AIGA Communique - May 2003

	If you are having difficulty viewing this e-mail, you may go to http://www.aiga.org/communique.

	Monthly news and updates for AIGA members May 2003 -------------------------------------------------------------- Contents News and information New web archive presents case studies of effective design AIGA focuses on sustaining the design profession Professional members ratify slate of new directors 365: AIGA Year in Design 23 available at AIGA member discount AIGA co-branded books aim to stimulate thinking about design Volunteers sought for national task forces www.aiga.org Salary survey now available online AIGA President Clement Mok authors article on designing Advocacy Enter your projects in Sappi’s Ideas that Matter competition Coming soon AIGA and Harvard Business School offer program for designers “DUX2003: Designing for User Experiences Conference” AIGA Experience Design will hold “6th Advance for Design” summit Resources --------------------------------------------------------------- News and information --------------------------------------------------------------- New web archive presents case studies of effective design Over the past year, under the leadership of Clement Mok and Keith Yamashita, AIGA members have begun to address a longtime goal: explaining the value of design as a problem solving process, a way of thinking, that can offer deep rewards to clients when properly engaged. We have all talked about the fact that clients “simply do not understand.” The Why booklet published in January emerged from sessions that involved the AIGA national board, the leadership of all of the chapters and many individual groups around the country. It began the process of coming up with a relatively consistent way to advocate more meaningful use of designers. We are beginning to brand this effort, which we will continue to advocate, as dD or taking design to the power of Design, with a capital D. Design with a capital D stands for designing as a process and one that is more conceptual, strategic and multidimensional, as well as the outcome of creative visual and communication talent. Now, AIGA has developed an archive of case studies that show how the process of design can be applied to real-world projects. The first dozen case studies were solicited from AIGA’s national board by Clement Mok and Sam Shelton. In the next few months, AIGA will open the archive to contributions by all AIGA members. These case studies will provide a proof-of-concept for the 12-step process as well as a unique and valuable resource for designers and students. Review the results at http://designing.aiga.org. The site was designed by Hello Design in collaboration with AIGA and Thirdwave. AIGA focuses on sustaining the design profession “Sustainability” seems a term of the moment and yet it appears in so many contexts it is easily confusing: sustaining growth in the economy, sustaining your inspiration and, quite frequently, sustaining the environment. We believe one of AIGA’s significant opportunities is to support you, the designer, in sustaining design as a viable business and as a valued profession. We seek to sustain your profession in many of the initiatives we are pursuing. We try to communicate the value of design to business, the media and the public through competitions, exhibitions and publications that focus on effective design. AIGA’s “Designing” initiative aims at developing a shared vocabulary that designers can use so that each designer reinforces the other in communicating the value of designing, as a way of thinking, to their clients. AIGA’s Why booklet, published in January, was the first step; over the next year, we’ll be developing materials around the same concept for business audiences, followed by a speakers bureau to place designers before business audiences. We believe at this time, in this economy, one of most critical tasks before designers is to demonstrate design’s relevance to the issues important to business and society. In this way, design gains its value through its role in addressing the concerns of those who drive the design economy. “The Power of Design: AIGA National Design Conference” is a necessary step in this process, offering designers a chance to shift their perspectives about their role in taking on the truly big issues facing us today. Already more than a thousand people have realized how important “The Power of Design” will be in gaining valuable perspectives on design’s value to business and society. With three days of main-stage presentations, intimate focused sessions, roundtable lunches and the Design Fair (complete with the design bookstore, a student portfolio display, e-lounge and sponsor booths), the conference will offer more opportunities for formal and informal contacts with speakers and friends than ever before. Register today to guarantee your spot at the conference. You can now see an attendee list by state to find your friends and heroes who have already registered—please visit the conference website at http://powerofdesign.aiga.org. Professional members ratify slate of new directors AIGA’s professional-level members have ratified the slate of nominees for the national board. As of July 1, AIGA will welcome the following to the national board: Frank Baseman, Philadelphia University, Philadelphia Jim Faris, Design Hat, Santa Cruz Doug Powell, Schwartz Powell Design, Minneapolis, as secretary/treasurer Lance Rutter, Tanagram, Chicago Michael Vanderbyl, Vanderbyl Design, San Francisco, as president The board has also appointed two new members, Brown Johnson and Cheryl Towler-Weese, to fill the remaining term on board slots vacated in the past months. Background on all board members is available on the website. AIGA’s next board meeting will occur on the afternoon of Friday, June 27 at the leadership retreat in Austin. 