June 27, 2015: Pensole Days 23 & 24

PREPARATION, CEREMONY, PRESENTATION.

It was a hot couple of days in Portland, but I didn't realize much of it because I was indoors for most of the daytime.

Practice makes perfect. Getting ready with Team Woolrich for the final presentation.

At least somebody gets to relax.

The second-to-last day of class was full of last-minute changes, building, and practicing. The presentation space was set up for us to practice with our groups and my team was able to take advantage of this early on. We set up our PowerPoints, edited our slides and sorted our words in preparation for the final presentation. While we were excited to get it over with, we also knew what the final presentation represented; we were almost done at Pensole.

Waiting to get into Pensole on the last day of class.

On the last day many of us arrived early to sort out the final kinks of our preparations (some teams were much further along than others). While I was expecting to be able to eat my breakfast and watch some YouTube videos to start the day, I was only able to for about 3 minutes before I was recruited to set up the presentation space. We brought in food, plates, and utensils and I printed and posted signage to direct our guests later in the day.

Around 11:00 we had our final morning meeting. D'Wayne went over logistics of the rest of the day and gave us the criteria that we would be judged on for the presentations. He also mentioned that 12 of us (6 footwear designers, 3 brand designers, 3 CMDs) would be selected to go to Las Vegas for the Magic Tradeshow in August to present our work from the course.

D'Wayne also gave us a very touching and inspirational story about his relationship with his mother and how she saved his life. There were very few dry eyes in the room while he spoke. We also had a very special ceremony where we were each given a certificate of completion, a golden pencil, and a card about believing in ourselves.

Quote of the day: "I'm not teaching you anything. I'm only helping you discover who you are." – Bruce Lee

Website of the day: charliekirihara.com "The website of the day is your own. That should inspire you. That should inspire others." – D'Wayne

Book of the day: "You write it. You should write the book that you want to read." – D'Wayne

Biggest takeaway of the day: "I am giving you this card so that you know how important it is to believe in yourself. But I am also giving you this card for another reason. If it ever feels like no one believes in you, know that I do. And I know that you can do anything." – D'Wayne

The 2015 FN Platform Challenge by Pensole.

We had a couple of difficulties before the presentations started, but we were finally able to get it going just a little late. The presentations went well for all of the teams and it was awesome to see everyone present their projects. In attendance we had alumni, Nike, adidas, Under Armor, Keen, and more. I would like to thank Leanne Bonney, Murphy Carroll, and Leslie Jauch for coming as well!

After the presentations were all said and done, the tallies were voted and the winners were announced. I am proud to announce that I was selected to attend and present my work at the Magic Tradeshow in August! I will be joined by 11 of my peers including Kevin, one of the footwear designers from my group, and Flávio, a fellow CMD who was brought to tears when he heard the news.

My final board of imagery, color, materials, and application.

After about an hour and a half of socializing and networking, we cleaned up the presentation space and our work spaces. All of the sketches were pulled down from the walls and the colors and materials were returned to the MLAB. After a couple hours of cleaning, most of us went to Old Town Pizza in Chinatown for one last hurrah.

I would not trade my experience at Pensole for anything and it really changed my life. I learned a lot about design, but I learned more about myself in these past four weeks. I would like to thank my future wife, my family, my future family and all of my friends for supporting me during this experience. I would also like to thank Cheresse Thornhill, Murphy Carroll, Precious Hanna, Scott McLeod, Eric Sandy, Suzanne Piubeni, Anum Malik, and Scott Roschi for helping me prepare for this course. And I would like to thank Seth Peterson, Chris Dixon, Victoria Adesanmi, and Tuan Nguyen for helping me during the course. And of course D'Wayne Edwards, Matt Rhoades, and Ms. Suzette Henry!

Signing our mugs.

Signed, sealed, delivered.

Crossed off the last day of class.

Celebrating at Old Town Pizza after finishing at Pensole.

