thesis design portland

15 Tone-Setting Creative & Design Agencies in Portland

To make marketing effective, it must be captivating.

There are multiple channels to put to use when building up a brand today, from traditional methods like print and television advertising to the digital world of search marketing , social media marketing and more. 

The one thing these marketing methods have in common is that in order to strike a chord and become memorable to audiences, creative campaign execution is a necessity. This requires the careful collaboration of writers, designers, strategists, technology experts and many others working together to ensure brand activations are released into the world flawlessly. 

When it comes to creative and design work that stops people in their tracks, it's best to turn to the experts. These are 15 creative and design agencies in Portland to count on when it's time to make a brand shine.

Creative & Design Agencies In Portland To Know

Rain the growth agency.

• SET Creative

Swift Agency

• Wieden+Kennedy

Sparkloft Media

Founded: 2005

What they do: Sparkloft Media thinks social first, leveraging the power of highly integrated social media platforms to create campaigns that reach audiences effectively. Along with community management, influencer programs and monitoring services, Sparkloft Media is also well-versed in creative development with capabilities including branding, campaign development, video, photography and animation.

Clients include: ATL Airport District, Super Bowl LIII, South African Tourism and Blossom Brothers.

Thesis Agency

Founded: 2002

What they do: While Thesis first began laying its roots in email marketing, the agency has evolved to offer so much more since opening its doors in 2002. Thesis offers a range of technology, strategy and creative services, including digital product design, copywriting, identity creation, digital design, motion graphics and more. These services provide brands with an outlet for unleashing their most forward-thinking ideas into the world. 

Clients include: Intel , Adobe , Taco Bell, GQ, Dollar Shave Club , Aramark and Stumptown Coffee Roasters.

Founded: 2012

What they do: Dotdotdash is an innovation agency that blends physical and digital marketing capabilities with the thinking of a creative agency and production shop. Taking projects from the discovery stage through execution, dotdotdash offers a range of creative services that connect brands and people through unforgettable shared experiences.

Clients include: The North Face , Adweek and PSFK.

Founded: 2015

What they do: Eris Creative offers a potent mixture of storytelling, branding and engagement services dedicated to growing brands and creating a stronger connection with consumers. Copywriting, email marketing, social media, branding, web/print design, photography and additional capabilities are available to bring exciting campaigns to life and get the message to the right audience.

Clients include: Wild Mike’s Ultimate Pizza, DC Builders and Apex Outdoor Lighting.

Harlo Agency

Founded: 2004

What they do: Harlo Interactive  is a digitally driven design agency dedicated to focusing on a project's goals, requirements and challenges to develop solutions. The agency’s line of services include content strategy development, website design, logo design, brand development, website development and more, partnering with local and national brands to create exceptional work for a wide range of audiences.

Clients include: Disney , Baskin Robbins, Portland Timbers, National Geographic, Audi and Twilio.

Founded: 2011

What they do: INDUSTRY describes itself as a creative consultancy — a combination of the best parts of ad agencies, strategy think tanks, boutique design shops, entertainment houses and experimental groups. The team strategizes on product design, campaign development and experiential activations, defining brand opportunities to allow organizations to shift their culture and provide customers with meaningful results. 

Clients include: Nike and Converse.

Manifesto Agency

What they do: A brand declaration agency, Manifesto takes brand beliefs and turns them into authentic behavior through culturally disruptive ideas. The agency delivers branding, creative strategy, employee engagement, branded content and experiential solutions dedicated to identifying and promoting brand uniquenesses, creating stronger connections that have lasting impact.

Clients include: Arby’s, Delta, Samuel Adams, Amazon and GE Healthcare.

Opus Creative

Founded: 1994

What they do: Opus Creative ’s three pillars to creating meaningful campaigns incorporate practical strategy, meaningful decision making and reciprocal relationships to find solutions that connect with audiences. From branding and design to video creation and responsive digital development, Opus Creative utilizes its clients authentic voice to develop campaigns that resonate across industries.

Clients include: Dell , HP , Intel , Autodesk and Clear Creek.

What they do: Outlier is a video-first content studio dedicated to conceiving, planning and executing campaigns that put connection at the forefront. The studio offers several packages dedicated to providing unforgettable visual solutions, including social media, human resources, website and campaign video, as well as graphics, animation and branding.