365: AIGA Year in Design 23 available at AIGA member discount The recently published 365: AIGA Year in Design 23 includes the finest design from the year 2001, with photographs of each winning selection as well as jurors’ comments and extensive credits. The collection is supplemented with contextual essays for each section, jurors’ work and biographies, and retrospectives of the 2002 AIGA medalists, Robert Brownjohn and Christopher Pullman. Following AIGA’s developing initiative to focus on the process of designing rather than finished artifacts, this year’s annual also includes statements written by the entrants that illuminate the problem-solving challenge of each piece. 365: AIGA Year In Design 23 is a collaboration between AIGA and Houston-based Rigsby Design. AIGA members are raving already: “The 23rd annual is very fresh and now.” “Probably the best I’ve EVER seen for a design awards book. The book design does a great job of stepping back to allow the work to shine through—without being boring.” Make sure you order your copy today. AIGA member price: $40 plus shipping and handling. AIGA co-branded books aim to stimulate thinking about design In its quest to stimulate thinking about design and to help designers in their career development, AIGA co-publishes a number of books with New Riders. These books are intended to complement our conferences, by providing books written by those who are among the speakers at our events and whose thinking is provocative and often advances the boundaries of designing. In some cases, the texts are aimed at less experienced designers to help in their development, even when they have little time for formal educational experiences. The co-branded AIGA/New Riders books include, among others: Return on Design: Smarter Web Design That Works, by Ani Phyo; The Brand Gap, by Marty Neumeier; Experience Design, by Nathan Shedroff; and Designing Web Usability, by Jakob Nielsen. To browse the entire list and to buy any of the selected titles with the AIGA member discount, visit www.aiga.org/designbookstore. Volunteers sought for national task forces In order to implement an aggressive strategy to support the profession, we are considering developing a number of national task forces of members to address issues of importance, such as reviewing the professional standards and the standard contract, developing a national speakers bureau to speak to business audiences about the value of design, working on socially responsible community projects, pursuing grants for national projects, writing Op-Ed pieces for newspapers, etc. If you would be interested in working hard to develop actionable programs for your profession (no free rides on these assignments) and would value the gratification of having made a significant difference for your profession’s future, please let us know what areas of interest you have at taskforces@aiga.org. --------------------------------------------------------------- www.aiga.org --------------------------------------------------------------- Salary survey now available online Every year, AIGA publishes AIGA\|Aquent Survey of Design Salaries, a survey about the salary ranges of different positions in design firms throughout the United States. This year’s survey is based on responses from 3,184 designers in the year 2002. It was sent to all professional and associate members in May. (In the print version there is one error: On page three, three of the numbers that refer to the regions represented on the chart are incorrect. The regions with their correct corresponding numbers on the map are as follows: East North Central is #4; East South Central is #5; South Atlantic is #3. The percentages next to the regions in the chart are correct as is.) As one might guess, weakness in both the overall economy and the design economy is evident in salaries reported in AIGA\|Aquent Survey of Design Salaries 2003. It does not gauge total employment in the design professions, although we know that the number of employed designers has dropped significantly. Owners and partners experienced a 10 percent reduction in their compensation in 2002, just as the web-related positions did. Neither comes as a surprise in the weakened post-dotcom economy. However, most design positions saw little or no change in the level of compensation. AIGA\|Aquent Survey of Design Salaries 2003 is a joint effort with Communication Arts magazine and Aquent, the official AIGA career development sponsor. Download PDFs of the survey today at www.aiga.org/salarysurvey2003. AIGA President Clement Mok authors article on designing Closely connected with AIGA’s recently distributed Why booklet, an influential article written by AIGA President Clement Mok has been recently published both in Communication Arts magazine and on AIGA’s website. The article discusses the state of design now, how dated the process has become and how now is the time to update the designer’s way of thinking and planning. Posing the question of how to professionalize the profession, Mok breaks down the designing