AIGA Communique - November 2006

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	Monthly news and updates for AIGA members November 2006 ------------------------------------------------------------- Contents News and information AIGA board nominations due December 15 Share your insights. Define the designer of 2015 AIGA China office opens in Beijing Design Legends Gala raises $120,000 Deadline Extended: INDEX Award submissions due December 15 Best rates for “Next: AIGA Design Conference” until December 31 Submit topics and speakers for “Next: AIGA Design Conference” FedEx increases greater discounts to AIGA members Give to your future: year-end tax planning and AIGA Thanks to recent contributors to AIGA In the gallery www.aiga.org Voice: AIGA Journal of Design Advocacy Captured: Democracy in action Opportunities for inspiration and professional development Last chance to register for Design on the Frontier, December 1–3 Upcoming AIGA regional education conferences Innovation, Sustainability and Leadership in Design, January 2007 Icograda Design Week in India Aspen Design Summit, June 3–6, 2007, Aspen Resources -------------------------------------------------------------- News and information -------------------------------------------------------------- AIGA board nominations due December 15 The AIGA board nominating committee, chaired by Robin Tooms, of Savage Design in Houston, seeks nominations to be submitted by December 15, 2006. We encourage every member to consider nominating candidates for the national AIGA board of directors. Self-nomination is permitted. The next three years will be critical in shaping AIGA for its second century. MaeLin Levine, San Diego; Jan Moscowitz, Boston; and Santiago Piedrafita, Raleigh, are also serving on the committee this year. 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 national board is not self-perpetuating (a weak point of many association boards). This process is an open, inclusive one; anyone who completes the nomination form can be considered. Five seats are open. The process for nominations and application form are published at www.aiga.org/nominationsprocess. Nominations may be submitted by the nominee or by others on his or her behalf. The application process is thorough 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 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, 2007, are: David Gibson, New York; Marcia Lausen, Chicago; Marty Neumeier, San Francisco; Bonnie Siegler, New York. One seat is vacant. Share your insights. Define the designer of 2015 AIGA has launched an initiative, in partnership with Adobe, to define the professional requirements of the designer of 2015—the needs, skill sets and expected role the designer will play in the collaborative creative environment of the future. This year-long project will define a number of personas likely to be the sought-after design professionals at the end of this decade. The strength of the findings will be directly influenced by the number of designers we hear from. We encourage you to participate through the online survey at http://designer2015.aiga.org. AIGA China office opens in Beijing AIGA China officially opened its office in Beijing at the Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA) Design Center on November 20, with a presentation on “Designing, Designers and Design” by AIGA executive director Richard Grefé and AIGA China director Amy Gendler. The presentation was part of a full day of events involving design educators and practicing designers from across China who also attended the opening of AIGA’s exhibition of the Inequality Matters posters created by AIGA for the United Nations last year and presentations announcing the China steering committee for the ICOGRADA World Design Congress that will be held in Beijing in 2009. AIGA China is a partnership with CAFA to support design education in China. The office’s initial program will include developing a network of educators within China, opening discussions with them concerning the design curriculum for the future and sharing resources with them. AIGA will also explore setting up a social networking capability that will assist students in posting portfolios, since one of the pressing needs in China is to find ways to expose students in remote campuses to others’ work. The AIGA Design Archives will be available as a teaching resource for instructors. In addition, AIGA will translate a number of publications for use in China, including the AIGA Business and Ethics series, since a critical element in bringing the next generation of China’s designers into the world design economy will be to develop their understanding of the business and ethical practices in the United States and abroad. Design Legends Gala raises $120,000 The 2006 Design Legends Gala was held in New York City on October 25. Through an evening which honored the 2006 AIGA Medalists—Michael Bierut, Rick Valicenti and Lorraine Wild—as well as this year’s Corporate Leadership Award recipients, Target and MTV Networks, guests enjoyed the sense of community as 500 of their colleagues celebrated the best of the profession. More than $120,000 was raised through the Gala to: Complete work on preserving AIGA’s history. The online Design Archives launched in December 2004 with four years’ worth of selections; contributions to the Archives have allowed us to bring the total to ten years of selections, almost half-way to the initial goal of including selections since 1980. The American Design Archives, consisting of more than 6,000 artifacts, will be housed at the Denver Art Museum in 2007. The AdamsMorioka vault at AIGA provides archival storage for AIGA’s institutional archives. Provide