AIGA Communique - March 2004

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	Monthly news and updates for AIGA members March 2004 -------------------------------------------------------------- Contents News and information Vote for new board members by April 15 Speakers announced for “Gain: AIGA Business and Design Conference” Register now for AIGA Harvard Business School leadership program Information design summer academy offered to students FutureHistory: AIGA Design Education conference, September 25-26 AIGA introduces Voice: AIGA Journal of Design 365: AIGA Year in Design is shipping to professional members MFA degree in high demand by business AIGA collaborates on Designing for the 21st Century AIGA member e-mail and CAN-SPM Act of 2003 www.aiga.org* New AIGA.org attracts record number of visitors Design Jobs offers essential tools for finding designers and jobs Design salaries survey launches online Advocacy AIGA Design for Democracy publishes book on election design AIGA to commission posters highlighting global community issues Coming soon Biennial AIGA Design Conference, September 15–17, 2005 Formal notice of AIGA board meeting Resources --------------------------------------------------------------- News and information --------------------------------------------------------------- Vote for new board members by April 15 Following solicitation of nominations from all members, chapter leadership and design opinion leaders, this year's nominating committee, chaired by Bill Grant (Grant Design Collaborative), has recommended the following slate of nominees for five of the 15 seats on the national board, effective July 1, 2004 for three years. The proposed slate: David Gibson, Two Twelve Associates, New York Marcia Lausen, Studio/lab, Chicago Marty Neumeier, Neutron, San Francisco Bonnie Siegler, Number Seventeen, New York John Zapolski, Yahoo!, San Francisco All professional members should vote online at www.aiga.org/annualboardballot by April 15, 2004. Biographical information on each candidate is available on the website. The proposed slate would replace the following incumbents, who will complete their terms in June: Dana Arnett, VSA Partners, Chicago Terry Irwin, San Francisco Terry Swack, Latis Networks, Boulder, Colorado Gong Szeto, Szeto Partners, Taos, New Mexico Margaret Youngblood, Landor Associates, San Francisco Current members of the national board continuing their service include: Frank Baseman, Philadelphia University, Philadelphia John Bielenberg, C2, Belfast, Maine Jim Faris, Design Hat, Santa Cruz Brown Johnson, Nick Jr., New York Doug Powell, Schwartz Powell Design, Minneapolis Lance Rutter, Tanagram, Chicago Stefan Sagmeister, Sagmeister, Inc., New York Cheryl Towler Weese, studio blue, Chicago Michael Vanderbyl, Vanderbyl Design, San Francisco Ann Willoughby, Willoughby Design Group, Kansas City The nominating committee is made up of rank-and-file AIGA members, not AIGA board members, to assure that the nominees reflect a broad view of members’ interests and to avoid a self-perpetuating board dynamic. Board members rarely serve more than one term. The 2004 nominating committee was comprised of: Bill Grant, Grant Design Collaborative, Atlanta (chair) Maria Grillo, The Grillo Group, Chicago Ann Harakawa, Two Twelve Associates, New York Cheryl Heller, Heller Communications, Inc., New York Tamera Lawrence, O2 Design, Washington, D.C. Tan Le, Landor Associates, Seattle 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 priorities the board has adopted for new initiatives. Two teach regularly; disciplines include branding, editorial design, film and television, experience design and environmental graphic design. There is experience from chapter leadership, community leadership and leadership of other design organizations. Two are from New York, two from California and one from Chicago. Small firms, medium firms and large in-house design departments are represented. The committee received an extraordinarily strong pool of qualified candidates who were willing to serve, from which this group was selected. Although others who were nominated would be equally qualified, these candidates met the criteria and fit best with the immediate priorities facing the organization. A single slate is offered by the committee in order to assure balance in the overall board composition. Members vote for the entire slate. However, if there are individuals that a member would like to recommend for consideration for the board next year, there is a write-in opportunity on the ballot. Speakers announced for “Gain: AIGA Business and Design Conference” Everything is happening faster. Products and services become commodities overnight. At this year’s “Gain: AIGA Business and Design Conference,” we’ll explore how to embed design throughout your organization to drive innovation and market differentiation. You’ll see new tools, new ideas and new ways of looking at the problems that face us all. For designers, the business conversation will reveal the enormous new role design can and must play. For business leaders, the role of design, and even what is meant by design, will be completely recast. It’s a conversation you won’t want to miss. David Brancaccio, former host of public radio’s “Marketplace”, and now co-host of NOW, with Bill Moyers, will again serve as our conference moderator. Confirmed speakers to date include: Jim Ales, art director, Monterey Bay Aquarium Dana Arnett, partner, VSA Partners Barbara Barry, principal, Barbara Barry, Inc. Brian Collins, executive creative director, Ogilvy & Mather James Dyson, chairman, Dyson Tony Fadell, Apple Computer Milton Glaser, principal, Milton Glaser, Inc. Christopher Hacker, senior vice president, marketing and design, Aveda Steven Heller, art director, The New York Times Book Review Steve Jobs, CEO, Apple