AIGA Design Conference gathers brightest minds to examine the role of design

Designers from around the world prepare to convene at “Make/Think” next month in Memphis

NEW YORK, September 10, 2009. What is designing today? And how do designers define their own influence within the dichotomy of making versus thinking? “Make/Think”—AIGA’s biennial design conference to be held in Memphis, Tennessee from October 8–11—will examine just that.

Today’s designers span a wide range of disciplines and areas of expertise. Yet even within specialties such as interaction design or motion graphics, the arc of a designer’s career or even the trajectory of a particular client relationship may transition from a maker of artifacts into a role focused on integrative design thinking. “Make/Think” will explore the ways that designers focus both on making beautiful things and thinking about problems strategically, and the unique and powerful combination of both roles.

“The greatest value a designer can contribute to a client is in the process of thinking through solutions,” AIGA Executive Director Richard Grefé explained recently. “This strategic perspective is often more valuable to the client and is also less likely to be treated as a commodity, which is always a threat to the role of designer as the maker of things.”

Inspiring presentations from leading designers

Discussions about making things and design thinking will infuse the many activities and sessions taking place this October at the Memphis Cook Convention Center and Cannon Center for the Performing Arts. Main-stage presentation topics include:

• The Seven Year Itch
  Hear and see why Stefan Sagmeister, graphic designer, typographer and founder, Sagmeister, Inc., closes his studio every seven years for a yearlong sabbatical, and see how his studio’s work has improved as a result.
• The Design of Google
  As its products reach people from 150 countries speaking more than 100 languages, Google’s design team has had to develop a unique philosophy for user-centered design. Marissa Mayer, vice president of search and user experience, will explore how both empiricism and personality are essential to good design.
• The Design of Business: Why Design Thinking is the Next Competitive Advantage
  Roger Martin, dean of the Joseph L. Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto, will make the case that we can understand innovation through a new model of how businesses advance knowledge, and that businesses can do a better job at innovating if they embrace design thinking.
• Design-led Advertising
  Fifty years of marketing driven by the TV narrative is coming to an end. Join Nick Law, North America executive vice president and chief creative officer at R/GA, for an in-depth look at how design thinkers are stepping forward as narrative thinkers step aside.
• Makers and Thinkers
  Stefan G. Bucher, the man behind 344 Design and the online drawing and storytelling experiment dailymonster.com, will discuss the creative challenges of being both a maker and a thinker, communicating to large audiences across a wide range of media.

A wide range of interest areas to be covered

“In addition to the stellar main-stage presentations, we’re going to have a broad spectrum of ‘affinity’ sessions on everything from in-house design to sustainability, multiculturalism to practice management,” noted Michelle Stanek, AIGA program curator. “Every designer will come away refreshed and recharged with new ideas and energy.”

AIGA—the professional association for design—represents design broadly defined, so a wide range of disciplines will be covered at the conference. Dozens of affinity sessions throughout the weekend will provide practical resources and tactical advice for designers in interest areas that include:

• Government Design: Branding Obama
  Sol Sender, VSA Partners, Inc.; Scott Thomas, SimpleScott and The Post Family
• In-house: In-frastructure
  Emily Ruth Cohen, consultant to creative professionals; Andy Epstein, AIGA In-house Design
• Interaction Design: Art Direction on the Web
  Ian Adelman, nymag.com and menupages.com; Agnieszka Gasparska, Kiss Me I'm Polish LLC; Khoi Vinh, NYTimes.com
• Motion Graphics: The Story of Communication through Time-based Design
  Jakob Trollbäck, Trollbäck + Company
• Multiculturalism: Experience Design
  Aaron Marcus, Aaron Marcus and Associates, Inc.
• Practice Management: Managing Through the Recession
  Robin Tooms, Savage; Shel Perkins, Shel Perkins Associates
• Social Responsibility: Illuminating the Energy Issue
  Matt Rollins, ICONOLOGIC; Kirk von Rohr, Kirk von Rohr Design

Conference organizers, chief among them Michael Bierut of Pentagram and Armin Vit of UnderConsideration LLC, say that “Make/Think” is shaping up to be the design event of the year. Designers won’t want to miss this chance to refresh, recharge and reconnect in Memphis this fall.

To learn more about the AIGA Design Conference and ticket options, visit designconference.aiga.org.

About AIGA

AIGA, the professional association for design, is the premier place for design—to discover it, discuss it, understand it, appreciate it, be inspired by it.

AIGA’s mission is to advance designing as a professional craft, strategic tool and vital cultural force. AIGA stimulates thinking about design through journals, conferences, competitions and exhibitions; demonstrates the value of design to business, the public and government officials; and empowers the success of designers at each stage of their careers by providing invaluable educational and social resources.

Founded in 1914, AIGA remains the oldest and largest professional membership organization for design. AIGA now represents more than 22,000 design professionals, educators and students through national activities and local programs developed by 64 chapters and 240 student groups. AIGA is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) educational institution.

For further information, please contact:
Jennifer Bender
Manager, communications and marketing
AIGA | the professional association for design
Tel 212 807 1990   Fax 212 807 1799