"The reason a lot of people do not recognize opportunity is because it usually goes around wearing overalls looking like hard work."

--Thomas A. Edison

Coming into 2013, Anh and I felt hopeful for Creative Session and excited for what the future will throw our way. Incredibly for the both of us, opportunities are perceived as fun and hard work merely feels like playing. While we both juggle regular day jobs at Astro Studio and Lab126 we make it a priority to routinely get together, have fun, and design without limitations via Creative Session. With C.S. we love what we do, therefore it never feels like hard-work. As ambitious as this year unfolded, I have to be honest. I never imagined it ending working with AUDI.

It went down like this. We posted on Instagram. Audi Re-Posted with the caption "If this is just a doodle, imagine a full drawing. Now that's impressive. " The sketches gained traction on Social media. Sarah Lindberg (Marketing @ Twitter) tweeted "That would make an incredible fabric print. #IWantanAudiDress." Audi reached out and the rest was history.

"If this is just a doodle, imagine a full drawing. Now that's impressive. "

--Audi

The best part about doodling is the freedom to imagine and explore ideas loosely on paper and then to interpret them into something of visual value. These therapeutic sessions inspire new avenues but notably has become a series we dub "5 Minute Doodle." Who would have imagined a simple 5.M.D posted on INSTAGRAM would've opened up unimaginable doors: designing a dress inspired by Audi from a Post-it note and attending an Audi A3 reveal, a private rooftop party. It still feels unbelievable, even today.

CreativeSession_AudiExperience_ScreenSheet

(Custom artwork designed using our Audi sketches.)

"Focus on the journey, not the destination. Joy is found not in finishing an activity but doing it."

--Greg Anderson

Audi’s request was simple but the experience was HUGE. Design a dress that retains the original sketch and captures the company's aesthetics. For us both, this journey was worth every moment; as professionals, we are often silo-ed into very specific trades and to say we're only industrial designers is to deny us of the very reason we started designing. Basically, we do what we do for the love of art and creativity and shouldn't be limited in anyway. This project captured more than just industrial design for us, this project allowed us to be uncomfortable, to experiment and to collaborate which is what CS is all about.

Here is a photo diary and video of our Audi experience. We can't say this enough but we are truly thankful and honored to have been a part of all this.