DI In The News: Vision 2074 Competition

October 2, 2024

Design Institute of San Diego’s team proposal for creative planning and design for the future of the shared San Diego – Tijuana region has been chosen for exhibition in Vision 2074 for a Sustainable Paradise, an event of the World Design Capital 2024 series.  Vision 2074 is a celebration honoring the 50th anniversary of “Temporary Paradise?”, a visionary planning document presented to the City of San Diego by Donald Appleyard and Kevin Lynch in 1974.  

The design world is now looking 50 years into the future of the San Diego-Tijuana region. Design Institute of San Diego’s vision knits the region into a vibrant whole energized by art and commerce.

Over an intensive 8-week process, a team of BFA and MID students, alumni, and faculty came together to brainstorm, research, and design a plan that reimagines the border area as a modern space that celebrates its rich cultural history. This creative process called on the passion, diversity, shared stories, and collaboration of the team. Together they created a design proposal that reflects the cross-cultural experience of living in this region. 

Working on a competition project with limited time to complete the work   can be a challenge in itself. As DI Master of Interior Design (MID) Alumna Bridget Galicia pointed out, this project was particularly challenging because the prompt was open-ended. Ambiguity, and having “total design freedom”, as BFA  student America Campos noted, were the more difficult aspects of the project, as it would be in any project where you begin with a blank slate and multiple people with creative input.  However, one cannot overlook the fact that the difficult nature of the project is what led to this inspired product that displayed  the  team’s collective passion for making a difference through interior design.  

Shannon Rice, another team member and DI faculty, said “The students’ desire was really to shed light on the decay of the border and celebrate what it once was by giving life back in a modern way for today’s needs.”  

When asked what the best part of working on Team DI’s Vision 2074 entry America Campos said, “The best part for me, honestly, was getting to see myself work as a designer and not a student. Although I didn’t have much expertise to offer, I spoke up the majority of the time and I am very proud of myself for throwing out my ideas and doing my part instead of being shy. I believed in myself.”

Others mentioned that the collective process, sharing of their own experiences, and having this as a new shared experience are some of the best parts of this collaborative project. Seeking challenge, stepping outside of comfort zones, and engaging in new ways of thinking are some of the fundamental takeaways the faculty at DI hope to instill in students.  

To learn more about Design Institute of San Diego’s concept for our region, visit the Vision 2074 exhibition at the University Art Gallery, School of Art and Design, SDSU October 1 – December 5, 2024.