process into three phases, each of which has four steps: Defining the problem, Innovating and Generating value. To learn more, download the PDF of this article at www.aiga.org/designing. --------------------------------------------------------------- Advocacy --------------------------------------------------------------- Enter your projects in Sappi’s Ideas that Matter competition AIGA members have urged us to support programs that demonstrate the contribution design can make to socially responsible causes. While AIGA does not take partisan stands, it does support cause-related design that makes design’s role evident to the public in ways that are important to them. Our Get Out the Vote campaign in 2000 was one example. One program that has provided financial support for a number of AIGA members and chapters is the Ideas the Matter program that is underwritten by Sappi Fine Papers. Ideas that Matter recognizes designers who support a cause, charity or foundation, and is the only competition which also helps to fund such work. Since 1999, Sappi has awarded more than $4 million in support of designers’ projects around the world. In the belief that the world needs all the meaningful ideas we can muster, we encourage you to submit yours. Deadline for entries: May 31, 2003. For more information visit www.itm.sappi.com. --------------------------------------------------------------- Coming soon --------------------------------------------------------------- AIGA and Harvard Business School offer program for designers AIGA and Harvard Business School have developed an intensive one-week program to provide experienced designers with a chance to master the perspective of chief executive officers (CEOs) toward business and the marketplace. “Business Perspectives for Design Leaders” is intended 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. Attendees will leave with new confidence in communicating with clients on the clients’ terms. The course will run from Sunday afternoon, August 10 through Friday afternoon, August 15. Since the strength of the experience depends upon what the participants bring to the rigorous case-study-method teaching techniques, selection is competitive (although the application is relatively simple). A limited number of seats are still available. For more information, an attendee list and an application form, visit www.aiga.org/businessperspectives. “DUX2003: Designing for User Experiences Conference” ACM SIGCHI, ACM SIGGRAPH and AIGA Experience Design are pleased and excited to offer an unprecedented joint conference. “DUX2003” will gather together designers of all kinds from our intersecting communities who deliver user-centered designs for the digital age. Sponsored by three premiere societies, the conference program showcases the interaction between digital design, business and users. The conference will take place at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco, California, June 5–7, 2003. In order to truly understand not only what a quality user experience is, but also what factors contribute to the creation of a success or a failure, this conference will look at all facets of the product/service development lifecycle and at other facets of a business as decisions are made that affect the user experience. The results of the conference will contribute to the growing body of knowledge in the AIGA Experience Design Case Study Archive and the ACM Digital Library. The conference program will feature prominent designers, business analysts, researchers and educators via presentations and discussions of design cases, design practice, design research, invited talks, invited panels and more. Additional information is available at www.dux2003.org. The “DUX2003” conference committee includes: Richard Anderson, Jonathan Arnowitz, Alan Chalmers, Peter Merholz, Shel Perkins, Terry Swack and John Zapolski. AIGA Experience Design will hold “6th Advance for Design” summit This year’s “Advance for Design” summit continues its tradition of bringing together thought leaders to inspire, explore and discuss future directions for the experience design community. The summit is for practitioners who want to lead and shape our evolving profession. The “Designing for User Experiences” conference is the first joint venture between ACM/SIGCHI, SIGGRAPH and the AIGA Experience Design community. Because both “DUX2003” and the “Advance for Design” summit are important to the AIGA Experience Design community, it made sense to take advantage of the opportunity for people to attend both events. As such, the summit is scheduled for the two days before “DUX2003” (June 4–5), at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco. You can come to just the advance, or come to the advance and stay for “DUX.” This year’s theme will continue to advance on several fronts: designing the future, learning the most current info from each other and codifying the Experience Design community’s case-study review process—more than 35 cases were accepted for “DUX” and the archive this year. For more information and to register, visit www.aiga.org/sixthadvancefordesignsummit --------------------------------------------------------------- Resources --------------------------------------------------------------- Want to renew? www.aiga.org/renew Want to register for “The Power of Design: AIGA National Design Conference”? http://powerofdesign.aiga.org 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