June 24, 2015: Pensole Day 22

LAST MINUTE, WINDING DOWN, CONSTRUCTION.

It was a hot one in Portland today with a high of 84º. Portland weather is funny, really. Without any humidity, it's chilly in the mornings, but once noon comes around, it really starts to heat up.

Finalizing everything on my scale rough draft presentation board before printing and mounting.

Knowing that the footwear and brand designers had a 10AM deadline this morning, I got to Pensole early to assist them. I would say that around 25 of the 30 people in the class spent the entire night at Pensole. Red eyes, an empty Red Bull fridge, and consistent head bobbing were some of the more memorable visuals. After proofreading and helping with design tips for my team, they were ready to turn in their posters at 10.

After the deadline, there were only about 8 people at Pensole. We took some time to relax and unwind. This included playing Connect 4 and War with Flavío, a fellow CMD from Brazil. My afternoon was spent nitpicking my board and not leaving any stone unturned. After checking in with Ms. Suzette, I went to print off the pages for my board. I finished the day by mounting the pages to foam core, and mounting that foam core to a larger board. Stay tuned to see the final result...

June 23, 2015: Pensole Day 21

KEEP PUSHING, RECRUITING, 16 HOURS AT PENSOLE.

It was a cloudy day in Portland with a high of 82º.

My color and materials table after being slimmed-down for the final presentation.

It feels like project runway. Last minute decisions, including changes, were all over the place. But it's adrenaline-fueling, heart-pounding design. As hectic as it gets, it's addicting! I spent most of the day finishing my board and setting a template for the footwear designers' boards.

Ms. Suzette barricaded the MLAB from everyone except the CMDs.

The footwear and brand designers will be plotting their boards, but most of the CMDs will be printing on 11x17 sheets and mounting them to foam core. On our boards, we are required to include vital information, including color inspiration, color palette, materials, and the different color ways of the shoe models.

The pile of go-back material scraps that the CMDs are no longer using.

All of the designers are at a point, now, where we need to reduce and refine what we have. The above pile is a handful of materials that inspired us and helped us start our projects, but are no longer needed.

Taking a mid-day break to get coffee and check out the artwork at Compound Gallery.

Playing around with glow-in-the-dark material.

June 22, 2015: Pensole Day 20

CRUNCH TIME, FINALIZE, PREPARE.

It was a rather nice day in Portland that was partly cloudy with a high of 79º.

Packed like sardines on the train today.

We kicked off the day with a morning meeting with D'Wayne...

5 tips on how to handle conflict: 1) Stop and think. 2) Acknowledge the conflict. 3) Engage in active listening. 4) Stay on topic. 5) Be respectful.

Quote of the day: "Failures, repeated failures, are finger posts on the road to achievement. One fails forward toward success." – C.S. Lewis

Website of the day: booooooom.com

Book of the day: 7 Habits of Highly Effective People – Stephen R. Covey

Other notable quote of the meeting: "Leaders don't have power, they empower."

After morning meeting, we were let loose to get done what we need to get done this week. I finalized color ways, mapped out my board, and made myself available for my teammates and other classmates. We also had a guest lecture on digital design of footwear. It's going to be a busy week!

June 21, 2015: Pensole Day 19

NO DAYS OFF, COLOR, BOARD LAYOUT.

It was another beautiful day in Portland with a high of 82º and scattered clouds.

The view on the way to Pensole.

Today was technically a day off from Pensole, but I spent most of the day at the school. After today, we only have five days left of class. It is incredible how quickly the class has flown by, but I have loved every minute of it. This week will consist of tying-up loose ends and finishing what we started.

I worked with the footwear designers today on finishing the color ways for each of their shoes. I also made progress on the layout of my board for my final presentation. After 7 hours at the school I left to get dinner at Fire on the Mountain with some friends.

One of the, almost, final color way sets.

June 20, 2015: Pensole Day 18

REVIEWS, YOYOS, MATERIALS.

