AIGA Communique - February 2006

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	Monthly news and updates for AIGA members February 2006 -------------------------------------------------------------- Contents For action this week Early registration deadline for Aspen Design Summit TODAY Early registration deadline for AIGA Harvard Business School TODAY Registration for AIGA Design Expedition to China closes today 365: AIGA Design Competitions deadline is FRIDAY News and information AIGA Medalists announced, to be celebrated at Design Legends Gala Vote now for your organization's future leaders Design Archives and People’s Choice Awards Watch your mailbox for Design Conference DVD and revised contract Gain: AIGA Business and Design Conference—Design means business Report from Hong Kong Design Week AIGA Design Leaders confidence index Call for entries: Design Times Square: The Urban Forest Project Worldstudio AIGA Scholarship application deadline is April 14 Recent contributors to AIGA www.aiga.org Gain: AIGA Journal of Business and Design re-launched Inequality Matters: Design a poster by March 15 Find designers with similar interests in AIGA Design Network Design Jobs member discount Voice: AIGA Journal of Design Coming soon Icograda Design Week, July 9–15, Seattle Image, Space, Object 3, August 10–13, Denver DesignInquiry, August, Portland, Maine Third annual Design Legends Gala, October 25, New York City Gain: AIGA Business and Design Conference, October 26–28, New York City Resources --------------------------------------------------------------- For action this week --------------------------------------------------------------- Early registration deadline for Aspen Design Summit is TODAY From June 20–23, 2006, design-minded leaders from around the world will gather in Aspen, Colorado to make positive, measurable impacts on the social and cultural concerns of today. A partnership of IDCA and AIGA, the Aspen Design Summit is a multi-disciplinary retreat where design thinking and the design process are used to craft solutions and commit participants to actions that improve the quality of life worldwide. While the Aspen Design Summit will reach capacity at 340 participants, its impact will be felt around the globe. Featured presenters include: Moderator: John Thackara, Design Futures Network, author, In the Bubble: Designing in a Complex World Majora Carter, Sustainable South Bronx, 2005 MacArthur Foundation Fellow Maurice Cox, former Mayor of Charlottesville, Virginia Niles Eldredge, curator, “Darwin: Discovering the Tree of Life,” American Museum of Natural History Sergio Palleroni, Center for Sustainable Development, University of Texas, BASIC Initiative: Building Sustainable Communities, a partnership in service learning James Patell, Graduate School of Business, Stanford University Paul Polak, International Enterprise Foundation Elliot Washor, Big Picture Project Frank Wilson, MD, author, The Hand Visit aspendesignsummit.aiga.org for a complete list of speakers and Aspen Action studio leaders, as well as special events like the Design Expeditions, Darwin Dinner and “What Moves You?” February 28 is the last date to get the early registration rate of $1,350. We’ll see you in Aspen—where design is at the Summit! Early registration deadline for AIGA Harvard Business School is TODAY The fourth annual Advanced Leadership Program, “Business Perspectives for Design Leaders,” is a one-week program for experienced designers to survey business from the standpoint of their clients. The program is available to only 60 candidates who will be taught by Harvard Business School’s best faculty and live and work in the school’s executive housing. This year’s program will take place July 23–28. Selection is competitive, based on the qualifications and experience of candidates. www.aiga.org/businessperspectives AIGA Design Expedition to China, April 29–May 12, 2006 The AIGA Center for Cross-Cultural Design is sponsoring a 13-day Design Expedition to China to visit three of China’s most dynamic cities: Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. This in-depth tour will lead a select group of American designers to engage their Chinese counterparts—to experience first-hand how a Chinese designer lives and works. In addition to discovering some of China’s greatest architecture, art and cultural riches, our itinerary will take us to the leading design programs and universities as well as into the studios of some of China’s top designers. Space is limited to the 25 people on a first-come, first-served basis. Registration is closing today, February 28. For a registration form or more information, please contact: Robert Linsky at 617 646 4129 or linskyrobert@hotmail.com. 365: AIGA Design Competitions deadline is March 3 Round up your finest design—AIGA’s annual competitions close March 3. Why enter the AIGA design competitions? They are tough, they are authoritative and if your work is selected, it becomes history. By means of the competitions, AIGA creates a chronicle of outstanding design solutions, each demonstrating the process of designing, the role of the designer and the value of design. Details for “365” and “50 Books/50 Covers”—which both close March 3—can be found at competitions.aiga.org. Don’t miss your chance to show off your best work—and become a part of design history while you’re at it. --------------------------------------------------------------- News and information --------------------------------------------------------------- AIGA Medalists announced, to be celebrated at Design Legends Gala this fall in New York City Michael Bierut, Rick Valicenti and Lorraine Wild have been awarded the coveted AIGA Medal for 2006, the highest honor bestowed by the profession. Recommended by an independent awards committee chaired by Alex Isley and including Jo Davison, Janet DeDonato and Fred Woodward, and approved by the AIGA board of directors, the three Medalists will be celebrated at the Design Legends Gala to be held October 25 in New York City, just prior to “Gain: AIGA Business and Design Conference.” The AIGA Medal recognizes individuals for their distinguished achievements, services or other contributions to the field of graphic design and visual communication. These contributions may be made through the practice of graphic design, teaching, writing or leadership in the profession. Michael Bierut is recognized for his thoughtful leadership, dedication to the profession and inspired advocacy of the power and influence of design. Rick Valicenti is acknowledged for the passion and intelligence of his influential work, his inspiration to his colleagues and his mentorship to a generation of students. Lorraine Wild is appreciated for her work as an influential and inspiring designer, writer, historian and teacher of design. Essays and samples of their work will be published later this year in the Medalists archives on www.aiga.org/aigamedalists. Save the date for the Design Legends Gala to honor those who have made exceptional contributions to the profession. Attending this AIGA tradition validates the achievements of the profession as a whole. Vote now for your organization's future leaders. Online balloting for Board of Directors nominees is open until April 15 The AIGA board has approved the following slate of nominees to the National Board. The slate is now presented to the membership for voting. Balloting will occur on the AIGA website; ballots must be cast by April 15. The nominees are: Jim Ales, Monterey Bay Aquarium, Monterey, who brings the perspective of an inhouse, nonprofit design department and advertising, branding, marketing and direct-mail experience Laurie Churchman, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, a former chapter board member in New York and a fulltime faculty member who can lead the design education agenda at the board level Debbie Millman, Sterling Brands, New York, who will add a strong voice in branding and positioning; a vocal advocate for design through her live talk radio show “Design Matters with Debbie Millman;” and an experienced leader of AIGA programs for mentoring teenagers Bennett Peji, Bennett Peji Design, San Diego, a former San Diego chapter president, chair of the chapter presidents’ council and active participant in design’s role in the civic experience Shel Perkins, Shel Perkins and Associates, San Francisco, a former San Francisco chapter president, an active business consultant on design studio practices and the proposed secretary/treasurer for the board The slate is offered for a vote to the membership in its entirety, not individual by individual, because the nominating committee has worked to create a balanced slate that complements current board members and includes specific skills. The process required an extensive application process to assure that the committee had similar information for all candidates and could accurately gauge the level of commitment of the nominees. The proposed candidates were selected after a rigorous review of nominees against a variety of criteria, including the nature of their practice, the area of the country they represent, their previous contributions to AIGA and the priorities the board has adopted for new initiatives. Although others who were nominated may be equally qualified, these candidates fit best with the immediate priorities facing the organization. The committee consists of members who are not currently on the board to prevent a self-perpetuating group. This year’s nominating committee comprised: Rosemary Murphy, Murphy Design, Philadelphia (chair); MaeLin Levine, Visual Asylum, San Diego; Jerry Redmond, Redmond Design, Memphis; Robin Tooms, Savage Design Group, Houston; Paul Wharton, Larsen Design Office, Minneapolis. Current members of the national board continuing their service are: Connie Birdsall, Lippincott Mercer, New York Moira Cullen, Coca-Cola North America, Atlanta David Gibson, Two Twelve Associates, New York Bill Grant, Grant Design Collaborative, Canton, Georgia Steve Hartman, Creativille, St. Louis Marcia Lausen, Studio/lab, Chicago Marty Neumeier, Neutron LLC, San Francisco Hank Richardson, Portfolio Center, Atlanta Bonnie Siegler, Number Seventeen, New York John Zapolski, Management Innovation Group, San Francisco Current members of the national board that will complete their terms at the end of June are: Frank Baseman, Philadelphia University, Philadelphia Jim Faris, Management Innovation Group, Santa Cruz Doug Powell, Schwartz Powell Design, Minneapolis Lance Rutter, Tanagram, Chicago Michael Vanderbyl, Vanderbyl Design, San Francisco Consistent with the bylaws, the proposed slate is submitted to the full professional membership for adoption. All professional members should vote online by April 15, 2006. If this slate does not represent the mix of professionals you believe would best represent you, the ballot provides an opportunity