123 West Design Collective joins this year’s Festival with “Uncommon Sense,” a sensory experience showcasing the many ways design impacts our emotional state using brilliant colors, invocative smells, tactile materials, aural frequencies, and subtle movements. The materials used in the installation showcase the ingenuity and beauty of the Olympic Peninsula using reclaimed materials from tribal timber processes, surfboard manufacturing, and local horticulture.

Uncommon Sense will present at the Block Party on August 16-17. Learn more about 123 West Design Collective’s process, and how FEEDBACK has shaped their design this year.

Kyle Zimmerman is a designer, engineer, and creative strategist passionate about building thoughtful, future-forward environments that improve lives. He leads 123 West Design Collective, a multidisciplinary design studio based in Port Angeles, Washington. They focus on projects that blur the lines between architecture, public art, and systems thinking – from transitional housing and tribal collaborations to immersive installations and digital transformation for global brands.

Kyle’s creative practice is informed by a background in Mechanical Engineering (Georgia Tech) and an Executive MBA (Kennesaw State) focused on global leadership and sustainability. Prior to founding 123 West, he spent over a decade designing complex automation systems in airports and logistics hubs. At 123 West, he collaborates with Indigenous communities, economic development councils, and sustainability startups to create holistic, place-based solutions for small communities. He works passionately with a wide range of artists and creatives on strategic projects.

Kyle uses various artistic mediums during my design process, but he has a personal preference for techniques that combine art and technology – like block printing, digital art, and community installations. His projects often incorporate reclaimed materials, digital fabrication, and interactive elements to create meaningful experiences.

Q&A

FEEDBACK in design is…

…critical to your success. Design is a team sport and the better that you and your team can use feedback effectively, the better your outputs will be. Being open to feedback makes better leaders.

How do you use FEEDBACK in your work?

I use feedback to get the most out of a design. A design lead by a single individual is going to be flawed, no matter how much talent or effort goes into it. Design-by-committee goes the opposite way and can lead to poor designs. Feedback is a tool that I use to help sharpen my designs. As a team, we use it to keep our conversations open and our ideas flowing. There are no bad ideas! Keep talking, keep assessing, and give each productive feedback to help each other excel.

Who or what inspires you?

Forests inspire me to think about building systems in a very different way. The new information coming out now about how much trees in forests can communicate and sense and protect each other is incredible and I hope that forestry creates a whole new building science field. To any designers who are stuck working on the same rectangular buildings, take a long hike in an old growth forest.

My favorite thing about my city is…

Port Angeles is a bizarre place. Most people that move here have recently ended a chapter of their life and are starting their new chapter in Port Angeles. This breeds an incredible amount of new ideas and creative thought. We have the most beautiful scenery with Olympic National Park and the Strait of Juan de Fuca within walking distance, so we are never lacking creative energy.

Tell us about a project that you completed that you are most proud of.

We recently finished the design package for the 4PA Touchstone Campus in Port Angeles and the construction process has begun! First, I got to work on the project with two of my closest friends, Michelle Mack and Jun Lee. Second, the project is for a transitional housing facility for a small community. The long-term impact of this project is felt in the community and the trauma-informed design practices we used helped to create a space that is truly going to help people.

What is your ultimate goal when it comes to your work? What do you hope to contribute?

The company slogan is Play. Purpose. Passion. and that’s truly what’s it’s all about. I want to create designs that inspire people to play, because without play, then society becomes robotic. Purpose keeps my designs honest and humble, making sure that I’m creating an even balance of form and function. Passion is what I want to contribute to the world. I want my designs to invoke wonder and inspiration for the next generation of dreamers.

If you could have one superpower, what would it be and why?

The ability to stop time so I could finally catch up on sleep!

How should community influence design?

Without community, design is a soulless endeavor. If buildings and spaces aren’t used, then, in my opinion, they weren’t designed with community in mind. A well-designed space is one that can be used by all members of a community.