It was another beautiful day in Portland with a high of 81º.

Seth Peterson showing off some of his YoYo skills.

Ahh another Saturday at Pensole. It was definitely the fastest moving day so far. We kicked it off with a recap with D'Wayne on the portfolio review and mock interview from yesterday. D'Wayne pointed out some things that we might have missed and we talked about other key information for portfolios, interviews, and everything in between. D'Wayne also gave some parameters on the final presentations.

Pensole alum Seth Peterson stopped by this morning to share his story. Seth currently works at Nike as a Color Designer for Women's Sportswear Footwear. I had connected with Seth several times before when he stopped by on half-day Fridays. A little about Seth include the fact that before footwear and Pensole, he was a professional YoYo-er. He toured the country performing and doing design and marketing work for a YoYo company. We even got him to demonstrate some of his skills.

Some of the final materials that I will be using.

Following Seth's lecture we had some time to work on our own and as a team. After a couple of hours my team met with Ms. Suzette to discuss final materials. We are set, for the most part, on materials and colors for the final presentation.

June 19, 2015: Pensole Day 17

COWS, PORTFOLIOS AND INTERVIEWS, NETWORKING.

I'll admit it, today was the first day in a long time that I felt any amount of humidity. It was still beautiful, though. 73º and partly cloudy.

Swatch sample of Sadesa Leather.

Today was the last of the material days. Our main focus was leather, but it also included some classic Ms. Suzette stories. We learned everything that happens with leather, from feed for the cows to green hides to wet blues and finished leathers. We also touched on pig and goat hides. Fun fact, most nubuck leathers are pig skin. And another fun fact, pig suede will often bleed its dye far more than cow suede.

After the leather lecture, we got to witness first-hand what happens when professional designers look through portfolios. The three judges were Cheresse Thornhill (Nike, Footwear Design Lead), Justin Taylor (Jordan Brand, Senior Footwear Designer), and Estelle Maranan (Under Armour, Senior Footwear Developer). The judges were very vocal on what they liked and what they didn't like and they picked one person to give a mock interview. It was an unusual but very beneficial and educational experience to sit through.

Once the portfolio reviews and mock interviews were done we had a chance to network and talk to many of the Pensole grads that stopped by on their half-day Friday.

A boot leather perforation swatch.

Neon green dyed pigskin leather from Wolverine.

June 18, 2015: Pensole Day 16

SYNTHETIC LEATHER, TEXTILES, CRUNCH TIME.

A beautiful day in Portland again. Partly cloudy and a high of 81º.

"Nike Hyperfuse changed the entire industry of athletic footwear." – Greg Diharce of Matmarket.

Today was the second of three Color and Materials days. Right away in the morning we started with a lecture on synthetic leather. The advantages of synthetic leather over full-grain leather include: lightweight, improved binding, controlled elongation, increased abrasion, consistency, clean stitching, and a stable supply. We also learned all about how synthetic leather is made, the different types (microfiber, non-woven), and it's finish capabilities. In all, the lecture was 3 hours long and included several stories from Mrs. Suzette's lengthy career.

Checking out some natural stingray leather.

After lunch, we had a guest presentation from Greg Diharce of Matmarket, a partner of Tiong Liong Co., a global leader in the textile industry. Greg showed us many samples of the products his company has worked on over the years. One of the materials he is excited about is engineered woven textiles (below). Getting my hands on the materials made me imagine the amazing things wovens can do.

June 17, 2015: Pensole Day 15

COURAGEOUS, COLOR, MATERIALS.

Guess what. It was beautiful. Aaa-gain. 79º high and sunny.

Checking out some of Jonathan's prosthetics while waiting for the door to be unlocked.

We had a very brief morning meeting before we started our day with Mrs. Suzette...

