I’ve been back in school for a little over a month now and, although it’s been a crazy transition, I really love everything about it. My classmates are awesome and the research, reading and projects so far have been thought-provoking and fun.

Our first project of the semester was on design thinking. In a nutshell, design thinking is innovation through designerly thinking- it is a process by which designers can use their specialty to reveal new ways of approaching anything from the pursuit of new business ventures, the revamping of products or businesses, or the designing of new experiences. It’s a way of taking into consideration what consumers want and need and how to effectively “design” goods toward their desires. Of course the practice is much broader than that, but that’s my basic idea of design thinking. Even though companies like IDEO and Red Hat have been practicing design thinking for years, it’s recently caught on as a buzz phrase within the business world. Stanford even has a school devoted to it.

For our project, each student was assigned a different aspect of design thinking to research and turn into an informative poster for a College of Design exhibition and later for a PDF to live on the Cooper-Hewitt’s ERC website. My topic was Morphological Thinking, which involves a systematic approach to design involving a structure in which all possible variations are laid out at once. This allows for quick trials of many different variations on form and can reveal new ideas.

The real value that I found in this project came when I first saw the finished posters together as a group. Each designer portrayed their poster both visually, through descriptive text and through a distinct applicable case study. The differences between pieces were evident, yet the exhibition still read as a cohesive group. There’s been a ton of great feedback within the COD and some interest in taking the project further!

Several classmates posted photos of the final exhibition. You can see some of them here. My final is pictured below. I will post the link to the Cooper-Hewitt once the PDFs are live.

You can find out more about design thinking by checking out Tim Brown’s blog.

My final poster for exhibition

My favorite poster by Decoder Ring

I went over to Chapel Hill last night and met up with Angie to see The Hold Steady at Cat’s Cradle. Before the show we stopped in at Southern Rail for a drink and a bite- so similar to pre-shows in DC, where we would go to Saint Ex before heading to 9:30 Club (even our bartender used to work at Saint Ex). I was so excited that Southern Rail decided to continue the tater tot tradition started by Bar Pilar (Saint Ex, Bar Pilar and Southern Rail are a group of restaurant/bars all started by the same man; two are in DC one is in CH) – we used to have dinner at Pilar at least once a week in DC, that is until it’s menu switched entirely over to tapas. It was sad, but now I can once again order the tater tots I know and love!

By the way, it was an awesome show, lasting almost two hours! My hearing is still not back up to 100%…

Since I moved back to the Triangle, I’ve accumulated a long list of new restaurants to try that weren’t around during my Chapel Hill college days. This area is up and coming in the eatery department, with several restaurants jumping on the locally grown bandwagon. I’ve been happy to see all three cities (Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill) featured in recent Bon Appetit write-ups and learn about all the great new places that are popping up to accompany Chapel Hill institutions like Crook’s Corner, Elaine’s and Lantern. So when I read about Raleigh’s barbeque restaurant The Pit in the July edition of Bon Appetit, I knew I had to try it!

from Bon Appetit, July 2008

When my parents came up for a short visit this past Monday night, I decided it would be a perfect time to try out the smoky goodness coming from Pitmaster Ed Mitchell’s kitchen. My mom and I checked out the menu before our outing and were most excited about the B.B.L.T appetizer- biscuits, bacon, lettuce, tomato and pimento cheese!

Once we arrived at the restaurant, I was a little surprised to see such metropolitan decor- it was trendy and comfortable- the kind of place you’d want to go on a date, relax after work or take your family for a nice meal. I was a little worried that the atmosphere might be a reflection of the food- in my experience, the bigger a hole in the wall a place is, the better the barbeque, and this was no shack!

Upon inspection of the in-restaurant menu, I noticed that it had been updated to include information on the local foods used- even the hogs are locally raised on organic farms. For my meal, I went with the Carolina Style Ribs and, per my server’s suggestion, tried the baked beans and deviled eggs on the side. Mom and Dad both got barbeque. We ordered the B.B.L.T., but sadly our server forgot to put in the order and it never arrived. Not to worry, the pre-meal bread basket was FULL of freshly baked biscuits and large golden hushpuppies.

Once our meals were served, I knew I was not going to be disappointed. The ribs were wonderfully smoky and flavorful and my sides were great- the baked beans were slowcooked with meat and the deviled eggs had a kick of dill in them. I tasted some of my parents barbeque and it was without a doubt the best thing on the table- it even overshadowed the ribs! We chose to forego dessert because we were so full, but I was intrigued by the Wild Turkey ice cream accompaniment to the Banana Upside Down Cake.

