Monthly news and updates for AIGA members
December 2004

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Contents
News and information
  Call for nominations to the AIGA board
  Take on the future, get involved with national issues
  Remember AIGA in your end-of-year contributions
  AIGA Worldstudio Collaborative Communications Initiative
  Call for topics and speakers for AIGA Design Conference in Boston
  U.S. to participate in World Day of Design
  In the AIGA Gallery: 365: AIGA Year in Design exhibition
www.aiga.org
  Voice: AIGA Journal of Design
  Tools to manage your relationship with AIGA
Coming soon
  The Institute of Design Business Strategy Conference, May 18–19, 2005
  DesignInquiry: Motive, Method and Medium, June 11–17, 2005
  AIGA Harvard Business School advanced leadership program, July 24–29, 2005
  Image, Space, Object, August 23–28, 2005
  AIGA Design Conference, September 15–18, 2005
Resources

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News and information
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Call for nominations to the AIGA board
The AIGA board nominating committee, chaired by Ann Harakawa of Two Twelve Associates in New York, is looking for nominations, to be submitted by January 15, 2005. We encourage every member to consider nominating candidates for the AIGA board of directors. The process for nominations is published at www.aiga.org/nominationsprocess.

This next decade will be critical to how we achieve members’ ambitions for AIGA at its centennial in 2014. The committee invites nominations from all members and allows for self-nomination, although it also requires a relatively extensive application process to assure that the committee has the same information on all candidates, recognizes the work nominees have done at the chapter level, and reveals the level of commitment of the nominees.

The committee consists of members who are not on the board to make sure member interests are represented in the new nominations and that the board is not self-perpetuating (the weak point of many association boards). Committee members include Tamera Lawrence, Washington, D.C.; Tan Le, Seattle; Rosemary Murphy, Philadelphia; Petrula Vrontikis, Los Angeles; and Paul Wharton, Minneapolis.

Five seats are open. Nominations are due by January 15, 2005 and can be submitted by the nominee or by others on his or her behalf. The responsibilities of the position, which are also considerable, can be seen at www.aiga.org/boardresponsibilities.

Board members who are rolling off the board on June 30, 2005 (along with their special interests) are:

Cheryl Towler-Weese, Chicago (books and printing)
Brown Johnson, New York (K-12 initiatives)
Ann Willoughby, Kansas City (business and branding)
Stefan Sagmeister. New York (member recruitment)
John Bielenberg, Camden, Maine (mentoring, education)

Take on the future, get involved with national issues
AIGA members and chapter leaders have set an ambitious agenda for AIGA for the coming years. The challenge of this agenda is to develop an organization that is both capable of and has made progress in addressing the needs the profession will have by 2014, AIGA’s hundredth anniversary. The only way a professional association can respond effectively and with relevance is to draw on its own membership to advance these aspirations.

AIGA invites the involvement of members with strong interest (even passion) on some of these issues to volunteer time and energy for a thoughtful crafting of a realistic plan for addressing them. During 2005, we will begin progress on 21 initiatives, to be followed by another 20 in 2006. Each initiative will involve a task force of volunteers who will convene digitally and by conference call to propose a constructive plan on how the profession can make a difference; this plan will be presented to the board, chapter leaders and, within resources, will be adopted for action by July 1, 2005. This is a chance for any member to work with colleagues from around the country and to influence national policies for the future of the profession.

The task forces for 2005 are listed below and can be viewed at www.aiga.org/nationaltaskforces. A more extensive description of the charge of each task force will be developed by the task force by mid-January. Each task force will be coordinated nationally by Kiran Max Weber who can be reached at 212 807 1990 or via e-mail at taskforces@aiga.org.

