DESIGNxRI

Our June Clambake: Creative Conversations is just a week away! Join us next Wednesday, June 17th from 6-8PM at Moniker Brewery in Providence to explore two distinct approaches to product design and development. Featuring Adam Dau and Lukas Scheurer, two designers working at different ends of the production spectrum, the conversation will examine the nuances of making, whether through hands-on fabrication and custom machining, or through designing for large-scale manufacturing abroad. Register today at https://champ.ly/K4KMm9Y4!

Last week, we gathered at Innovate Newport to celebrate the 16 design businesses that completed our latest Design Catalyst cohort at the Design Catalyst Showcase.

Over the past several months, 18 entrepreneurs representing 16 small and micro design businesses from across Rhode Island participated in this intensive business development program. The cohort included product, interior, furniture, education, fashion, and experience designers, as well as nonprofit organizations, all working to strengthen and grow their creative enterprises.

Congratulations to this incredible group of entrepreneurs for their hard work, dedication, and vision. We are proud to support Rhode Island's creative community and look forward to seeing how these businesses continue to grow, thrive, and contribute to our state's creative economy.

A special thank you to our funders and partners who make this work possible: POC Foundation, Real Jobs Rhode Island, RI Commerce, the City of Providence, Ocean State Charities Trust, the van Beuren Charitable Foundation, Innovate Newport, CCRI, and CIC Providence.

On Tuesday evening, we hosted a community-centered strategic planning event, bringing together members of Rhode Island’s design community, and beyond, to help shape DESIGNxRI’s next strategic plan. Fifty participants gathered at Track 15 to explore key themes that have emerged throughout the planning process, including Design & Small Business Growth, Design & Workforce Development, The Future of Rhode Island Design & Its Impact, Positioning Design as a Strategic Partner, and Building a Stronger Design Network.

Through thoughtful conversations and collaborative discussion, participants shared ideas, perspectives, and aspirations for what the future of Rhode Island’s design sector, and our organization, could look like over the next three to five years.

We are grateful to everyone who has contributed to this process so far, from completing our first survey last fall to participating in winter discussion groups and joining us this week. This work wouldn’t be possible without your enthusiastic engagement. And, a special thank you to Track 15 for hosting us and helping make this important community engagement event possible.

We’re excited to introduce Glen Gallagher (he/him), our newest board member! Glen serves as the State Health Lab Director for Rhode Island and previously worked in biological research with a focus on virology. He joined the DxRI board because he values how the organization creates opportunities to see familiar things in a new light and discover ideas he may never have encountered otherwise.

As a new board member, Glen jokes that his unofficial title is “trainee,” but we see him as our fresh perspectives person. We’re thrilled to have his curiosity, thoughtfulness, and unique experience helping guide the organization into the future.

We first met Glen in a ceramics studio, so it’s no surprise that he’s drawn to design that centers the human experience. He’s especially excited by the ways thoughtful design can positively shape the health and science sectors.

When asked what he’s learned from designers, artists, and creative people, Glen shared: “How to stop and marvel at the small or seemingly mundane things in life. Even the smallest details have intention around them.” We couldn’t agree more. Observant designers often look to the natural world for inspiration, like the Tokyo subway system, which was informed by slime mold growth patterns.

We’re so excited to have Glen’s perspective, intellect, and sense of wonder on the DxRI board!

Meet Adam Dau, owner of S.K. Grimes and one of our June Clambake: Creative Conversations speakers! S.K. Grimes specializes in making custom camera parts, adapting vintage lenses to work with modern equipment, and fabricating one-of-a-kind mechanical solutions for photographers and designers worldwide. Join us in two weeks on June 17th from 6-8PM at Moniker Brewery to here more about Adam's work. We’ll explore how constraints, tools, and context shape decision-making — and ultimately, the user experience. Register now at https://www.designxri.com/programs-and-events/creative-conversations/!

For ceramic artists Francisco Rocha Salazar and Jasper Isaac Johns, collaboration is at the center of everything they create. Together, the duo forms Studio FraJas, a practice that blends ceramics, painting, architecture, and historical decorative traditions into richly patterned vessels that feel both ancient and contemporary. In the latest DxRI Dispatch, DESIGNxRI connects with Francisco and Jasper to discuss their work and their experience with DESIGN WEEK RI. Swipe to learn a bit more about Studio FraJas, and visit https://www.designxri.com/studio-frajas/ for the full scoop!

Meet Lukas Scheurer, an entrepreneur, inventor, industrial designer, and one of our June Clambake: Creative Conversations speakers! Lukas's practice is grounded in a hands-on approach to manufacturing, with an emphasis on creating products that are beautiful, functional, and cost-effective to produce at scale. Join us 17th from 6-8PM at Moniker Brewery as we explore two distinct approaches to product design and development with Lukas and our second speaker, Adam Dau. The conversation will examine the nuances of making, whether through hands-on fabrication and custom machining, or through designing for large-scale manufacturing abroad. Register today at https://www.designxri.com/programs-and-events/creative-conversations/!

It's finally time: 6 months in the making, the 2025-2026 Design Catalyst Showcase is here! Join us tomorrow from 5:30-8PM at Innovate Newport to celebrate the 2025-2026 Cohort and see their work. The evening will begin with presentations from our 16 designers, followed by an opportunity to chat and check out their work up close! If you haven't already registered, visit https://secure.qgiv.com/for/designcatalyst/event/20252026showcase/ now. We can't wait to see you tomorrow night!

We’re proud to share DESIGNxRI’s 2025 Annual Report and celebrate what your support made possible this past year. Because of your generosity, DESIGNxRI was able to strengthen Rhode Island’s design sector by supporting small businesses, expanding access to professional development opportunities, and creating spaces for designers and communities to connect, learn, and grow together. Visit https://www.designxri.com/about-us/annual-report-2025/ to check out the full 2025 Annual Report!

There's just one week left until the 2025-2026 Design Catalyst Showcase! Join us next Wednesday from 5:30-8PM at Innovate Newport for an unforgettable evening. The showcase will feature presentations from our 16 Catalyst participants, with opportunities to engage with each designer and their work. Register now at https://secure.qgiv.com/for/designcatalyst/event/20252026showcase/!