Roadside Relics (pictured above) is a gallery/studio that captures Austin’s quirky nature. Austin is the capital of Texas, but it is also a city that defies all cliches associated to its home state. Austin embraces the old, the new and the unexpected.

Signs are part of the visual landscape of Austin and many of the designs encapsulate the city’s love for American graphic traditions.

San Jose Hotel owned by Liz Lambert is a reconverted motel on South Congress Avenue that has become a local creative community magnet and is a promoter of good design. The presence of San Jose has helped transform South Congress Avenue into a vibrant and contemporary neighborhood (pictured below).

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Russell M. Stanley is the former president of ASID Texas Chapter (American Society of Interior Designers) and was later appointed ASID fellow. After obtaining his degree from Parsons School of Design in 1960, Russell returned to Texas to work for a commercial firm before setting up his own practice.

Russell invited us to see a building that he designed in the seventies and spoke to us about what it was like to be a design student back in the fifties, when Parsons only had 250 students. After seeing his work it was clear that he was strongly influenced by European designs. He mentioned that he never liked the international style movement, despising its homogeneous and box-like approach (”a creativity killer”). However he supports the use of new technologies and believes that interior design should not only based on ideas but also result from manufacturing processes and new technologies that can achieve long-term quality.

On a bridge, approaching Baton Rouge (pictured above). Beyond New Orleans, Louisiana appears differently: very industrial and deserted. It is a region that is trying to survive the end of the industrial era.

Being on the road is another opportunity to look at design: American trucks in all shapes, colors and sizes, a variety of water towers, factory buildings, and regional logos.

Texas is a place that strongly promotes its brand: The Lone Star State

The infrastructure in Texas is a reflection of the state’s wealth. In Houston (pictured above), the Lone Star appears on every pillar. Everything looks brand new, the road feels brand new.

30 miles from Austin: Texan landscapes in every direction. There is something beautifully authentic about the American countryside.

David Sullivan talks with Cities x Design about Austin’s creative industry and design policy initiatives.