Advocacy
Center for Practice Management
Communicating the value of designing
Creative Leadership Campaign
Design curricula
Design education database
Documented mentoring experiences
Encourage teenagers with an interest in design
Graphic design stamps
In-house designers
Professional benefits
Professional diversity
Professional networking
Professional standards
Social entrepreneurism
Social relevance, a partnership with Worldstudio Foundation
Student members
Student mentoring and scholarships, a partnership with Worldstudio Foundation
Studio mentoring for young designers
Sustainability
Writing and criticism

If you are interested in thinking hard, applying your designing skills to the solution to challenges facing the profession, and committing time in short bursts between now and late spring, please sign up to be involved. We consider the work of these task forces to be as important as the work of any national board in terms of influencing the future strength of the profession.

Remember AIGA in your end-of-year contributions
For those of you who are on a calendar year tax cycle and are planning to make contributions to your preferred charities before the end of December, please do not forget the role AIGA, as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, can play in advancing your future and the success of subsequent generations of young designers.

Contributions to the Creative Leadership Campaign are encouraged and welcomed. The campaign raises funds for special initiatives, like mentoring high school students in design, preserving archives or celebrating great design. None of the funds are used for operating expenses.

Donations can be made out to “AIGA Creative Leadership Campaign” and sent to Richard Grefe, Creative Leadership Campaign, AIGA, 164 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010. We will provide a receipt and tax letter to document your contribution.

We would like to thank the following contributors during 2004:

AIGA Worldstudio Collaborative Communications Initiative
“Design for a change” is a new joint initiative of AIGA and Worldstudio Foundation, similar in some ways to this year’s Get Out the Vote initiative. It is envisioned as an annual program in which members of the design community across the country work individually or in teams to create together some kind of visual artifact that will have broad visibility in our communities; that will be seen as a way to emphasize the value of design by doing something valuable to the community; and that will stimulate thought, dialog and action.

The goal is to showcase the projects in a traveling exhibition with a companion book or publication that will demonstrate the impact they had in their respective communities.
While project parameters are still in development, certain criteria will be important whatever final form the program may take: the program will be nationwide, annual, should include nonprofessionals and/or young people and program themes should be topical, current and politically nonpartisan. Watch for more information from your local chapter this spring.

Call for topics and speakers for AIGA Design Conference in Boston next year
If you have ideas on engaging, thoughtful and entertaining speakers for either the main stage or the smaller focused sessions at the AIGA Design Conference in Boston in September 2005, please forward them by e-mail to Michelle Stanek (programs@aiga.org) by December 31. Your recommendations should explain why the speaker or topic is relevant and also provide information on contacting any recommended speaker. The committee will consider initial recommendations by December 31, seeking to finalize the schedule early enough for members to make decisions about attending.

U.S. to participate in World Day of Design
World Day of Design is an international holiday celebrated on April 27 throughout the world, acknowledging the vital role of design in the public arena. U.S. designers and the public are invited to join in celebrating a day already recognized in Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, China, Cuba, Czech Republic, Italy, Iran, Japan, Mexico, Spain, South Africa, South Korea, Sweden, Taiwan and Turkey.

In support of this initiative, AIGA is issuing a call for entries for a juried exhibition of posters to acknowledge April 27, 2005 as the first World Day of Design celebration in the United States. In keeping with American values, the theme for the exhibition is “Diversity,” broadly defined as “a point or respect in which things differ.”

AIGA members will receive a call for entries in January to participate in the 2005 celebrations by submitting a poster design by January 28, 2005. Details and downloads can be viewed on the AIGA website. www.aiga.org/worlddayofdesign.

In the AIGA gallery
“365: AIGA Annual Design Exhibition 25.” Presenting 92 examples of the best communications design produced in 2003 selected in AIGA’s annual juried competition. AIGA is committed to using the selections from the competitions to demonstrate the process of design, the role of the designer and the value of design. The selection criteria include both aesthetic judgments and an evaluation of communication effectiveness. The juries consider each piece within the context of its purpose, content, objective, audience and resources.
The exhibition is open to the public and runs through February 25, 2005.
Design: emphas!s design inc., Brooklyn, New York
Presenting sponsor: Aquent

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www.aiga.org
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Voice: AIGA Journal of Design
Voice has become a go-to place for lively, thoughtful articles on design (and a few on what pops into the mind of designers, an intriguing discovery!). Be sure you keep up with what has become a rich anthology of engaging writing.

