2020 now marks a turning point that we had not imagined. As the Seattle Design Festival prepares for its tenth year, the landscape has changed.
This year’s theme, About Time, sought to ponder past, present, and future at a unique moment of transition for the city, the region and the world. Instead, it presently confronts the reality of a global public health crisis and its profound impact on our daily lives.
Containment has become a necessity. Social distancing has become a best practice. Collaboration strains amid the inability to work together, increasingly physically and sometimes ideologically. We cannot ignore these challenges. It calls for a response. And now the Seattle Design Festival eagerly seeks to harness the potent force of its community and demonstrate the indomitable spirit of design in building and sustaining human connection through times of crisis.
We are aware the impact this crisis has had on everyone’s daily lives, and realize that many of us are living and working day by day. The way that we collaborate has changed, and priorities are shifting. We are rethinking our proposal process to better respond to the immediate needs of our Festival community.
Also, in response to the current situation, we pivoted to a ‘virtual information session’ for our March 24 Design Jam. We shared information, tips, and answered frequently asked questions, which can still be watched on YouTube. Stay tuned for virtual collaboration in our next sessions April 25 and May 7.
We look to you for help and creativity, and to catalyze your communities to aid in restoring balance About Time apart, About Time together – and about so much more.