Clients include: Adidas, Puppet , KinderCare, MarketCraft and Louis Pain.

Founded: 1998

What they do: Rain the Growth Agency has been providing its direct-to-consumer clients with marketing services that lead to transformational growth for over 20 years. A proven methodology to scaling DTC businesses sits at the core of the agency’s strategy, with solutions integrating creative, media and analytics capabilities to deliver robust and captivating campaigns.  

Clients include: SoFi , 1-800-Contacts, Schick, 23andMe and Mercari .

Set Creative

Founded: 2009

What they do: SET Creative partners with leading brands and organizations to deliver creative, branding and strategy solutions to resolve some of the biggest challenges its clients face. Engagement, brand launch, brand strategy, event management and additional services incorporate a wide range of creative capabilities to properly execute on a brand’s vision and connect with new audiences.

Clients include: Lego, The Wall Street Journal, Vans, Google and Verizon.

Founded: 2006

What they do: Swift Agency is a creative agency formed to discover solutions to challenges brands face when creating for social media. The agency creates holistic campaigns attuned to the distinct voices of its clients, mixing visual, strategic and engaging capabilities to break through the noise and allow their clients to reach consumers at the right moment.

Clients include: Google , Adidas, Blue Apron , Gatorade, Starbucks and YouTube .

Veracity Marketing

Founded: 2014

What they do: Veracity Marketing partners with local and national organizations to offer public relations, social media, search marketing, media buying and creative marketing solutions that grow audiences across a range of industries. From print and traditional media to social media, email and digital marketing solutions, Veracity Marketing fully recognizes brand challenges and strategizes accordingly before executing. Additionally, the agency offers empowerment and retainment services to be there when clients need it the most.

Clients include: Columbia Steel, KR Capital, FIRST and Oregon Sports Authority.

Wieden + Kennedy

Founded: 1982

What they do: Wieden+Kennedy is a global advertising leader with offices across continents dedicated to helping enterprise brands capture the attention of audiences on a large scale. The agency is home to a hub of creative talent where a multitude of capabilities are utilized to build campaigns that defy traditional advertising capabilities and captivate audiences worldwide.

Clients include: TurboTax, Uber , KFC, Crocs, Nike and Sprite.

Ziba Design

Founded: 1984

What they do: Ziba Design is committed to helping its clients establish stronger connections with their customers by challenging them to think consumer-first. Working with brands across the food and beverage, financial services, wellness, and retail industries, Ziba Design utilizes brand experience, brand strategy and product innovation services to deliver solutions that build stronger brands.

Clients include: Adidas, Reebok, Everbank, Heinz, Dreamworks and Best Buy.

All images via social media and Shutterstock

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Mass Timber Creative Office

Thesis | Portland, OR

© Thesis Agency

© LEVER Architecture

Located at the corner of NW Savier and NW 24th, the Forest Park Post Office site is an exciting and charged collision of multiple distinct city fabrics. Thurman to the north and NW 23rd to the east bring the fast-paced, social, and urban energy of commerce while Wallace Park and the single-family bungalows to the southwest provide the tight-knit, humble community focus that Portland is so well known for. To the West, Forest Park inspires a healthy ecosystem of connected experiences that can provide a new urban campus model. Drawing from these distinct user experiences, the new Thesis campus proposes a workspace with a strong indoor-outdoor connection and commitment to humane spaces for real people.

The 40,000 SF mass timber headquarters provides a warm and tactile material palette in conjunction with a connective design strategy that produces spaces that are inspirational yet accessible. Project features include a large plaza, rooftop terrace, and ground floor all-hands space with terraced seating for speakers and presentations. The project targets LEED Gold with rigorous energy use reduction strategies and on-site renewables, including a 54.6 KW solar array. All while providing ample access to the outdoors with large operable openings on all levels opening the office users to views of Forest Park.