Quote of the day: "He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life." – Muhammad Ali

Website of the day: designspiration.net

Book of the day: Democratizing Innovation – Eric von Hippel

One of Mrs. Suzette's favorite projects at Jordan Brand. Air Jordan XX1 based on Michael Jordan's red Ducati.

Today was the first of three color and materials days. We started with an overview of color and touched on a variety of topics: micro and macro trends, Valentino Red, Tiffany Blue, the effects of white vs. black, and color acuity (which I just recorded a perfect score on).

After talking about color we switched to a materials overview. Mrs. Suzette explained the footwear design process with a quote, "if you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together." In the world of footwear design, the CMDs are the sun, which the brand designers' Earth rotates around. Also in the solar system are the footwear designers, represented by Saturn. Mrs. Suzette also mentioned the book Pasta by Design and how it can relate to the footwear design process.

Planks for the late arrivals after lunch.

After lunch Mrs. Suzette gave us a presentation on Ariaprene. Ariaprene is a material similar to and better than neoprene. The expansion of the product has exploded over the past 5 or 6 years and it has become a staple in a number of products: Air Jordan VII, Nike Pro Combat Padding, Nike TR Fit 2, and Nike Sunray Protect.

A basketball shooting sleeve with thick pieces of encapsulated Ariaprene.

Children's slipper made of Ariaprene.

Enjoying some throwback Botan Rice Candy.

June 16, 2015: Pensole Day 14

POTENTIAL, PITCH-BACKS, LEATHER.

It was yet another beautiful day in Portland with a high of 77º.

We had a mid-day surprise visit from Meatball and his owner Kelley.

We wrapped up the Illustrator tutorials today and moved into a quick morning meeting with D'Wayne...

Quote of the day: "Continuous effort, not strength or intelligence, is the key to unlock our potential." – Liane Cardes

Website of the day: infinitylist.com. A website with beautiful inspirational videos of nature, sports, and creative film-making.

My material setup is starting to get refined and more focused.

After morning meeting the CMDs met with Mrs. Suzette for a pitch-back session. We were each given around five minutes to run through a rough version of our final presentation. While all of us are still sorting out many parts of our projects, it was very helpful for us to practice presenting and receive feedback from our peers. We each were given several objectives to work on as we continue towards the final presentations.

In the middle of our pitch-backs, we had the opportunity to talk to Kelley Rother, a former Pensole CMD intern. It was beneficial to hear Kelley's story and about her experience at Pensole and at Nike. As an added bonus, she also brought her dog, Meatball.

Austin from Shanghai Richina Leather showing us his product for Fall 2016.

After lunch the CMDs and some of the footwear and brand designers sat in on a presentation by Austin from Shanghai Richina Leather, a leader in the natural leather industry. Austin showed us his entire collection of product for Fall 2016 and several colors for Spring 2017. He was thorough in product explanation and added a couple of fun facts for us, including the fact that when leather is squeaky when you squeeze it, it has likely been treated with a vegetable dye.

After the meeting with Austin we had time to get some work done on our own. For most of the CMDs, that meant finalizing the color palette and working towards finishing our color ways.

Austin showing off the entire side of a leather hide.

June 15, 2015: Pensole Day 13

PERSPECTIVE, CHECKLIST, PLANNING.

It was another hot one in PDX today with a high of 89º.

Building a global color palette that I will pull from for color ways on the shoes.

My team was on cleaning duty this morning, which was followed by another Illustrator tutorial and morning meeting with D'Wayne...

Quote of the day: "There are some people who could hear you speak a thousand words and still not understand you. And there are others who will understand without you even speaking a word." – Yasmin Mogahed

Website of the day: dailyoverview.nyc. A site with daily pictures of Earth taken from space. Daily Overview examines the Overview Effect, offering a different perspective on Earth and of life.

Book of the day: Manage Your Day-to-Day – Jocelyn K. Glei

Professional Development Tips:

1) Professionalism. You are a business. You will not become one until you take yourself seriously.

