Designed in California
Presenting the evolution of human-centered and socially conscious design.
The exhibition showcased California's rich design history through a reverse chronological display as well as thematic clusters. To do this successfully, the display needed to accommodate a wide range of scales. It had to handle small objects like the UP wristband health monitor and larger objects like The North Face tent, ensuring both visibility and protection.
A key theme was "failing forward," inspired by Silicon Valley innovators who adapted their environments to enable experimentation. The gallery featured maple plywood surfaces and two levels of exhibition display, maximizing space and highlighting relationships between objects. The title treatment combined 1960s letterforms referencing California’s free spirit with a contemporary color palette.