Bend Design 2024: Approaching a Decade of Creative Inspiration

In 2015, a group of design professionals from various disciplines mustered up a two-day event in Bend, hoping to inspire their peers by celebrating the practice and principles of design. Nine years later, Bend Design, produced by local nonprofit organization Scalehouse, has evolved into something deeply impactful. While the conference still welcomes those who design for a living, the audience has expanded to include anyone who can benefit from creative thinking in their professional or personal lives, as well as across communities.

Central to the event is Bend itself – while smaller than many creative hubs, this city serves as a powerful catalyst and incubator for creatives. The innovative spirit of this year’s speakers exemplifies Bend’s character: a town that fosters innovation and collaboration.

“The Bend Design conference aims to explore how creative thinking and practices can lift up our lives, our communities, and the wider world. It’s a way to engage our forward-thinking, talented community in a meaningful conversation about the role of art and design in our daily experience and how it invigorates and inspires us to do better,” said Scalehouse co-founder and Bend Design co-producer René Mitchell.

For Bend Design organizers, the hope is that by engaging creative thinking, communities can make positive changes within a wide range of challenges. 

Throughout the year, Scalehouse convenes diverse thinkers for in-depth discussions, artistic expression and hands-on collaboration. Bend Design stands as their flagship event.

“We believe that our future presents complex challenges and opportunities, not just benefiting from creativity but requiring it,” Mitchell said.

This year’s Bend Design conference showcases an impressive lineup of speakers, including:

• Jaihline Ramirez, Indigenous Designer
• Corey Martin, Principal Designer at Hacker Architects
• Shantanu Sharma, Indian Designer, Illustrator and Art Director
• Sandy Cummings, Three-time Emmy Award-winning Independent Filmmaker

A highlight of 2024’s conference is the partnership with the Warm Springs Community Action Team (WSCAT) and a presentation from Indigenous Designer Jaihline Ramirez. Ramirez will present “Threads of Heritage: The Ribbon Skirt as a Contemporary Symbol of Indigenous Identity.” This session explores how ribbon skirts, now a fashion staple across Indian Country, have been adopted by women and girls as an alternative to Western formal attire. The conference will culminate in a runway show at the Wrap Cocktail Party, showcasing the creativity and craftsmanship of these ribbon skirts. This event spotlights Indigenous design and demonstrates how traditional crafts can evolve into powerful symbols of contemporary identity.

This year, in collaboration with Bend’s Tin Pan Theater, the conference features a screening of “Squaring the Circle: The Story of Hipgnosis,” a documentary film that invites an intimate look at the creative process, triumphs and challenges of the album cover designers at Hipgnosis. Founded in Cambridge amidst the cultural upheaval of the sixties, Hipgnosis rose to prominence by redefining album art. The film celebrates its ability to conceptualize and execute visuals that capture the essence of the music they adorned, influencing not just the perception of the albums but also the broader artistic landscape of the time.

Bend Design is a cornerstone of Tenth Month, the monthlong October series of Bend cultural events that also include the BendFilm Festival and the Bend Venture Conference. Bend Design 2024 will take place from October 17 through 18.

For 2024, Bend Design offers a program centered around Tin Pan Alley. Here’s what attendees can expect:

• A film screening at Tin Pan Theater on album cover design
• A motion design graphic exhibition at Scalehouse Gallery
• A panel discussion on animation
• An architect talk on designing for Central Oregon
• A culmination happy hour celebration at Scalehouse Gallery, featuring music and a fashion show by youth from Warm Springs

For the full schedule of events, visit the Bend Design 2024 website.

As Bend Design continues to evolve, it remains true to its core mission: inspiring creativity, fostering innovation, and celebrating the vibrant design community of Bend and beyond.

Published August 2019

Bend Design 2019 addresses how creative thinking can solve business, social and civic issues.

In 2015, a group of design professionals from various disciplines mustered up a two-day event in Bend, hoping to inspire their peers by celebrating the practice and principals of design. Five years later, Bend Design, produced by local organization ScaleHouse, has grown to a four-day festival filled with talks, shows, workshops, screenings, and problem-solving sessions, all centered around the broader-than-design concept of “ideas.” The conference still welcomes in those who design for a living, but the audience has expanded to include anyone and everyone who can benefit from creative thinking in their professional or personal lives, as well as across communities.

Central to the event is Bend itself, and the way this small city has grown to serve as catalyst and incubator for creativity. “This year’s creative visionaries are aligned with the innovative and collaborative spirit that distinguishes Bend as a hub for creative thinking,” said ScaleHouse co-founder and Bend Design co-producer René Mitchell.

The event creators’ hope is that by engaging creative thinking, communities can make positive changes within a wide range of challenges. “The Bend Design conference aims to explore how creative thinking and practices can lift up our lives, our communities, and the wider world,” said Mitchell. “It’s a way to engage our forward-thinking, talented community in a meaningful conversation about the role of design in our daily experience and how it invigorates and inspires us to do better.”

Throughout the year, ScaleHouse convenes diverse thinkers for in-depth discussion, artistic expression, and hands-on collaboration. Bend Design is the flagship event. “We believe that our future presents complex challenges and opportunities, not just benefiting from creativity but requiring it,” said Mitchell.

Returning this year is a special session called Design for Good. This branding and design exercise benefits a Central Oregon non-profit which serves historically marginalized communities. “Bend Design participants bring branding and design chops to a nonprofit,” said Mitchell. “Last year we developed a logo for the Latino Community Association. We’re in the process of selecting an organization this year.”

New this year is a screening of “Obey Giant: The Art and Dissent of Shepard Fairey,” a documentary film that explores the life and career of street artist and graphic designer Shepard Fairey. Co-presented by BendFilm, this is a free event bringing participants together for film-watching and discussion about a controversial artist.

A cornerstone of Tenth Month, the monthlong October series of Bend cultural events that also includes BendFilm Festival and the Bend Venture Conference, Bend Design will take place October 23 through 26 this year. “Bend Design is for creative thinkers, designers, and innovators,” said Mitchell.