to recommend candidates for next year’s nominating committee. There is also a place to offer your comments about the voting process. Design Archives and People’s Choice Awards AIGA Design Archives has been nominated for the People’s Choice Awards at South by Southwest (SXSW) 2006. Each year the People's Choice Award is given to the online public's favorite finalist from the SXSW Web Awards competition. Hundreds and hundreds were entered, and now only five remain in each category. Vote for your favorite by March 3! The winner will be announced Sunday, March 12 at the SXSW Web Awards Ceremony. Watch your mailbox for Design Conference DVD and revised contract Did you miss the 2005 AIGA Design Conference? Maybe you were there but need a visual reminder? How about an inspirational boost? What about a better way to make agreements with your clients? AIGA professional and associate members will be receiving two important pieces in the mail this March: a new, modular contract and an exclusive DVD of conference highlights. The Design Conference DVD includes: Richard Grefé, AIGA executive director and Bill Grant, AIGA president, introducing the conference Barney Frank Ze Frank Milton Glaser and Nicholas Negroponte Ben Karlin and Paula Scher Ellen Lupton Murray Moss Bill Strickland Also included are the popular 20/20 presentations and interstitial films and video presentations of 2005 AIGA Medalists Bart Crosby, Meredith Davis and Steff Geissbuhler at the Design Legends Gala. As announced earlier this year, the new revised Standard Form of Agreement has been printed as brochure #9 in the “Design Business and Ethics” series. This modular contract allows you to construct a standard agreement based on the nature of your design assignment, unlike the old format in which there was one agreement for all engagements. The agreement may also be downloaded from the AIGA website at aiga.org/designbusinessandethics. Gain: AIGA Business and Design Conference—Design means business As business shines a spotlight on design, “Gain” provides shining examples of design’s impact on business success. Featuring case studies from a variety of industries, “Gain” demonstrates the broadening role design plays in business strategy, leadership, process and product. Participants will hear business and design leaders share their innovative approaches to generating greater return on investment, fostering emotional connections and providing positive brand experiences for customers. “Design means business” also means finding real world solutions for everyday tasks such as research, development and organization. Business and design leaders who attend “Gain” will explore how organizations can tap the full value of design by integrating it into their business culture. Tom Kelley, general manager, IDEO, and author, The Ten Faces of Innovation, will moderate “Gain.” Featured presenters include: Moira Cullen, design director, Coca-Cola North America Todd Degarmo, principal, Studios Architecture with client co-presenter Mark Ecko, head designer and chief creative officer, Mark Ecko Enterprises Kevin Farnham, chief executive officer, Method with Shane Brentham, Autodesk Sam Hecht, founding partner, Industrial Facility, London Michael Hendrix, chief brand officer, Tricycle, Inc. with Bo Barber, founder and president, Opus Carpets Roger Martin, dean, Joseph L. Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto Henry Myerberg, principal, Rockwell Group with co-presenter from Jet Blue Doug Powell, principal, Schwartz Powell Design and director of creative development, HealthSimple Cameron Sinclair, Architecture for Humanity Michael Stanat, author, China’s Generation Y: Understanding the Future Leaders of the World’s Next Superpower Scott Williams, chief creative officer, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. LiAnne Yu, director, Asian Business Strategy, Cheskin Visit gainconference.aiga.org for updated information. Save $125 by registering before May 17! Report from Hong Kong Design Week Icograda, the International Council of Graphic Design Associations, hosted a week of design-related activities in Hong Kong from January 20 through January 26, in association with the Hong Kong Design Center. The purpose of the event was to encourage interaction among designers from around the world and to advance the practice of design in Asia. The week consisted of two-and-a-half days of student workshops led by international designers, a nightly lecture series open to the public, a regional meeting of design associations from Asia and Oceania, and meeting of the board of Icograda. AIGA executive director Richard Grefé attended the event in his role as vice president of the board of Icograda. AIGA joined Icograda in 2005 to open channels of communications among U.S. designers and designers from other countries. By joining, we show our support for design associations around the world that could benefit from AIGA resources and our commitment to working toward consistent global standards for professional practices. In a global economy, it's critical that designers work seamlessly across geopolitical boundaries while acknowledging and appreciating cultural patterns. The next international conference produced by Icograda will be in Seattle July 9–13, coproduced with AIGA Center for Cross-Cultural Design. See SeattleDesignWeek.com. Members of AIGA can explore the members-only portion of the Icograda website at www.icograda.org. The password