“Designed in California” is the new “Made in Italy”

California is best known as the land of make-believe: the home of Disney, Hollywood and video gaming. But there’s also much to be said for Silicon Valley’s booming tech industry – from social media empires to the ever-growing Google & Apple companies, the area is consistently spitting out the next hottest product, platform or device. Palm Springs was the birthplace of some of the most iconic mid-century architecture. Graphic designers in San Francisco spearheaded a contemporary art movement that has spanned decades.

In fact, California has been at the forefront of so many aspects of modern design, that curators of an exhibit at the Design Museum of London have come up with the new slogan, “Designed in California” is the new “Made in Italy”.

If you are lucky enough to be heading to London in the next few months, we encourage you to go see the exhibit, California: Designing Freedom. The rest of us can read on to get an overview of the exhibit, remind ourselves why we are so lucky to live on the West Coast, and keep on “California Dreamin”….

TRAVEL

California is the birthplace of the first GPS, the first “big city” freeway system, Google Maps, Tesla & Google Driverless cars.

ENTERTAINMENT

Video games, Hollywood, Disneyland and even mind-enhancing drugs were (and still are) an important part of California livin’.

COMMUNICATION

Freedom of speech has had its own special meaning to Californians over the years. From the design of the Gay Pride flag in 1976 to the newest Twitter interface, designers here have never been afraid to speak their minds.

TECHNOLOGY

Apple iMac/iPhone/iPad/iPod. Need we say more? But really, California has seen the creation of so many different technologies that we have come to depend on in our everyday lives.

Read More about the Exhibit Here