The Santa Cruz Design + Innovation Center's second event was a great success. Student teams, Professors Michael Mateas and Warren Sack, and our industry panel of Don Daglow (Stormfront Studios), Josiah Pisciotta (Chronic Logic), and Andrew Webster (Santa Cruz Games) held an audience of over a hundred rapt as they demonstrated and explained what will be the next generation of interfaces and games. Thanks to all for participation and support!

We're opening our talent and potential to the world. From individual designers and small design businesses, to established businesses like O’Neill, Plantronics, NHS, and Easton-Bell LLC, there is a ton of design talent in this town. More and more, design is becoming a key differentiator in the 21st century economy and creative design will rule markets around the world. When companies, investors, and entrepreneurs go looking for great design, we want them to come to Santa Cruz. And the Santa Cruz Design + Innovation Center will be their first stop.

People crave community. And solving interesting design problems often takes a collaborative, interdisciplinary approach. The Santa Cruz Design + Innovation Center will be the hub of a vibrant creative community. The center will create opportunities for networking and collaboration, and provide a space for teams to tackle cutting edge design challenges.

The Santa Cruz Design + Innovation Center will be an educational resource for its members. We’ll host speakers, forums, and conferences. We’ll partner with programs at Cabrillo College, UC Santa Cruz, and the local K-12 schools. Together, we’ll educate each other and the rest of the world on why design matters and why Santa Cruz is a perfect place for the creation of innovative design.