Ideas are Powerful

By AIGA Executive Director, Bennie F. Johnson

June 05, 2020

Media Contact

Michelle Koenigsknecht

(212) 710-3138 michelle_koenigsknecht@aiga.org

From AIGA’s Executive Director, Bennie F. Johnson

Ideas are powerful.

They become even more powerful when shared.

Over the past day, there have been assertions and conversations about the lack of attribution concerning one idea in our recent AIGA statement.

“All systems are designed. Harmful systems must be redesigned.” speaks to a shared rallying cry within our AIGA community and work over the past few years. From the formation of AIGA’s Diversity & Inclusion efforts, the Racial Justice by Design virtual Town Hall.

We have always and we will continue to acknowledge the contributions of Antionette Carroll, her service, and groundbreaking work with AIGA as the Founding Chair of our Diversity & Inclusion Taskforce, as a volunteer leader and collaborator on AIGA programs including the Design for Inclusivity Summit, and as a former member of AIGA’s National Board of Directors.

When working as a member of or volunteer leader on a committee or taskforce, working as a part of an organization, the shared work–and ideas–crafted, forged, and vetted by this assembled group yield a shared understanding, offering and ideas that are a part of our collective work. This is the power of community.

Leading through their service, there are several leaders within our design community that shaped this unifying idea, an example of which was AIGA’s Racial Justice by Design Town Hall. Powerful and clear, it speaks to our collective power of design and community to enact social change. 

This idea is still powerful and anchors our organization’s recent thoughts and actions. We are diligently and humbly working to build a new future. Our statement at its heart is about empowering our larger community to embolden our mission of being a positive catalyst for change.

Our intentions, commitment, and work are to chart a more productive and impactful path forward. Every day we are deeply committed to building and reimagining a new future.

Media Contact

Michelle Koenigsknecht

(212) 710-3138 michelle_koenigsknecht@aiga.org

AIGA Executive Director, Bennie F. Johnson

About AIGA
AIGA, the professional association for design, advances design as a professional craft, strategic advantage and vital cultural force. As the largest community of design advocates, we bring together practitioners, enthusiasts and patrons to amplify the voice of design and create the vision for a collective future. AIGA defines global standards and ethical practices, guides design education, inspires designers and the public, enhances professional development, and makes powerful tools and resources accessible to all. Learn more at aiga.org/about.