funding to minority and economically disadvantaged design students through the Worldstudio AIGA Scholarship program. Contribute to AIGA diversity initiative, the first steps of which include development of an online archive of non-European design influences and practitioners of color. Begin to fund an Endowment for the future of the profession. www.aiga.org/designlegendsgala Deadline Extended: INDEX Award submissions due December 15 Due to a tremendous amount of attention, the submission deadline for the 2007 INDEX Award has been extended to December 15. This extension allows more designers to submit projects that significantly improve the quality of life for a large number of people. AIGA will recommend one U.S. entry for each category: body, home, work, play and community. The AIGA nominations will be judged against entries from other countries around the world. In addition, entries can be submitted directly to INDEX, although their probability of success is stronger with national organization endorsement. The U.S. entries will be judged by the AIGA board using the following criteria: Social, ecological, cultural and economic impact Accessibility Affordability Flexibility and simplicity User-friendliness Optimism Level of innovation Future potential Appropriate aesthetics Entries should be sent, digitally, to AIGA at index@aiga.org by December 15. For more information on the competition, visit www.index2007.dk. Best rates for “Next: AIGA Design Conference” rates until December 31 Where do we go from here? “Next: AIGA Design Conference,” AIGA’s biennial design conference, presents the future of design from the most inspiring and intriguing perspectives in our profession: the next generation of designers. Experience new directions in design, hear from considered voices on the evolution of designing, and learn what steps you’ll need to pursue for your work to be relevant well into the 21st century. Join more than 2,500 designers next October 11–14 in Denver, Colorado, a thriving creative and cultural center that’s also home to the AIGA Design Archives, the nation’s largest permanent collection of graphic design. Special rate available until December 31, 2006! Online registration rates (includes a $25 savings) Members: $550 Nonmembers: $750 Online registration rates after December 31 Members: $725 Nonmembers: $925 designconference.aiga.org Submit topics and speakers for “Next: AIGA Design Conference” Do you have ideas on engaging, thoughtful and entertaining speakers for “Next: AIGA Design Conference”? Send a proposal by email to conference@aiga.org, or by mail to Michelle Stanek, program curator, AIGA, 164 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010, by January 16, 2007. Your recommendations should explain why the speaker or topic is relevant and provide information on how to contact any recommended speaker. As AIGA members, your ideas, creativity and professional needs are valued. We want to hear from you as we begin to plan “Next.” FedEx increases discounts to AIGA members AIGA and FedEx now offer deeper discounts to AIGA members on select FedEx® shipments. FedEx Express®: save up to 21 percent on select services; FedEx Ground®: save up to 20 percent on select services; FedEx international shipments: save up to 18 percent on select services. Savings from this program can quickly cover the cost of your AIGA membership.This valuable member benefit requires no cost and no shipping minimum. For more information or to enroll and start saving, call a FedEx Association Advantage customer specialist at 800 345 6227. www.aiga.org/memberbenefits Give to your future: year-end tax planning and AIGA For those of you who are on a calendar year tax cycle and plan 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 AIGA’s fundraising campaigns are encouraged and welcomed. The campaigns raise funds for special initiatives, like scholarships for design students, 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 Daniel Fitchette, AIGA, 164 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010. We will provide a receipt and tax letter to document your contribution. www.aiga.org/giving_opportunities Thanks to recent contributors to AIGA AIGA thanks the following recent contributors to AIGA: Creative Leadership Campaign Cindy Galka Erika Lee Andrew Patapis Jennifer Rozbruch Worldstudio AIGA Scholarships AIGA DC, in honor of Tom Suzuki Winterhouse AIGA Design Writing & Criticism Awards Design Institute, University of Minnesota Snøhetta Barbara Wiedemann In the gallery Opening: December 13, 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.; exhibition open to the public from December 14, 2006 through February 24, 2007. Design excellence is the result of a process involving creativity, inspiration, skill, experience, intuition and discipline. 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. “365: AIGA Annual Design Competitions” make a definitive statement on the quality of communication design in North America this year. The survey of selections is published in AIGA’s virtual gallery; published in a substantial book that is distributed internationally as an authoritative chronicle of current design; and exhibited in AIGA’s New York gallery on Fifth Avenue. This competition extends a legacy that began more than 90 years ago and is widely recognized as the most selective statement on design excellence today. The exhibition is designed by Design360, New York. www.aiga.org/365_2006 ------------------------------------------------------------- www.aiga.org ------------------------------------------------------------- Voice: AIGA Journal of Design Voice has become the go-to place for lively, thoughtful articles on