Owner | Thesis

Architect | LEVER Architecture

Structural Engineer | Holmes

GC | Swinerton

SPEED OF CONSTRUCTION

The completion of the new Thesis HQ mass timber building by Timberlab stands as a testament to the speed in the construction of mass timber structures. The 4-story project is our team's fastest project to undergo fabrication and installation, achieving roughly a 6-day install period per floor (10,000 square feet). This expediency underscores the growing emphasis on expeditious construction methods in the mass timber space. Speed of construction is a crucial factor in the adoption of mass timber as a sustainable building solution. The success of this installation is largely attributed to a consistent floor/bay design, allowing for consistency in the digital construction and fabrication processes. The prefabricated components were streamlined and significantly reduced on-site assembly time. This accelerated construction pace not only reduces overall project timelines but also offers cost savings, minimizes disruption, and enhances sustainability goals.

STADIUM STAIR DESIGN

One of the highlights of the Thesis HQ project is the complex installation of the mass timber stadium stair. Going into the project, our team knew we would have to do this work after the rest of the building was finished, which presented some unique challenges for the installation team. Not only did we have to operate/move material around in a really tight space, but we also had to identify a solution for installing the beams for the stair. The double-height columns were already installed and braced by the beams at L3. Our team coordinated to pre-assemble the angled portions of the stair, leading to a quicker and safer installation of the CLT panels for this feature space.

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850 NW 13th, Avenue 5th Floor Portland, OR 97209

1601 NE Columbia Blvd. Portland, OR 97211

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Rescheduled: Master of Architecture Thesis Presentations

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Shattuck Hall 1914 SW Park Ave, Portland, OR

[email protected]

In the School of Architecture, students pursuing the Master of Architecture degree engage in a yearlong investigation in which they select a topical issue, develop a body of research both within and outside the discipline of architecture, and create a complete and detailed architectural design response to the topic. Master of Architecture thesis projects at Portland State range from community-focused public interest design concepts to explorations of architectural materiality and sustainability, from the poetic to the concrete and everything in between. The thesis program culminates in oral presentations to a panel of invited jurors, followed by the production of a commemorative book detailing the students' research, design process, and inspiring results.

*Thesis Reviews have been pushed back one week and will now take place May 13-16.

Schedule of Reviews: Subject to change

Monday 13th:

12:00 - 01:00 Maribel Zepeda | SH 212

01:00 - 02:00 Athena Rilatos | SH 212

02:30 - 03:30 Regina Batiste | SH 212

03:30 - 04:30 Van Khue Do Thai | SH 235

Tuesday 14th:

09:45 - 10:00 Niusha Manavi Namaghi | SH 137

10:45 - 11:45 Eric Giovannetti | SH 235

01:15 - 02:15 Victoria Fuentes-Sotelo | SH 3rd Floor

02:30 - 03:30 Brandi Barlow | SH 212

03:30 - 04:30 Alondra Maldonado | SH 212

Wednesday 15th:

12:00 - 01:00 Zeta Blice | SH 212

01:00 - 02:00 Rebecca Silk | SH 235

02:30 - 04:00 Ethan Goldblatt & Kaleb Huerta | SH 3rd Floor Crit Corner

Thursday 16th:

12:00 - 01:00 Adam Lee Soon | SH 3rd Floor

01:00 - 02:00 Lauren Espinoza | SH 212

02:30 - 03:30 Brianna Montes | SH 212

03:30 - 04:30 Sam Barber | SH 212

Visiting Guest Reviewers

Sharone Tomer | Virginia Tech

Sharone Tomer teaches design studios and courses on urbanism and social issues at Virginia Tech. Her work sits at the intersection of architectural history and urban studies through research that explores how architectural practices operate within and address conditions of urbanized inequality; her teaching and research focus on housing, public space, and architectural activism. Her research topics include spatial change in late-apartheid Cape Town, contested histories, and transforming spaces in Appalachia.

Jonathan Bolch | Woofter Bolch Architecture

Jonathan Bolch is Principal, RA, LEED AP of Woofter Bolch Architecture. A native of Raleigh, North Carolina, Jonathan has over 20 years of professional experience practicing and teaching architecture in a diverse array of places, including New York, Boston, Seoul, and Portland. As an architect, he has led the design effort on a wide range of project types and scales, including institutional, commercial, and residential, with a particular focus on creating enduring buildings for colleges and universities. His portfolio of educational projects includes work for leading institutions around the country, from Princeton to Portland State, from the University of Virginia to the University of Hawaii. Jonathan received a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from the University of Virginia and a Master of Architecture from Yale University. In addition to his work as an architect, Jonathan has taught as Adjunct Faculty at the Portland State University School of Architecture since 2012.