2) Research. Look for facts to elevate who you're talking to.

3) Creativity. Good comes in, great goes out.

4) Inspiration. It should INSPIRE you and others.

5) Sketching. Practice like you play. Practice to improve.

6) Application. It takes discipline. Treat every design like it's your last.

Making progress on some color ways.

After morning meeting, the CMDs met with Mrs. Suzette to check-in and catch up. After the CMD meeting, we had the day to make progress on our color palettes and color ways. Later in the day, we had the opportunity to talk to Pensole alumni Scott McLeod (Jordan Brand), Anna Smith (KEEN Footwear), and Matthew Schevitz (Columbia Sportswear).

June 14, 2015: Day Off 2

BAGELS, R&R, FINALS.

It was a hot one in Portland today with a high of 84º, which actually felt warmer than the past couple of days.

Enjoying the "Spold" at Montage.

I enjoyed a later start on the second day off in Portland. I packed up my dirty laundry and rode the MAX into the city to my friends' apartment, where we enjoyed some New Jersey-style bagels. After eating and watching the England vs. Slovenia Euro Qualifier and Chicago Sky vs. Indiana Fever game I came back to the hotel to rest and relax. I got a couple episodes of Once Upon a Time in and cleaned up the room. The day was capped off with watching the Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Golden State Warriors NBA Finals game and cajun-style dinner at Montage.

June 13, 2015: Pensole Day 12

SATURDAYS, PATIENCE, CRAFT

Another beautiful day out in Portland with a high of 89º

Eustace in one of his many demonstrations throughout the day.

Saturdays seem to have a change-of-pace compared to the rest of the week. We had the opportunity to learn and try our hands at pattern making with Eustace Robinson, an expert in the craft. In a learn-by-doing method, we taped up lasts, and cut out patterns as we worked our way to making actual shoes. It was awesome to be able to play with our hands and work on our craftsmanship.

Finding the center line and fit point of the last.

Taping up the lateral side of the last.

Hard at work in the studio space of Pensole.

The result of taping up the lateral side of the last.

Finding some time to unwind during pattern making.

June 12, 2015: Pensole Day 11

FRIDAY, DESPERATION, FRIDAY.

Another beauty in Portland today with a high of 73º.

Spotted just outside of Pensole.

After another Illustrator tutorial we had morning meeting with D'Wayne...

Quote of the day: "Never give up what you want most or what you want today." – Neal A Maxwell

Website of the day: seanwes.com

Book of the day: Precious Present – Spencer Johnson

Checking out some of the samples and sketches that Steven Smith brought.

After morning meeting we had a guest lecture from footwear design legend Steven Smith. Steven talked about his incredible career and the projects that he's worked on and designed over the years including Adidas Micoach Elite Team System, Schutt DNA helmets, New Balance 574, Reebok Insta Pump Fury, Nike Monsterfly, Nike Air Max 2009, Nike Mary Jane Crib Shoe, and many more.

A couple of quotes that I took away from Steven's lecture included, "for true innovation to occur, you need desperation," and, "if we're all thinking alike, somebody isn't thinking."

The unique Reebok DMX cushioning system.

After Steven's lecture and some work time, I met with Mrs. Suzette to discuss my color palettes and for directions moving forward. Today also included a visit from Bruce, a Poron Foam representative, and lectures from Pensole alums Erin and Erin. Their stories were inspirational and showed that taking risks can pay off.

Walking around the Pearl District after class.

June 11, 2015: Pensole Day 10

SACRIFICE, PERSEVERANCE, STORIES.

Yet another beautiful day here in Portland with a high of 77º and sunny.

Playing with heat-sensitive material in the MLAB.

After another brief tutorial on Illustrator, we had quite a long morning meeting with D'Wayne that was packed full of information...

The meeting was started with a quote by Steve Prefontaine, "To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice your gift."