Computer Claudia Kotchka, vice president, design strategy and innovation, Proctor & Gamble Monica Nassif, president and founder, The Caldrea Company Sharon Werner, principal, Werner Design Werks Ivy Ross, Gap Paula Scher, partner, Pentagram Michael Vanderbyl, principal, Vanderbyl Design Patrick Whitney, director and professor of design, Illinois Institute of Technology The early registration rate of $575 for AIGA members is good only through June 1; register online to save $25. For more information and to register, visit www.aiga.org/gain_conference_2004 Register now for AIGA Harvard Business School leadership program AIGA and Harvard Business School will offer the second annual advanced leadership program, “Business Perspectives for Design Leaders,” a one-week program to provide experienced designers with a chance to master the perspective of their clients toward business. It is available to only forty candidates who will live (and work) in the executive housing at Harvard Business School and be taught by the school’s best faculty. Selection is competitive, based on the qualifications and experience of candidates. The program will be offered from August 15-August 20, 2004, at Harvard. The course will provide you with a higher level, more comprehensive perspective on business, seeing the marketplace, its opportunities and challenges as the nation’s CEOs see them. The intent is to help experienced designers occupy comfortably the role many of you have expressed an interest in attaining—the role of strategic advisor to your clients on communication strategy, brand positioning and product or service development. It will also, undoubtedly, give you new insight into your own practice, although its purpose is not to provide personal management techniques for you to use in your studio. The program will run from Sunday afternoon, August 15 through Friday afternoon, August 20. Since the strength of the experience depends upon what the participants bring to the rigorous case method teaching techniques, selection will be competitive (although the application is relatively simple). You should expect to be very busy for the entire period, engaged in evening presentations and team preparation of cases. The fee includes tuition, room and board. This will be an exciting opportunity for a significant mid-career enhancement in your skills, perspective and effectiveness. The timing is perfect for offering new services to clients as the economy rebounds. We hope you will consider it today. Visit www.aiga.org/businessperspectives for more information and an application form. Information design summer academy offered to students AIGA is launching a new opportunity for students to develop information design skills while broadening their own perspective to problems through international experience. AIGA and the International Institute for Information Design (IIID) are offering a nine-day summer program on Social Information: Community and Cultural Information Design in Sweden from August 16-27, 2004. This program will result in multidisciplinary, international team outcomes which AIGA will publish on its website. A limited number of students will be able to participate. For more information, visit www.iiid-summeracademy.net. FutureHistory: AIGA Design Education conference, September 25-26 FutureHistory: AIGA Design Education Conference is the first national AIGA conference for educators. It will include general sessions and breakout sessions on September 25 and 26, 2004, at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Teaching represents a unique convergence of the past and the future. The transference of information, experience, and history to a new generation directly impacts the future of the field. This conference will explore the dual nature of the role of the design educator as a keeper and disseminator of past knowledge, and as an explorer and director of things to come. Conference topics will focus on both the historical aspects of education—the dissemination of knowledge to students, our own personal influences and histories, the history of design—and the challenges of the future: increasingly complex communication needs, interaction and the influence of technology, and the impact of an increasingly diverse culture. The conference is open to AIGA members and nonmembers, design educators and professionals. Paper proposal submission information will be posted April 1, 2004. Speaker information will be posted in May 2004. Watch the AIGA website for registration and additional information. AIGA introduces Voice: AIGA Journal of Design Voice: AIGA Journal of Design, the latest incarnation of AIGA's journal, debuted in mid-February as part of a redesign of www.aiga.org. Voice offers news, views, criticism and historical analysis unencumbered by a publication schedule; it assures that content is archived for future readers; and it demonstrates our emphasis on creating content to stimulate thinking about design, rather than investing resources in printing, paper and mailing, although a quarterly print piece is planned to entice members to the full content on the website. While the format of AIGA’s journal has changed over the past two decades, its underlying principles have not: in the first two issues of Voice, essays by Véronique Vienne, Milton Glaser, Steve Heller and others build on the journal’s legacy by defining key issues that are transforming the profession today. Articles from the archives complement these contemporary voices in providing diverse perspectives on design history, theory, practice and criticism. The journal is titled “Voice” because its most compelling attribute is its ability to take advantage of the impulsive discussions that have been seen on blogs and wikis in recent months—digital functions that were not even words when the Journal was