Elisandra Garcia-Gonsalez | El Dorado

Elisandra is a designer, activist, and educator from Ciudad Juárez, México. Elisandra is the Director of Engagement at El Dorado Architects, a national firm with offices in Portland and Kansas City. She leads engagement and design processes for diverse project typologies, from equitable urban frameworks for communities to interior architecture grounded on Trauma-Informed design. Elisandra Garcia served as the Design for Spatial Justice Fellow at the University of Oregon School of Architecture & Environment from 2021 to 2023, where she continues to lead the Urban Violence Lab, an advanced architectural design studio that focuses on social inequities within our shared urban environment. 

Yuki Bowman | Waechter Architecture

Yuki is an architect and project lead at Waechter Architecture. She holds a Master of Architecture degree from UC Berkeley and a Bachelor of Arts from Harvard College. She brings a foundation in design writing and Japanese woodcraft to more than a decade of architectural practice focused on conceptual clarity and spatial dynamism. She led award-winning residential projects with Ogrydziak Prillinger Architects in San Francisco before moving to Portland, where she helped spearhead high-profile cultural projects such as the recently opened PRAx building at OSU's campus in Corvallis. On every project, she collaborates closely with consultants, contractors, and client teams to maintain design rigor throughout the detailing and construction of residential, civic, and educational projects. Yuki is also a lecturer, mentor, and educator for architectural students, with experience teaching at UC Berkeley and Portland State University Department of Architecture.

Justin Fowler | University of Oregon

Justin Fowler teaches studios in architectural design and seminars in history and theory in the urban architecture specialization at the University of Oregon. His doctoral work centers on Pragmatism and the tectonic aesthetics of social and psychological relief in U.S. architecture and urbanism from the late 19th Century to the New Deal, and his contemporary research concerns public health and precarity in the built environment, climate action, anthropotechnics, housing, aging populations, narrative practices, games, and exchanges between physical and digital media environments. His writing has appeared in publications such as Volume, Harvard Design Magazine, Thresholds, PIN-UP, Domus, and Topos, and he has given talks at the GSD, the University of Virginia, the Cooper Union, and the Storefront for Art and Architecture, among others. He is an editor of Public Natures: Evolutionary Infrastructures by Weiss/Manfredi (Princeton Architectural Press, 2015) and a founding editor of Manifest: A Journal of American Architecture and Urbanism, the recipient of two grants from the Graham Foundation. He has worked as a designer for Dick van Gameren Architecten in Amsterdam, Somatic Collaborative in Cambridge, and managed research and editorial projects at the Columbia University Lab for Architectural Broadcasting (C-Lab) in New York.

• arts, culture & entertainment

Employee-led. Portland-focused. Human-centered.

Thesis foundation is an advised fund of the oregon community foundation..

We support charitable, non-profit organizations that are registered as a 501(c)(3) with tax-exempt status from the IRS and are located within one of the four surrounding counties of the Portland metro area; Multnomah, Washington, Clackamas, and Clark County in SW Washington.

Ready to maximize your organization's impact? Grant applications for 2024 will open soon!

What’s our mission?

We seek to close the equity gap in the greater Portland metro area by supporting organizations that engage in issues of racial equity and contribute to underserved communities through educational and digital programming. Led by employees, Thesis Foundation serves communities that are at the heart of our people and our city.

How have we served our community?

Since its inception in 2019, the Thesis Foundation has granted over $145,000 to organizations we believe in here in Portland, Oregon. Here’s a full list of the 29 inspiring nonprofits our foundation has supported so far:

Is your organization next?

If the descriptions above sound like your nonprofit, it just may be! Grant cycles for Thesis Foundation occur twice a year, once in spring and once in fall.  We encourage you to read our full guidelines before applying below to ensure it’s a match—but we look forward to reviewing your application if it is.

Still have questions?

