- April 3, 2024
- Ellie Gott
The Changemaker Conference did just what it sounds like – inspire change. Bringing us back to our roots in terms of creativity, human connection and the “why” that drives our passion as creatives. Nearly 100 of us Designhounds, industry experts, and our sponsors got together for a day of thought leadership, ideation and creative play. The conference was jam-packed with collaborative workshops and resulted in more than a few new friendships. From simple sketching to some real tear-jerkers: let’s recap some of the moments of the 2024 Designhounds Changemaker Conference.
NEW: The Designhounds SoapBox
New for Designhounds and for our Designhounds-Events powered conferences is the Designhounds SoapBox, a session program that you’ll be hearing more about online and during our live events. During these 30-minute session blocks, event attendees are invited to share their thoughts on a specific topic or, as in the case of the Changemaker Conference, Sharing “one thing to improve our industry”. You see what we did there? We invited guests to share what they struggle with or are unhappy about BUT with a positive spin? See? It’s all in how we look at things and the ensuing conversations between brands and design pros ended up being productive, proactive and very positive.
The Power-House Panel:
Kicking off the day, our Designhound-in-Chief, Veronika Miller, led a panel discussion with our sponsors on human-centric design. And…. surprise!- there was a generous donation announcement from our sponsors towards one our own, Alyce Lopez. Alyce’s new shop faced severe flood damage from record-breaking rainfall in San Diego. Read all about it here!
The Changemaker Conference Sponsors:
Westlake Royal Building Products
Interior & exterior products — Westlake offers a complete line of durable and low-maintenance exterior home products. Siding, roofing, stone, trim & moldings.
Mr Steam
MrSteam manufactures state-of-the-art steam shower systems and steam shower accessories for residential and commercial steam bathing experiences.
Grohe
Grohe is a German plumbing fixtures manufacturer with luxury fittings for bathrooms and kitchens.
Signature Kitchen Suite (SKS)
Signature Kitchen Suite crafts built-in appliances, featuring leading-edge technology that provides more flexibility to prepare meals “True to Food.”
The Sketching Sesh:
After some lunch and pick-me-up drinks, we geared up for a sketching workshop with Shannin Williams. Shannin is a a Jackie-of-all-trades: interior designer, architectural illustrator, and sketching workshop professor. We re-learned basic sketching techniques, through an empowering guided session. Giving us the backbone and confidence, we took our Shannin-skills and started the day’s Design challenge.
The Changemaker Challenge:
Attendees were asked to design a retreat space that inspired peace and creativity. Teams selected one representative per team to present their concept where all attendees had the opportunity to vote and select a winner of the challenge. The winner would be featured during KBIS Uncorked 2024 hosted and sponsored by Signature Kitchen Suite. It was America’s Got Talent- Design Edition.
Ding, Ding, Ding- we had a winner! Lisa Mende of Lisa Mende Designs won with her stunning “grief room” retreat space. Inspired by the tragic loss of her son, the space held symbolic physical elements of the grief process. Oh- and also, the whole space surrounded a live butterfly funnel display into a skylight.
With bubbly, music, and fresh new perspectives, we left the conference space fulfilled and connected to our community. Thank you to our sponsors, Shannin, all the attendees, and our beloved Designhounds for a such a powerful conference. Until next time- be proud, be bold, and Dare to Design!
To learn more about upcoming Designhounds events and conferences please check back often at designhounds.com/events