launched in its last incarnation, Trace. The editorial form of the journal will evolve over time; a digital journal created by editors and readers raises interesting questions we look forward to solving. What should the conventions be when others look to AIGA for a statement and discover statements under the AIGA banner which reflect personal opinions of one designer rather than the institution? How should we distinguish between solicited and edited content and unsolicited pieces posted without copy editing from someone who is not accountable to AIGA? And what kind of discourse is it appropriate for AIGA’s members to support and encourage? Voice offers an exciting opportunity for discussion and for reaching new audiences. This new format opens a conversation about ideas that we feel is critical to our role in advancing the profession. We encourage you to participate and contribute. Visit voice.aiga.org. 365: AIGA Year in Design is shipping to professional members 365 is AIGA's annual presentation of the best in American design, and features the cutting-edge projects that were selected by a pre-eminent jury in the organization's "365: AIGA Design Competitions." 365: AIGA Year In Design 24 includes the finest design from the year 2002, with photographs of each selection, designers’ comments and extensive credits. The collection is supplemented with retrospectives of the 2003 AIGA medalists, B. Martin Pedersen and Woody Pirtle. This annual seeks to capture the attributes of reasonableness, clarity and narrative, using both text and images. The narrative consists of the simple but complete observations of Nicholson Baker. The succinctness of his prose parallels the efficient effectiveness found in the selections included in the annual. 365: AIGA Year In Design 24 is a collaboration between AIGA and COMA (Brooklyn/Amsterdam). AIGA professional members who joined or renewed their membership prior to January 1, 2004 will receive their copy of 365: AIGA Year in Design 24 in early to mid-April. Professional members who joined or renewed after January 1, 2004 will receive the annual published early next year, for this year's competitions, rather than the one that is currently being mailed. Associate and student members may order a copy of 365: AIGA Year in Design 24 at the member discount rate, as may professional members who joined on or after January 1, 2004. We do this so that you receive the artifact that documents the year in design in which you are a member. AIGA member price: $40 plus $7.95 shipping within U.S.A. MFA degree in high demand by business According to a recent issue of Harvard Business Review, an arts degree is now one of the hottest credentials in the world of business. Corporate recruiters have begun visiting top arts graduate schools—such as the Rhode Island School of Design, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Cranbrook Academy of Art—in search of talent. In 1993, 61 percent of high-powered management consultant McKinsey’s hires had MBA degrees. Less than a decade later, it was down to 43 percent, because McKinsey says other disciplines are just as valuable in helping new hires perform well at the firm. With applications climbing and more arts grads occupying key corporate positions, the master of fine arts is becoming the new business degree. The reasons are twofold—supply and demand. The supply of people with basic MBA skills is expanding and therefore driving down their value. Meanwhile, the demand for artistic aptitude is surging. At the same time, businesses are realizing that the only way to differentiate their goods and services in today’s overstocked, materially abundant marketplace is to make their offerings transcendent—physically beautiful and emotionally compelling. Bruce Nussbaum, of BusinessWeek, thinks design will be the next major competitive attribute to be promoted within corporate ranks, now that innovation alone has run its course. This reinforces the critical role AIGA has been promoting for designers in business leadership, through our Designing materials; "Gain" conferences and publications; and professional development program at Harvard Business School. AIGA collaborates on Designing for the 21st Century This is an extraordinary moment. Never before in history have we been as varied in age and ability as we are at the start of the new century. Design matters more than ever. We must make choices about designing places, things, information and policies that not only reduce barriers but welcome everyone and enhance human health. AIGA has collaborated with Adaptive Environments in beginning dialogue between nations and across disciplines in the third conference on Designing for the 21st Century in Rio de Janeiro, December 8-12, 2004. Visit www.designfor21st.org for more details. *AIGA member e-mail and CAN-SPM Act of 2003** The CAN-SPM Act of 2003 seeks to control the amount of unsolicited commercial spm e-mail. AIGA’s e-mail communication to members is not constrained by this legislation since our communications are not commercial and there is a means for members to opt out by specifying their e-mail preferences in their member profile (www.aiga.org/profile). AIGA does not sell, rent or trade its mailing lists to any other organizations for commercial purposes and actively pursues any unauthorized use of AIGA online directory. --------------------------------------------------------------- www.aiga.org --------------------------------------------------------------- New AIGA.org attracts record number of visitors February marked the inauguration of AIGA's redesigned website. With 100,000 visitors exploring www.aiga.org each month, the new site navigation is intended to provides quick, intuitive access to the deep collections of information on the site, whether advice on choosing a design program; the latest