Needless to say, our meal at The Pit was a great experience and I will definitely be back to try that B.B.L.T. and some Wild Turkey ice cream!

It’s my long awaited return to the District. I haven’t been back since I moved and I’m DYING to see all my friends, go to Ikea, have a bloody mary at Logan Tavern, get my haircut (haven’t had the strength to cut the Bang ties yet), take public transportation, go to West Elm, ride in a cab, eat at Falafel Shop, take a jello shot at Millie & Al’s, dance at Chief Ike’s, and walk around a city that I have missed since the second I left.

Finally, FINALLY, I’ve started that poster collection I’ve been talking about. I decided to go with a couple prints from Methane Studios- I discovered the shop during my search for letterpress and silkscreen work and I love the variety of their work- great prices too! I decided to go with a Cat Power print that I thought would add nice accent color to the black and white decor of one of my rooms. I also chose an Iron and Wine print because I love the colors and composition of the piece.

One of the reasons I’ve held off on the posters is the expense of framing, but once I searched for frame shops online, I found an awesome, cheap (but great quality) shop! It’s called American Frame- they will cut your frame the exact size you need, there are tons of frame colors to choose from, and you can get plexiglass, mat board and foam backing cut to size. The only catch is that you have to put the frame together yourself, but it took me 10 minutes to put both frames together- it was seriously dummy-proof. I highly recommend this store- I got my posters and everything I needed for framing for just over $100- it usually costs more than that just to get a piece framed. Ok, enough of my American Frame love fest.

So I know how user-antagonistic my current portfolio site is, so I’m planning on revamping it in the near future. I want to take my time this time though, and do it right- since it’s already my second attempt. I met with a few people at work today to go through the steps of actually planning- instead of just jumping right into the design. I need to make sure that it’s functional and easy to get around to allow the full potential of my portfolio to shine through. One suggestion I got from the meeting was to poll people on their favorite websites and what they liked about them, from a usability standpoint. I got a ton of good responses. And then came one from my friend Juan:

Hey Lauren,

I just wanted to send you a link to one of my favorite websites.  I
think it’s a good model for other websites to go by.

http://www.havenworks.com/

Juan

My response: Juan, I think you have been riding the L2 bus waaaay too many times. I’m giving you so much side eye, my eyes are closed.

Here’s my new roommate. I’m calling him Remy.

Today is my last full day in DC and although I’m sad to be leaving, I’m also looking forward to being back in NC and starting fresh. I will miss all my DC friends, but at least I won’t have far to travel to see them! I’ve decided to compile my own personal “best of” list to commemorate my time here…

Best Brunch
Cafe Atlantico- You introduced me to salt air margaritas and the best scallop I’ve ever tasted. My only regret is that I never got to go to your illustrious Mini Bar.
Logan Tavern- Two things that you do best, Logan Tavern: French toast and extra spicy bloody marys. Thanks for the memories.
Belga Cafe- Pommes frites for breakfast? I’m in.

Best Lunch Near Work
Breadline- You introduced me to the Cuban and I am forever grateful.
Ebbitt Express- I know others have experienced growing pains with you, but your mac & cheese and turkey burgers have never done me wrong.
NY Cafe- Your buffet always made me a little squeamish, but the cheese steaks more than made up for it.

Best Neighborhood Restaurants
Regent- It goes without saying that the Pad Gra Prao is one of the best things I’ve ever tasted. And your delivery man is the best ever. He always brings me a Coke Zero free of charge
Dupont Market- With the exception of the time you ran out of ciabatta, your sandwiches have always treated me well.
Hank’s Oyster Bar- You are the quaintest place on the block and I will always have fond memories of your fried clams.

Best Urban Excursions
Dupont Farmer’s Market- Angie showed you more love than I did, but just because I only ever bought crab cakes from you doesn’t mean I won’t miss you.
National Portrait Gallery- You are the best museum ever. Seriously. The coolest.
Nationals Park- You’ve come in on the heels of my departure, but at least we have been able to share two baseball games together. It was great seeing the first grand slam on your turf.
E Street Cinema- Yes you’re in a basement and if I accidentally leave my cell phone on you drain my battery. But I have seen some of the most amazing movies within your walls. You’re always clean and your movie-goers are always pleasant. Thank you for that.
Eastern Market- I wish I had known the joys of your farmer’s market before my last few months in DC. But I think I was too distracted by the “Pooh Jazz” watch at your flea market on my first visit to realize how truly amazing you are.
9:30 Club- I do hate standing in a crowd, but you made it bearable. Of all the musical acts that I saw on your stage, Scissor Sisters was by far the best.