design. Be sure you’re up to date on this rich anthology of engaging writing. “On Different Wavelengths: Cosmic Graphics” By Phil Patton What does space really look like? Patton sheds light on the dark truth about the colors we know from outer space. www.aiga.org/content.cfm?ContentAlias=%5Fgetfullarticle&aid=2457210 “Desire Wants to Come Home” By Nick Currie Why do objects that once seduced us in retail environments lose their allure once we get them home? Currie takes one wanted object, the book, and makes the case for desire existing beyond the point of sale. www.aiga.org/content.cfm?ContentAlias=%5Fgetfullarticle&aid=2445338 Please join in the discussions and submit ideas for future issues at voice.aiga.org. ------------------------------------------------------------- Advocacy ------------------------------------------------------------- Captured: Democracy in action Designer-citizens across the country mobilized on November 7 to capture, post and share photographs of democracy in action. Through the Polling Place Photo Project, a nationwide experiment in citizen journalism, voters contributed more than 1,300 photos to the archive. The project will live on as a research tool on how voting happens in America and how it can be designed to be easier, less confusing and more enjoyable. The project collected photographs of polling places across America—you can now search by state, by the quality of the polling place, or by polling place type to find photos spanning a range of experience across the country. Browse photographs of democracy in action. An AIGA Design for Democracy initiative in collaboration with Winterhouse Institute, Design Observer and NewAssignment.Net ------------------------------------------------------------- Opportunities for inspiration and professional development ------------------------------------------------------------- Last chance to register for Design on the Frontier, December 1–3 Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design, Denver, Colorado will host an AIGA Design Education conference on graphic design education in small programs and non-urban regions, December 1–3, 2006. Many American graphic design educators are blazing trails on the country’s frontier, in smaller graphic design programs, often in regional towns without big professional graphic design communities and AIGA chapters to provide adjunct faculty, professional role models, student internships and entry level jobs. This conference will focus on this special condition, and bring these dispersed graphic design educators together to build educational networks and interact as a community. For more information, visit www.designfrontier.org. Upcoming AIGA regional education conferences With the generous support of Adobe, the AIGA Design Education Steering Committee plans a series of design education conferences over the next two years. The conferences cover a wide range of critical and pertinent topics, while their various locations make them accessible to a national audience. Schools of Thoughts III: What’s so graphic about graphic design? Educating in the age of ubiquitous media Los Angeles, Spring 2007 Conference chairs: Denise Gonzales Crisp, Louise Sandhaus and Petrula Vrontikis. Intent/Content Nashville, Summer 2007 Conference chairs (representing all four Tennessee AIGA chapters: Chattanooga, Knoxville, Memphis and Nashville): Seth Johnson, Deborah Shmerler, Val Sloan, Cary Staples and Rebecca Targ Design education in the age of new media New England, Spring 2008 Conference chairs: Brian Lucid and Joseph Quackenbush For more information visit www.aiga.org/de_communityconferences06. Innovation, Sustainability and Leadership in Design, January 2007 In January 2007, creative leaders from around the world will gather at the International Centre for Creativity Innovation and Sustainability (ICIS) Centre, just north of Copenhagen, Denmark for the Innovation, Sustainability and Leadership (ISL) Certificate Programme. Traditional design education often fails to properly address the business element inherent in the design profession. The ISL programme addresses this need and equips designers at professional and postgraduate level with the knowledge, tools and skills necessary to successfully navigate and compete in today’s fast changing markets. The program teaches advanced skills in business development and innovation, sustainability, leadership and international networking. It is comprised of three residential modules, each lasting two weeks, which span the course of a year; the time between each module provides an opportunity for reflection, evaluation, digestion and implementation. Visit http://iciscenter.org/isl for more information about the certificate program and a list of lecturers. AIGA members will receive a 15 percent discount on the registration fee, for a total of $12,750 for the year-long program. This fee covers the cost of lectures, tutorials, assessments, mentors, facilities, materials, food, lodging and excursions. Icograda Design Week in India February 5–9, 2007, Bombay The Industrial Design Centre (IDC) will host Icograda Design Week at the Indian Institute of Technology. This event will throw light on role of design in a connected global world and offers a unique opportunity to share your ideas with thought leaders and designers from around the world. The competition for the “International Design Workshop for Students” and registration for IDC is now open. Register before December 15 for best rates. For more information, visit www.designlocal.net. Aspen Design Summit, June 3–6, 2007, Aspen -------------------------------------------------------------- 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