Here are the 3 design proposals for Portland's Keller Auditorium redevelopment

P ortland is exploring whether to renovate the current Keller Auditorium or build a new one on a different site. With the last of the three proposals submitted to Portland City Council, the official evaluation process to decide the fate of the landmark performing arts center begins.

Two out of three proposals call for a new performing arts center to be built; the other would be a massive redevelopment of the current Keller Auditorium.

Members of the public will have an opportunity to give feedback on the proposals at the city council meeting on Wednesday.

Lloyd District proposal

Outside downtown Portland, Urban Renaissance Group is proposing a Keller Auditorium replacement at the heart of its plan to convert the 29-acre Lloyd Center into a new vibrant neighborhood.

In the fall, Urban Renaissance Group unveiled its grand plan to tear down the near-silent Lloyd Center and replace it with up to 5,000 new homes, offices, retailers, restaurants, entertainment venues and parks.

The proposal for the Lloyd District proposal includes a variety of venues from 1,200 to 3,000-seat theaters, a mix of plazas, an outdoor performance space and retail spaces. It would also potentially have a mixed-use tower onsite that could provide housing, hotels, artist studios or additional retail and commercial space, according to the proposal.

The total estimated cost for the proposal is nearly $430 million , if construction starts in early 2027, according to plan documents. 

Portland State University’s proposal

Portland State University is proposing to  build a new Keller Auditorium on a little bit over four-acre site on Southwest Lincoln Street in downtown Portland — six blocks away from the current venue.

The performing arts center would have a 3,000-seat auditorium capable of hosting a large-scale Broadway show and a secondary 1,200-seat auditorium. It will also include a hotel with 150 rooms; a large conference space; and up to 40,000 square feet of office space for nonprofits and arts organizations, according to the proposal.

One of the key advantages of relocating is that a performance can continue at the current Keller Auditorium while the new performing arts center is built. The estimated cost of the PSU proposal is over $220 million; that’s just for the 1,200-seat venue, the hotel and conference center and parking. The cost estimate for the main 3,000-seat theater has not yet been reported.

Renovation proposal

The proposal from Halprin Landscape Conservancy calls for turning the over 100-year-old venue into a state-of-the-art performing arts center,  complete with a grand fountain. The terms “catalyst” and “renaissance” are used frequently in the plan documents to describe the effect the proposal could have on revitalizing downtown Portland.

The redevelopment would include new and improved food and drink vendor options; a 3,000-seat main performance theater; a smaller new 150-seat performance space; and expanded rehearsal areas.

There are two costs and construction length options for the renovation one would cost an estimated $236 million and take the performing arts center offline for 28 months during construction. The other would be an accelerated 19-month option — but would cost roughly $267 million due to the additional overtime and double shifts needed for construction crews to make the reduced construction timeline doable, according to the design plan submitted.

Don’t call it teal: How the Portland airport carpet design became a civic icon

• Updated: May. 30, 2024, 7:03 a.m. |
• Published: May. 30, 2024, 7:00 a.m.

• Lizzy Acker | The Oregonian/OregonLive

Laura Hill was about 30 years old when she helped create one of Portland’s most-iconic designs.

When the Port of Portland was redesigning Portland International Airport in 1986, architecture and design firm SRG Partnership led the project.

Hill retired from the firm in 2008, but at the time she was a principal interior designer for SRG.

The focus of the project, according to Hill, was to create a retail hub in the center of the airport, which ultimately became the Oregon Marketplace.

“Their main goal, the port’s goal, was to make the airport a welcoming gateway to Oregon and to reflect on the Pacific Northwest,” Hill said earlier this month, from her home in Willsonville.

The airport’s carpet, she said, “was a piece of a much larger project.”

The airport is once again in the midst of a major renovation . Renovation is, as Hill pointed out, somewhat of a constant for airports. But this time, as the airport unveils a new terminal, it will feature something old: sections of newly manufactured green carpet, originally designed with help from Hill as part of the renovation that began in 1986.

“I must say, of all of my design work in my career, it was not the one I thought would be still so popular,” Hill said, “and I just wish I had a nickel for every time that the carpet was reproduced.”

Because the carpet has been reproduced again and again. On hats and socks, on cookies and cakes, on yoga pants, and even on people’s skin as tattoos.