Best Mini-Burgers
Matchbox- You’re always so crowded and I feel lucky when I can actually be seated in your dining room. I give your mini burgers 4.5 out of 5 stars.
Ugly Mug- After Redskins or Nationals games you are my place. I give your mini burgers 5 out of 5 stars.
Bobby Van’s- Thank you for being so welcoming to me and Carly during happy hour. I give your mini burgers 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Best Pizza
Pizzeria Paradiso- I like how your walls are painted like a faux-Italian ruin. Your Atomica pizza is amazing.
Baffetto- The only jumbo slice I trust. You are the master of cheese pizza by the slice.
Two Amy’s- You’re the only spot from my old neighborhood that made it on the list and that’s because you’re truly special. Your Margherita Extra is tried and true.

Best Happy Hour
Ceiba- Yes, it’s been a while, but that doesn’t mean I’ve forgotten about the Hemingway Mojito.
Poste at the Hotel Monaco- Your courtyard and patio are such a nice places to relax after a stressful day at work.
Le Bar- You are the best place to go for a celebration, hands down.

Best Dive Bars
Millie & Al’s- Big flashing light bulb: ingenious. Your jukebox: best ever.
Dan’s Cafe- How could I ever doubt a place that leaves it all up to me?
Big Hunt- Your weird and grungy decor actually make you somewhat of a landmark for me. You always hosted great work happy hours.
Chief Ike’s- There are no words.

Best Late Night Food
Ben’s Chili Bowl- You serve the best chili cheese fries and chili dogs ever. Please remain a DC fixture- I will be back to visit you.
Amsterdam Falafel Shop- You were my first real encounter with falafel and I am forever indebted. I don’t know how I’ll get by without that toppings bar.
Five Guys- I know you are a big time chain now, but I knew you way back when you were only NOVA-DC. Thanks for coming to my neighborhood and thanks for being available to me in North Carolina.

Best of the Best (ie: restaurants I will dream about and cry over)
Jaleo- I’m crazy about your tomato manchego bread and I’ve never tasted such awesome sangria.
Central- You make the richest burger in the city and serve the best prosciutto plate and gougeres. Thank you Michel Richard for making a restaurant for the common folk.
Brasserie Beck- Thanks to you, I am now a lover of all things Belgian. Your beef carbonnade is one of the best winter meals I can imagine and you pour a mean Kasteel Rouge.
Cafe Saint-Ex- You were always a big hipster hangout, but I liked you too. Mmmm sweet potato fries.
Bar Pilar (tater tot era)- Why oh why did you ever change your menu? I still find myself daydreaming about tater tots, grilled cheese and tomato soup, and whatever that tortilla puff pastry thing was. Yum. Too bad you only serve tapas now; I’m still holding out hope that you’ll revert back to the glory days.
Rasika- Even though you will almost never give me a reservation, the few times we have met have been magical.

Best Outside District Lines
Restaurant Eve- You are it my friend: the creme de la creme. The only nice restaurant I ever made a trek to, but you served me one of the most amazing meals of my life. I mean that. You are in a category all by yourself- Best of the Best of the Best.

DC, you’ve been great to me. You introduced me to public transportation, Clinton Portis, and some of the most wonderful people and lifelong friends. You exposed me to real brunches and a plethora of ethnic foods that I might otherwise not have tried. You showed me that kickball can be fun (if played with the right people) and that I could live without sweet tea, fried chicken and biscuits (although barely). It’s ok that you threw three-legged rats, ceiling leaks and the occasional crazy person into the mix- that stuff just goes with being a city. Thanks for the memories. I will miss you.

With the impending move, I’m trying to keep this phrase in mind. I have yet to start my new poster collection, but I think it’s imperative that this piece be a part of it, especially with school starting in the fall.

Apparently it’s a replication of an old WWII poster and I love it. Simplicity in design is my thing.

One of my friends recently asked me to design a label for a beer that he just brewed for his school’s beer club competition. The name comes from a combination of Point Break combined with his friends’ slang term for beers. I tried to design the logo so that it can transition over to other brews. I see a White Ale, an Amber Ale, maybe even a Winter Ale in the future…