January 24, 2009

When standing in the Guthrie Theater I ran from window to window, excited as I was on Christmas mornings as a child, awaiting the view each window offered of Minneapolis.

I have a newfound connection to this place. The company I joined a few weeks back, the design and manufacturing firm Blu Dot, is based here. And so I came to immerse myself in the city and the brand and I was pleasantly surprised. My best girlfriend, Sandra Hansel, who was once my boss (and mentor) at Design Within Reach, is from Minneapolis. So obviously I'd like it. And then there is that Prince thing. So I arrived excited.

It was cold. And snow covered. And this lent to my sudden obsession with the cityscape. Modernist structures (Jean Nouvel's Guthrie, Herzog & de Meuron's Walker Art Center) nestle into a skyline of beautiful (and industrial) bridges over the MIssissippi. Neon signs (like the beloved Domino Sugar sign in Baltimore harbor) light the sky. Churches protrude. Electrical structures crisscross. Mill factories stand erect and converted. There is a little bit of everything here to see. I think it's as pretty as San Francisco.

I had some great meals. Foie Gras meatballs at 112 Eatery. A burger at the bar of the Monte Carlo, which sits across the street from Sexworld. Again, more neon signs.

I had more than one drink bought for me by strangers here. If only that happened in NYC. And Blu Dot. What about that? A true treat.

I adore the brand and their ability to laugh at themselves. At DWR I had the ear of the CEO and the executive team and I gambled losing that sense of belonging when I joined the Blu Dot team. After this week I was so thrilled with my choice. The Blu Dot people are down-to-earth and excited about design. In their quest to bring good, modern design to a broader consumer group they've really created something very unique. Blu Dot's point of view reflects Minnesota's charm and quirkiness. It honors the Eames' belief system. And it embraces color! In a product assortment meeting I witnessed how an idea will become a product, quickly. It was really exciting.

I am very happy right now on this plane. Minnesota charmed my pants off. My Blu Dot comrades made me proud to be among them.