What an evening!

Thank you to all who attended our first event of 2009! The Back of the Envelope was a huge success. With 40 in attendance from all four major design groups in Pittsburgh, we really helped foster a sense of community.

We want to thank the three restaurants who graciously opened their doors to us:
Oh Yeah! Ice Cream http://www.customswirl.com/
Casbah www.bigburrito/casbah
Abay http://www.abayrestaurant.com/

Art Groll of the Frank Parsons Paper company started us off with some basic sustainability practices in the paper world. Not only did we mention recycled content and FSC but newer certifications, and the importance of us all making the right choices in print materials.

Ryan Walsh of Restorative Events presented some basic tips about resetting our own minds on the "green revolution." Small steps and thoughtful education are far more impactful than the more militant practices of many misinformed well-doers. Use plastics marked with #'s 1, 2, and 3, and avoid 6 if at all possible. Ryan will be making a PDF available to us with the outline of his presentation- stay tuned!

Then the IxDA's Onny Chatterjee closed the evening with a participatory construction of a "Sustainable Pittsburgh" map. This map will later be hosted on the IxDA site and will highlight some of the more ecofriendly businesses and locations in the city.

Be sure to check out the photos on our IDSA Flickr Page- click on the link in the right column and look for the "Back of the Envelope."