is available in the members-only portion of the AIGA website. AIGA Design Leaders confidence index We now have a full year's worth of data from the AIGA Design Leaders Confidence Survey, which gauges opinion leaders’ perception of the current and prospective strength of the design economy. Although the consensus is less optimistic this year than a year ago, there seems to be a sense that the design economy is becoming stronger after a weak fall and winter. After a steep and abrupt drop in confidence in the design economy in the third quarter, there has been an increase in the index in the fourth quarter, from 96.67 to 98.46 (the index is based on the confidence level in the first round of the survey, with April 2005 as 100). This is roughly comparable to, although less optimistic than, the Conference Board’s confidence survey of corporate CEOs, which has risen to 56 from last quarter’s 50, the lowest reading in nearly four years. Review the results at aiga.org/confidenceindex. Call for entries: Design Ignites Change: Design Times Square: The Urban Forest Project This summer, The Urban Forest Project will plant 200 banners by designers, artists, photographers and illustrators from around the world in New York’s Times Square. Each banner will use the form of the tree, or a metaphor for the tree, to make a powerful visual statement. Together they’ll create a forest of thoughtful visual art in one of the world’s busiest, most energetic and emphatically urban intersections. Bringing nature and art to the “Crossroads of the World,” visited by 30 million people each year and known mainly for its dazzling commercial signage, it is expected to encourage passersby to pause, if only for a moment, to be entertained, stimulated or provoked by the work. The 7’ by 3’ banners will be hung in the Times Square district during the summer of 2006. They will then be recycled into tote bags to be sold at auction. All proceeds will go to scholarship and mentoring programs that benefit students of the visual arts. This promises to be one of the most exciting and visible design events of 2006. To learn more about it, visit www.aiga.org/worldstudiocollaboration to download the PDF outlining the project in detail. To participate, you must register before March 15, 2006 by sending your name, address, phone and email address to ignite@aiga.org. Space is limited and requests will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. All final artwork must be received by April 28, 2006. This project, organized by the AIGA New York Chapter, Times Square Alliance, and Worldstudio Foundation, was inspired by the AIGA initiative Design Ignites Change. Worldstudio AIGA Scholarship application deadline is April 14 Worldstudio Foundation and AIGA provide scholarships to minority and economically disadvantaged students studying design and the arts in colleges and universities in the United States. Among the scholarship’s primary goals are to increase diversity in the creative professions and to foster social and environmental responsibility in the artists, designers and studios of tomorrow. Scholarship recipients are selected not only for their ability and need, but also for their demonstrated commitment to giving back to the greater community through their work. Since 1995, the program has awarded nearly $600,000 to students of design, art and architecture. Scholarships start at $1,500 and average $2,500. One or two $5,000 scholarships are awarded at the jury’s discretion. Cash prizes in the amount of $100 are also given as honorable mentions. Encourage an eligible student to apply for these important scholarships. The online application form is now available; the application deadline is April 14. www.aiga.org/worldstudio_scholarship Recent contributors to AIGA Thanks to the following recent contributors to the AIGA Creative Leadership Campaign: In memory of Tim Moore Larsen Design Office David Cecchi James O’Neill The following have made recent contributions to the AIGA Disaster Relief Fund: Dynamic Graphics on behalf of Be a Design Group Shook Kelley For an update on AIGA's relief effort, visit aiga.org/reliefeffort. --------------------------------------------------------------- www.aiga.org --------------------------------------------------------------- Gain: AIGA Journal of Business and Design re-launched Design means business. AIGA is pleased to announce the relaunch of Gain: AIGA Journal of Business and Design last week. Gain is dedicated to stimulating thinking at the intersection of design and business. Through rigorous case studies and thoughtful interviews, the journal demonstrates how the process of design can be used to solve business problems, foster innovation, build meaningful customer relationships, and differentiate products from competitors. gain.aiga.org AIGA has also launched a mailing list dedicated to business and design. The AIGA-Gain list is an informal, open discussion on topics at the intersection of design and business. A companion to the Gain journal, it is intended to provide inspiration for need and desired topics for the journal. How the mailing list works: Each week, a topic is posed to the group for discussion. At the end of the week, the moderator summarizes the list’s responses and creates an article to be published in the Gain journal. Although the mailing list will move on with a new topic each week, topic discussions can continue in the Design Forum where the summary will be