While she may not have a jar of nickles, she and the firm do take pride in the reach of the design and the fact that it has become so beloved.

Back in 1986, Jon Schleuning was the SRG Partnerships partner in charge of the project, running the architecture end of the renovation while Hill led the interior design aspects.

“SRG never really distinguished between architecture and interiors,” Hill said. “They saw that every element of design needed to work in unison. It was a joy to work with a firm that had that attitude.”

It became clear through the design process that the goal of the entire project was to represent Oregon.

“The big idea that emerged was the Oregon marketplace,” Hill said. “And it was a unique operational model that was not seen in other airports.”

In general, she said, airports were run by a “big generic national concessionaire.”

“It was the same in every airport,” Hill said, “except the name on the T-shirt changed.”

The Oregon Marketplace was different. All the retailers were Oregon-based and represented the “values of Oregon and the Pacific Northwest.”

Powell’s Books, Nike and Norm Thompson Outfitters were there, among others. It was a risk, Hill said, but the Port was willing to take it.

These were the days when airports were more porous, before 9/11 changed layouts into “before” and “after” security spaces. The Oregon Marketplace ultimately became a destination. Prices were the same at the airport as in downtown Portland and people might come and shop there who weren’t even waiting for a plane or a passenger.

According to Hill, people from Washington would even come to shop at the airport to avoid sales tax.

The design of the Oregon Marketplace also needed to represent the state.

“At the time we started the project, that central area of the main terminal was kind of a dark interior volume with scattered retail and food and waiting areas and automobiles on display down the concourse,” Hill said. “Definitely not much personality that reflected Oregon.”

The flooring was carpet even then, which was not standard at the time and the Port was willing to use it again, since luggage with wheels was quickly becoming the norm.

“There were a few people on the client committee who absolutely hated the sound of rollerboards. Click click click click click click over tile floors,” Hill said. “They were adamant about not having that.”

Hill and her team started touring other airports with carpets. They visited Las Vegas, where people were stealing carpet tiles for souvenirs. In Albuquerque, the carpet reflected the colors of the desert. In Atlanta, the airport was contending with cigarette burns and chewing gum with a drab beige carpet covered in a brown and black pattern meant to camouflage the burns.

“It was not to be our inspiration,” Hill said, of the Atlanta model.

When they finally started designing the carpet, everyone had ideas, she said.

“There was a big proponent for roses, rose patterns, because of the Rose City,” Hill said. “I found that to be more appropriate, perhaps, for a hotel ballroom than the airport. It was too Portland-centric.”

Then, the interest moved to mountains and waves. But even that was too specific to Western Oregon, Hill said.

Another idea was clouds and raindrops, “which for obvious reasons was rejected,” she said.

The concept for the carpet didn’t just have to look good underfoot, but it had to be interesting in a great expanse, out across the concourses and long stretches of floor.

So, Hill said, the team decided to look for things that “were less representational and more symbolic.”

“And as we were looking at those geometries,” she said, “someone said, ‘Gee, that kind of looks like the screens of the control tower where airplanes are X’s and runways were little diamond patterns.’”

“That idea took off,” she said, adding, “I don’t mean that as a pun.”

The final design isn’t anything you would actually see in a control tower, Hill said, but “we were inspired by that concept.” The design became more of a symbol that could be interpreted in many ways.

“We were never intending it to be a realistic pattern,” Hill said, “but one that was interesting and colorful closeup, and created that large scale that worked in huge areas as well.”

The color palette was also a crucial element in the design.

“In selecting the colors, part of it was we wanted it to be warm and inviting, which we consider the Northwest attitude,” Hill said.

They wanted to represent Oregon with the green. And Hill insists the main color of the carpet is green, not teal.

“I kind of cringe when I hear it called teal because, to me, it’s not teal,” she said.

Here’s how she describes the color instead: “It’s not forest green, but I think it’s a green of nature. It’s not a fake green. It’s a green that you might find in leaves and trees.”

The background of the carpet isn’t just green, it is speckled with golds and blues, to help hide spills and stains.

The same speckled background can be found on the dark blue companion carpet that was designed to be at the edges of the green version, to separate the Port of Portland carpet from airline-specific carpets and other flooring.