What I wanted to do better than yesterday: Productivity

Goal for today: Continue the progress

Book of the day: Damn Good Advice (For People with Talent!) – George Lois

Quote of the day: "Those who do not want to imitate anything produce nothing." – Salvador Dali

Website of the day: www.evolo.us/

Starting to pull some early color ways (for shoes that haven't been drawn yet).

After the morning meeting and team check-ins with D'Wayne, I was able to have an individual check-in with Mrs. Suzette and she gave me direction for the rest of the day. I started forming initial color ways for the three shoes. Granted, these color ways are definitely subject to change, but it is very helpful to start laying them out. With each of the final three shoes, I will be tasked with coloring-up three different color ways.

Later in the day, we had a guest lecture from Pensole alum Jimi Taylor. Jimi told us about his journey into footwear from Edinburgh to Sydney to Portland and the power of perseverance. Jimi worked to get into the footwear industry for more than five years until he left his civil engineering job in Sydney to move to Portland. After several months, Jimi landed a job at Ghost Works, an industrial design consultancy based in Portland. Jimi's story was very inspirational to a lot of us and he showed that with a lot of hard work, your dreams can come true.

June 10, 2015: Pensole Day 9

DISCIPLINE, LIFE, CORE PASSION.

Another beauty in the Pacific Northwest... 82º and sunny.

View of Burnside Street, a major road that stretches from East to West across Portland.

After a brief tutorial on Illustrator we had morning meeting with D'Wayne...

What I wanted to do better than yesterday: PRODUCTIVITY

My goal for today: PROGRESS

Book of the day: It's Not How Good You Are, It's How Good You Want to Be – Paul Arden

Quote of the day: "The one who wants to live their life over again hasn't even lived at all." – Karen Blixen, author of the novel-turned-movie Out of Africa, starring Robert Redford and Meryl Streep.

Website of the day: http://materia.nl/. A website on everything materials.

Random notable quote from morning meeting: "Discipline is doing something that you hate like you love it." – Mike Tyson

After the morning meeting we were able to meet with our groups and go over another round of initial footwear sketches. It was awesome to see the progress that the footwear designers made and the ideas come to life. After a guest lecture on core passion from Pensole alumni, Cody Blazek, I was able to even color-up some of the designs.

Initial color ways of one of Kevin's round 2 sketches.

Initial color ways of one of Kevin's round 2 sketches.

Initial color ways of one of Kevin's round 2 sketches.

Initial color ways of one of Blair's round 2 sketches.

Initial color ways of one of Lacey's round 2 sketches.

June 9, 2015: Pensole Day 8

CIRCUMSTANCES, OFFENSE, BRAND LANGUAGE.

It's so beautiful here that I feel bad continuing to write about it. But I digress... 88º high and a light breeze. Today also included a mid-day walk with no sweat.

A frequent sight over the past two days.

The day started off with another morning meeting with D'Wayne...

Do better than yesterday: Consistency

Goal for today: Apply

Book of the day: Strengths Finder 2.0 – Tom Rath. A book on self-awareness with a link to an online strengths test.

Quote of the day: "If it doesn't challenge you, it doesn't change you." – Anonymous

Website of the day: http://elitedaily.com/

Bruce Lee Thought #7: "Never stop moving." When he was fighting, he always had a consistent flow, not too fast and not to slow. He kept his opponent focused on him at all times making it so he was always in control.

Creative Process Thought #7: "Success comes from dedication and self-knowledge."

Creative Consistency Thought #7: SUCCESS. "To Hell with circumstances, I create opportunities." – Bruce Lee. Circumstances are excuses and as Vince Lombardi said, "Once you learn to quit, it becomes a habit."

The boards and walls in the MLAB are starting to fill up.

After the morning meeting, the CMDs met with Mrs. Suzette to check-in and discuss a calendar of events and checkpoints for the rest of the course. After the check-in, the rest of the day was ours to continue to pull imagery and work on our global color palettes. The footwear designers were given the task of sketching out 12 unique ideas for their shoes. Seeing the initial sketches by the designers was inspirational for me and I was starting to imagine color and material combinations for each of the shoes.