posted. To sign up for the mailing list, visit gain.aiga.org/aigagainlist. Inequality Matters: Design a poster by March 15 Inequality of income, limited access to health and education, and underdeveloped markets for trade are trapping much of the world's population in a cycle of poverty. AIGA and the Human Development Report Office of the United Nations Development Programme developed a poster initiative, “Inequality Matters,” in anticipation of the 2005 World Summit last September. Working with AIGA, Tom Geismar conceived and designed a series of posters illustrating the social disparity that exists between cultures. Rich countries, for example, account for more than 50 percent of the world’s annual income, but less than 20 percent of the population. The posters were displayed at the Summit and are available on the AIGA website. Now AIGA members can design their own posters to add to the “Inequality Matters” gallery. Each poster should illustrate an issue from the UN Human Development Report 2005. The poster deadline is March 15, 2006. Visit www.aiga.org/inequalitymatters for the gallery of posters and submission guidelines. Find designers with similar interests in AIGA Design Network You can network with other AIGA members without leaving the comfort of your own computer. Using the AIGA Design Network, you can find members you already know and build relationships with members with similar professional interests through an organization you know and trust. Start strengthening existing connections and creating new ones today! www.aiga.org/designnetwork Design Jobs member discount Human resources are a critical element of any design business. Consider AIGA Design Jobs as a means of finding qualified designers who are committed to the profession. By virtue of affiliation with AIGA, Design Jobs provides a valuable filter on the type of positions posted and the applicant pool. AIGA members can post positions for just $95, less than half of the regular rate. www.aiga.org/designjobs Voice: AIGA Journal of Design Voice has become the 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’re up to date on this rich anthology. What about Cartoons Makes People Mad? An Interview with Signe Wilkinson Steven Heller Do satiric images still have the power to move mountains? Wilkinson, editorial cartoonist for the Philadelphia Daily News, reflects on the power of cartoons to rile the masses and trigger violence. voice.aiga.org/content.cfm?ContentAlias=%5Fgetfullarticle&aid=1510143 How Was It For You? Nick Currie and Hisae Mizutani What happens when designers use three different alphabets—at the same time—to communicate? Currie and Mizutani translate through their recent experience with Japanese signs in Osaka. voice.aiga.org/content.cfm?ContentAlias=%5Fgetfullarticle&aid=1478895 Please join in the discussions and submit ideas for future issues at http://voice.aiga.org. --------------------------------------------------------------- Coming soon --------------------------------------------------------------- Icograda Design Week, July 9–15, Seattle Defining Design on a Changing Planet The first-ever U.S.-based Icograda Design Week is coming to Seattle in July 2006. This will be a thought-provoking forum about the role of design in a rapidly-changing world. Big questions will be on the table, presented by leading design thinkers and practitioners. How do we communicate when our audiences speak different languages? Who has the competitive edge in a worldwide marketplace? What role can we play in making the world a better place? Seattle Design Week is a rare opportunity to connect with designers who are working at this intersection of global commerce and culture. The week of events includes an international conference, student workshop and showcase of North American design trends. More details and registration at seattledesignweek.com. This event is presented by Icograda in partnership with the AIGA Center for Cross-Cultural Design. Third Annual Design Legends Gala, October 25, 2006, New York City This glamorous black tie affair will celebrate the 2006 recipients of the AIGA Medal, the AIGA Fellow Award, the Corporate Leadership Award and the Winterhouse Awards for Design Writing & Criticism. Gain: AIGA Business and Design Conference, October 26–28, 2006, New York City A biennial conference that addresses current issues on how design can increase business’ effectiveness in achieving strategic goals, “Gain” is programmed specifically for an audience of senior designers and their clients. gainconference.aiga.org --------------------------------------------------------------- Resources --------------------------------------------------------------- Want to renew? www.aiga.org/renew Have you had a recent change of address? Update your profile, including email preferences and affiliation with communities of interest. www.aiga.org/profile Want to know what’s going on? Check out local and national events. www.aiga.org/calendar -------------------------------------------------------------- About Communiqué This newsletter is emailed monthly to AIGA members; past issues are archived on the AIGA website. To unsubscribe, update your profile. To review our privacy policy, go to www.aiga.org/privacy. -------------------------------------------------------------- AIGA \| the professional association for design 164 Fifth Avenue New York NY 10010 \| 212 807 1990 communique@aiga.org Stimulating thinking about design www.aiga.org