WORKSHOP // How to Make Mistakes on Purpose

Friday, November 11, 2011
7:30-10:30 pm
195 Morgan Avenue

How to Make Mistakes on Purpose is for doing things more than talking about them. It has been taught for Google, Starbucks, AIGA and the Prince of Sweden, as well as ArtCenter Pasadena, RISD, MICA, Camberwell, Brighton University, the CUSP conference, STUDIO 360, and many other exciting places. IKEA just launched a design collection that originated in this very workshop.

Now, workshop creator Laurie Rosenwald is bringing her lively and unexpected workshop to 3rd Ward, in partnership with the New York Chapter of the Industrial Designers Society of America. 

HTMMOP is not a creativity workshop. Trying to be creative works about as well as trying to be charming. One day Georges de Mestral went for a walk in the woods. He got some burrs stuck on his pants. He played around with ‘em. He thought, “What could this be?” And now we have Velcro. Here’s what he didn’t do: He didn’t sit down at a desk and think, “What this world needs is a better way of sticking stuff together! I will invent a new and exciting way of doing that!”

But can you plan a happy accident? In the workshop, things will happen that will make you ask, “What could this be?” People invent new things, and have unexpected ideas. There is no syllabus. What we do in the workshop is top secret. Participants are requested to respect "omertà", the Mafia code of silence. It's about surprise, so it must be one. If you focus, if you try very hard to create a good thing it will probably be bad. So let’s be bad. It just might turn out good! Think of it as tuna surprise, but without the tuna. Also, It's really fun.

Space is limited. Reserve your spot and purchase your ticket ($35) on the IDSA website.

PLUS! The first 20 3rd Ward Members to RSVP attend for free! Email mwright@3rdward.com to reserve your spot.