A couple of the many swatch books available to us in the MLAB.

One of my favorite color and material combinations.

June 8, 2015: Pensole Day 7

STEALING, LIEING, PERSEVERANCE.

It was another hot one today in Portland with a light breeze and a high of 91º. Here's a little perspective of how low the humidity is here... I walked two miles at 1:00 in the afternoon and didn't break a sweat. Try doing that in Minnesota.

Some interesting advice for the Portland State students.

A new week means back to morning meetings with D'Wayne!

Do better than yesterday: Just Do It

Goal of the day: Finish

Book of the day: Steal Like an Artist  – Austin Kleon

Quote of the day: "Ever try? Ever fail? No matter. Try harder. Fail harder. Fail better." – Samuel Beckett

Website of the day: http://fourhourworkweek.com/blog/

Bruce Lee Thought #6: "The art of fighting without fighting." He was so in-tuned with everything that he didn't even have to try.

Creative Process Thought #6: "You are in the constant state of learning and we must apply."

Creative Consistency Thought #6: Knowledge. "Now I see that I will never find the light. Unless, like a candle, I am my own fuel, consuming myself."

Other morning meeting thoughts... Success is a liar. Success is not consistent. While it makes sense to enjoy success, you can also enjoy failure because it will lead to success.

A familiar shape in the scraps of materials.

After morning meeting my day was filled with more meetings. The CMDs met with Mrs. Suzette together and then individually. I refined my material selection and met with my team to discuss strategy for the design briefs. After lunch, my team met with Mrs. Suzette to discuss several color and material considerations for going forward. We also had a guest lecture with Precious Hannah (scroll to Alumni section), a Pensole Alumni and current Equipment Designer for Jordan Brand.

The ice skating rink inside Lloyd Center Mall.

June 7, 2015: Off Day 1

SLEEPING IN? HEISMAN, URBAN HIKING.

It was another hot one today in Portland with a slight breeze and a high of 90º.

Walking through the more University-like areas of Portland State University.

I tried sleeping in today, but only managed to sleep about half an hour later than the class days (7AM). Former Oregon QB Marcus Mariota won the Heisman this year and the trophy was on display at the Oregon Historical Society.

The Heisman trophy on display.

After checking out the Heisman, we explored the Historical Society building and then walked through Northwest and Southwest Portland. A couple of the notable stops were the Compound Gallery, Upper Playground and Rocket Fizz. After several hours of walking around the city we watched the second game of the NBA Finals and got ready for the week ahead.

On display at the Oregon Historical Society.

On display at Compound Gallery.

On display at Compound Gallery.

June 6, 2015: Pensole Day 6

RED RUBBER BALL, MATERIALS, WHAT DAY IS IT?

Another gorgeous day in Portland today with a consistent breeze, no humidity, and a high of 91º.

Reserved seats at 8AM for the Rose Festival Parade.

Yesterday was formatted a little differently than the other days. We didn't have a morning meeting, just an overall check-in with everyone in the course. The CMDs were given some free time to continue to pull imagery and materials for our global color palettes. For the rest of the day, our schedule was not very structured other than having team meetings with D'Wayne.

Advice from Rules of the Red Rubber Ball.

It was my turn to read Rules of the Red Rubber Ball by Kevin Carroll Katalyst, a book on finding your passion and following it. Kevin also wrote another book called What's Your Red Rubber Ball? I would definitely suggest the read for anyone, whether you have already found your passion or not.

Continuing to build my board. Profiles on Woolrich, Ikea, West Elm, and The Point Resort.

Pulling color and materials for Ikea, West Elm, and The Point Resort, respectively.

After a short day at Pensole I got to get outside and enjoy the weather before going out to eat with some friends in Portland.

The current and former Nike MOA crew.