job listings; or initiatives that explore the impact of design on democracy. AIGA.org allows you to manage your relationship with AIGA; "Your account" provides mechanisms for updating your contact information, online renewal and management of your e-mail preferences. Not only does AIGA.org offer resources for every phase of your career, it provides a wide array of client-friendly publications. With the revamped Design Forum, AIGA.org is designed to reflect the richness of the membership as a whole—with your participation it will become an even wealthier resource. Don't miss the chance to contribute to impassioned and thoughtful conversations on a wide range of topics. Visit designforum.aiga.org. AIGA thanks the firms Flat, Behavior and Thirdwave for their work on making AIGA.org an even more effective resource. Design Jobs offers essential tools for finding designers and jobs Human resources are a critical element of any design business. Consider AIGA Design Jobs (www.aiga.org/designjobs) 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. Looking for a job? You can now post your portfolio containing samples of your work, a personal statement, resume and contact details. Remember to update your Design Jobs account summary so that you are automatically notified when positions are posted that fit your criteria. Visit www.aiga.org/designjobs to see these benefits for yourself! Design salaries survey launches online AIGA and Aquent have partnered to create an interactive salary calculator that uses results from the AIGA\|Aquent Salary Survey to provide competitive salary levels by position, type and size of organization as well as location, based on AIGA’s annual salary research of industry professionals. This is the most authoritative source of design salaries published each year. Visit www.designsalaries.com for the interactive calculator. Professional and associate members will receive the printed version of this year's salary survey in May. --------------------------------------------------------------- Advocacy --------------------------------------------------------------- AIGA Design for Democracy publishes book on election design “Election Design: Models for Improvement” is a new, comprehensive graphic design system for improving the quality, legibility and effectiveness of election materials. In November 2000, a group of design professionals, educators and students began a dedicated effort to improve the voting experience. Organized as a program of “AIGA Design for Democracy,” this team worked in association with the University of Illinois at Chicago and directly for election officials in Cook County, Illinois and the State of Oregon. Project teams developed prototypes for improved ballot design, election administration, poll worker training and recruitment, voter registration, polling place signage, vote-by-mail, absentee voting, provisional voting and voter education and outreach. This publication documents the resulting design system. It includes detailed information, guidelines, visual examples and templates that can be adapted for use by all states and counties. AIGA price: $100. Shipping charges $3 within U.S.A. Place your advance order. AIGA to commission posters highlighting global community issues Each year, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) publishes its Human Development Report, highlighting current global community issues such as poverty, literacy and human rights. AIGA has formed a partnership with UNDP to develop a set of posters bringing attention to these global community issues. Tom Geismar of Chermayeff & Geismar, Richard Grefé of AIGA will serve as project directors working with UNDP staff to identify the key messages to be communicated and will commission a series of posters to bring the issues to the attention of the global community. Each poster will bear a consistent branding identity for the UNDP/AIGA partnership. The posters will be made available for downloading and printing anywhere in the world from the AIGA or UNDP websites. At the same time, a limited number will be made available in standard and large format print versions. Each design will address audiences in English, Spanish, French, Russian and Arabic. AIGA also plans to promote and post unsolicited designs by any designer who would like to submit a version for an online gallery, available for downloading and printing anywhere in the world. --------------------------------------------------------------- Coming soon --------------------------------------------------------------- Biennial AIGA Design Conference, September 15–17, 2005 The next National Design Conference will be held September 15–17, 2005 in Boston, Massachusetts. Until October 1, 2004, AIGA members may register for just $475 (or $450 if you register online). www.aiga.org/design_conference_2005 Formal notice of AIGA board meeting The next AIGA board meeting will be held April 19–20, 2004 in St. Helena, California. The board meeting is a planning retreat to consider the role and activities for AIGA over the next decade. --------------------------------------------------------------- Resources --------------------------------------------------------------- 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. -------------------------------------------------------------- About Communiqué This newsletter is e-mailed monthly to AIGA members; past issues are archived on the AIGA website. To unsubscribe, update your profile or send an e-mail to communique@aiga.org with “unsubscribe” in the subject line. To review our privacy policy, go to www.aiga.org/privacy. -------------------------------------------------------------- AIGA \| American Institute of Graphic Arts 164 Fifth Avenue New York NY 10010 \| 212 807 1990 communique@aiga.org AIGA: stimulating thinking about design www.aiga.org