Institute News

Greetings to the Northern California Chapter of the Retail Design Institute! Spring is in the air. A couple of weeks ago, I had the privilege of flying to Düsseldorf, Germany, to attend Euroshop through the Euro a Go Go group. Being immersed in what’s happening across global retail (and chatting with so many folks plugged into the industry) was energizing and inspiring. Nineteen buildings across the Messe Düsseldorf filled with innovation, materials, technology, and spec

Event Recap: Design Without Borders: A Global RDI Members Evening at Bernhardt

In October, we visited Track15 in Providence to see Marsella Development’s transformation of historic Union Station into a vibrant culinary and community hub.

Our New England Chapter explored Boston’s Seaport with a design-forward cocktail crawl.

We explored the new New Balance flagship at Boston Landing, getting an inside look at how innovation, craft, and culture shaped this next-generation retail space.

We had the chance to experience the brand new CanalSide Food + Drink at CambridgeSide Galleria Mall.

What a Saturday grocery run taught me about one of the most consequential design problems in America This past Saturday I went grocery shopping. That's not a very dramatic opening sentence, I know… but stay with me. I live on Kansas City's East Side, in a neighborhood I have genuinely grown to love, but also a part of the city that qualifies as a food desert. Our closest grocery store (that isn't a Family Dollar or a gas station ) is a Whole Foods about a mile and a half away

Last January, we kicked off the New Year in style at F1 Arcade Boston, where creative minds gathered for high-energy racing, easy conversation, and a healthy dose of friendly competition.

The Heartland Chapter board makes its way through the crowd at Westport Social to secure our group a stellar spot to spread out and connect during our Member Appreciation Happy Hour on February 19th, 2026. On a lively Thursday evening at Westport Social in St. Louis, the Heartland Chapter gathered for our first in-person event of the year: our February General Membership Happy Hour, sponsored by our good friends at VizEx . Westport Social itself was buzzing... lively music pu

A big, bold thank you to everyone who joined us for our January General Membership Meeting (including our new friend from the Southern California Chapter!) We shared an initial look at our 2026 programming framework, discussed our chapter's goals for the year, and opened the floor for candid conversation about what feels most urgent — and most worthwhile — right now. If you weren’t able to attend, you can: Watch the meeting recording: Share ideas or feedback via our brief su