The blue border was also used in high-traffic areas where sections of the carpet would need to be changed out over time, so new and old parts of the carpet wouldn’t be so apparent.

In the late ‘80s, when the carpet was designed, there was no computer-aided design also known as CAD. Everything was hand-drawn.

“We drew it small, but we also had to draw it at full scale and try to understand what it did in a large scale,” Hill said. “So there were people who spent weeks and weeks drawing patterns and testing ideas.”

They settled on a carpet manufacturer, U.S. Axminster, a company making woven carpets that are more expensive than tufted carpets but last longer.

U.S. Axminster had CAD and it was Hill’s first exposure to the program. It was a “glorious new experience” for Hill and the designer who went with her.

U.S. Axminster also could print out full-scale pattern sheets that were around four feet wide and 10 feet long, Hill said, so now she and the designer could look at the pattern closer to the scale it would be in the airport.

The carpet was finally installed in 1988 . It remained a ubiquitous part of the airport for nearly 30 years. It saw travelers through three vastly different decades, going from the age of waiting at the airport bar for arrivals to posting photos of your feet on the carpet for Instagram.

When the carpet was mostly removed and replaced in 2015, there was a city-wide response to the loss. The old carpet was the hero of the year and was even chosen as the Grand Marshal of the Rose Festival’s Starlight Parade .

What made the carpet so legendary? Hill, humbly, still thinks it is because it is part of the whole.

“There’s a warmth and a softness and an inviting feel, I think, to the whole airport,” she said, “and the carpet’s a part of that.”

– Lizzy Acker covers life and culture and writes the advice column Why Tho? Reach her at 503-221-8052, [email protected] or @lizzzyacker

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Eat outside, play mini golf and more things to do this weekend

See a tribute to Prince and David Bowie at Portland House of Music on Saturday.

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Outdoor seating at Terlingua. Ben McCanna/Staff Photographer

It looks like we’re in for a stellar weekend, so let’s dive into some of what’s going on, beginning with outdoor dining.

Several restaurants have opened their patios and decks , including Ocotillo and Terlingua, both in Portland. For those of you farther south, Bake Maine in Wells has a 40-seat patio.

Here’s what’s new this summer on Maine’s outdoor dining scene

People enjoy a sunny day on the river walk along the Presumpscot River in downtown Westbrook. Brianna Soukup/Staff Photographer

Westbrook Together Days , on Friday and Saturday, features events and activities including a parade, live music, pancake breakfast and fireworks. Or you can hit the Confetti craft fair on Saturday in downtown Biddeford.

Westbrook Together Days, Confetti Craft Bazaar in Biddeford, The Ballroom Thieves in Portland

Moose Mountain Mini Golf in Richmond. Courtesy of Jeremy Purington

It’s also looking to be an ideal weekend to get in a game or two of mini golf, so we’ve compiled  20 places in Maine for you to work on your putts.

Choose from 20 places to play mini golf in Maine

A carrot cake whoopie pie, one of the seasonal varieties at Two Fat Cats Bakery in South Portland. Photo by Ray Routhier

Satisfy your sweet tooth with one of these  twists on a classic Maine treat . Read up on the differences between the Maple Sunday whoopie pie from Cape Whoopies and the carrot cake variety from Two Fat Cats Bakery and decide which South Portland bakery to visit.

There’s more than one way to make whoopie pies in South Portland

The Prince/Bowie tribute act performing live. Photo by Tammie Birdwell

If you’re a fan of Prince or Davie Bowie (or both), you’ll want to head to Portland House of Music on Saturday night for a Prince/Bowie tribute show. Expect all the hits and a few deeper cuts from two of the greatest artists who ever lived.

Fear you’ll never hear your favorite band live? These Maine tribute shows might do the trick

Coffee By Design is a must stop during Cherry Lemonade’s perfect day. Derek Davis/Staff Photographer

If you’re worried that your weekend is going to be a drag,  just follow in the footsteps of drag queen Cherry Lemonade . Her perfect day includes a cold brew from Coffee By Design, a ride on a Casco Bay Ferry and crab cakes at Island Lobster Company.

My Perfect Day: Walk in Cherry Lemonade’s heels from Coffee By Design to Landrace Cannabis

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