Blu Dot, the irreverent Minneapolis furniture design collective with a modern imprint, is ready to spill the secrets of its success.
The company headlines the College of Visual Arts 2008 Leaders of Design Series, beginning with Wednesday night's lecture by John Christakos and Maurice Blanks. The co-founders will offer their thoughts on why there is no "I" in design. (Or, "Des gn," as the program notes.)
An auction Thursday will include a signed version of the fold-on-the-dotted-line Real Good Chair and the new Son of a Bench, with opening bids of $50 and $500, respectively.
An ongoing exhibition, opening Thursday evening, will include scale models and prototypes, including Blu Dot's flip-armed Buttercup and the Real Good chairs, and examples of the design process from inception to manufacture.
Blu Dot, which has made a business of marketing without heavy investment, said the exhibit will also include examples of its packaging, as well as video from its Short Film Series, developed in partnership with independent filmmakers and Minneapolis-based mono. (See all four, including a nifty downloadable desktop "clock" from the first film, on the company's site at www.bludot.com)
