submit your suggestions.
KDI Lecture & Dialogue
Each fall, the KDI Lecture & Dialogue brings renowned design practitioners and thought leaders
to the College of Design to consider humanity’s most pressing issues and generate solutions for
a radically changing world.These events are open to the entire Twin Cities community and
beyond.
Previous Speakers
- 2022 | Fashion designer and urban gardening activist Ron Finley
- 2021 | Architect Frank Gehry
Burst
Each spring, the KDI Burst encourages engagement with diverse creative perspectices through a
workshop and colloquium with guest designers.
Past Events
- 2023 | Empathy at Scale - Presented in partnership with the Eames Institute of Infinite Curiosity and featuring National Humanities Medalist and bestselling author Krista Tippett
- 2022 | Materi(e)ality - Curated by Malini Srivastava and organized in partnership with Architecture as Catalyst
- 2021 | The One-Minute City
Vista
Broad-reaching, intermodal exhibits that invite engagement with outcomes of the creative, pluralistic collaborative. These exhibits will manifest both digitally and physically as graphical displays, videos, podcasts, and other designed forms. Vista features creative work produced through cohort collaboration, individual studies and inquiries, faculty and student research, and colloquia and workshops associated with KDI events.