In the latest issue, Christoph Niemann illustrates Ralph Caplan’s explanation of why designers should reach out to other disciplines; Colin Berry looks at propaganda warfare and the U.S. Army’s 4th Psychological Operations Group; Adrian Shaughnessy gets under the covers of Zoetrope: All-Story magazine and Steven Heller discusses how blogs are changing design criticism. Plus essays on the book jackets of Roy Kuhlman, seeing blue and red, a conversation with Stefan Sagmeister, and more.

Please join in the discussions and submit ideas for future issues. http://voice.aiga.org

Tools to manage your relationship with AIGA
Did you know you can use your AIGA login ID and password to:

• Update your contact information
    www.aiga.org/membercontactinformation
• Request a new membership card
    www.aiga.org/sendnewmembershipcard
• Change your login ID and password
    www.aiga.org/memberchangelogin
• Customize your profile for listing in the online Designer Directory
    www.aiga.org/memberprofessionalprofile
• Register for conferences and events
• Contribute to Design Forum
    designforum.aiga.org
• Review e-newsletter archives (Communiqué, Design:Business, Transitions)
• Renew your membership
    www.aiga.org/renew
• Review benefits available only to AIGA members
    www.aiga.org/aigamembersonly
• Post your portfolio on Design Jobs
    www.aiga.org/designjobs

Don’t know your login information? Use the “send me my login information” link to receive your login ID and password by e-mail.

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Coming soon
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AIGA is offering several conferences and workshops for professional development in the upcoming year. Mark your calendars and register now to take advantage of early registration rates!

The Institute of Design Business Strategy Conference, May 18–19, 2005
The Institute of Design Strategy Conference in Chicago is an international executive forum addressing how businesses can use design to explore emerging opportunities, solve complex problems and achieve lasting strategic advantage. For more information and to register, visit www.aiga.org/designstrategyconference

DesignInquiry: Motive, Method and Medium, June 11–17, 2005
DesignInquiry is a working symposium held at Maine College of Art in Portland. Throughout a series of short lectures, discussions and studio workshops, participants will explore the aesthetics and ethics of graphic design through motive, method and medium. For more information and to register, visit www.aiga.org/designinquiryconference

AIGA Harvard Business School advanced leadership program, July 24–29, 2005
A select group of senior-level design leaders will come together to discuss, network, debate and grow with each other. "Business Perspectives for Design Leaders" is designed exclusively for design executives who work with clients to develop a strategic design response to client challenges.
For more information and to register, visit www.aiga.org/businessperspectives

Image, Space, Object, August 23–28, 2005
Held in Denver, Colorado, “Image, Space, Object” is a unique workshop where designers of all disciplines come together to learn collaborative methods and develop new design languages for compelling physical and communication experiences. In this four-day intensive, personal and creative experience, you will receive methods and inspiration from world-renowned presenters and put this into practice in the afternoon studio sessions. For more information and to register, visit www.aiga.org/rockymountain2005

And don’t forget:
AIGA Design Conference, September 15–18, 2005
The AIGA Design Conference is a biennial gathering of the design community to celebrate design excellence, reinforce friendships and connections and stimulate thinking about the critical issues that surround design practice. This conference is generally recognized as one of the most engaging, provocative, inspiring and fun conferences offered in the design community. This year we return to Boston for the 20th anniversary of the first AIGA Design Conference! Until May 15, 2005, AIGA members may register for just $600 (or $575 if you register online). For more information and to register, visit www.aiga.org/design_conference_2005

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Resources
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Want to renew? www.aiga.org/renew

Have you had a recent change of address? Update your profile, including e-mail preferences and affiliation with communities of interest at www.aiga.org/profile.

Want to know what’s going on? Check out local and national events at www.aiga.org/calendar.

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About Communiqué
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