As the Brand Partner for this year’s Design Week, we wanted to celebrate the incredible work of Nashville Design Week over the past ten years, while also bringing our own contribution to the year at hand, inviting a conversation that looked forward, too.
A Nod to inspiration
Studio Delger on their approach to this year’s brand.
connectedness, tradition, rootedness, and belonging.
When we sat down alongside the board to explore directions for this year's theme, we had different concepts laid out on a table. Then we all shared our dream ideas for events and conversations we hoped the week would have. As we placed those events into categories, the column of the table with “Home Grown” started filling up. It just felt right. And so the theme was set.
As we turned toward the visual identity for “Home Grown,” it brought to mind all the elements that drew us to this theme at the outset: connectedness, tradition, rootedness, and belonging.
How do we bridge where we’ve been and where we’re going? What helped lay the foundation for design and the way it shows up in our world today?
Our process at Studio Delger always starts with listening and research. We want our projects to feel of the time, but also deeply rooted in something that feels meaningful and connected. Given the characteristics of the theme, it felt natural to look back at traditional Tennessee folk art for inspiration, specifically the art of quilt making, a craft that spans generations and is deeply rooted in history.
Traditional folk art values intentional craft and community connection.
The perfect muse.
In the early 19th century, “quilting bees” became popular, events where people would gather to assist each other in finishing a quilting project. From the contributions of each person, all of the pieces came together to create a work of art. Gathering together was an integral part of the quiltmaking craft. It was something that brought people together, centered around creating something beautiful.
These quilts were a labor of love, stitching together different patterns of fabrics into ornate designs. Many became heirlooms that have been passed down, preserved, and cherished. The beauty of these works lies not only in the craftsmanship of the hands that made them, but also in the people they brought together.
QUILTING BEE - For women working together at Hoyt Wakefield’s home
COTTON QUILT (1860-1930) - a homemade cotton quilt made of pieced blocks in the Bear Tracks pattern, utilizing hand and machine stitching
QUILTING PARTY (1932) - A quilting party in front of Shell house, Cherokee Community.
Hand-made Quilt (20th century) - a homemade quilt from the Jacksonville, Tennessee area
QUILTING BEE - A tradition that began in the 19th Century where women would gather to assist each other in completing quilts
NINE PATCH QUILT (1960s) - a popular beginner's pattern that dates back to the early 19th century
This became the perfect visual foundation for the Home Grown identity.
The notion of creating together and gathering as a community made perfect sense for what Nashville Design Week has fostered for the last ten years.
The design we landed on translates that familiarity and warmth into something contemporary and new, illustrating how the culture of design grows and evolves over time. The brand is built out through numerous organic illustrations, all inspired by the rich design of traditional quilts.
These elements are meant to represent generations of craft while paving the way for what comes next. Each individual element is a piece of the overall design, in the same way that we as a community come together to shape the world through design.
MeEt Studio Delger
We are a Nashville, Tennessee based design studio specializing in visual identity, environmental graphic design, and creative placemaking. Design is a journey, follow ours.