BRIGHT & BEAUTIFUL—Corita Kent exhibition at Dordt College

BRIGHT & BEAUTIFUL: Dordt College is currently displaying a selection of original screen prints by Corita Kent from the collection of the Corita Art Center, Los Angeles. The exhibition of 26 prints will be on display from January 6 to February 12.  In 2016 Corita Kent received the AIGA Medalist Award.

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Designer Rick Valicenti gives presentation at Dordt College

SIOUX CENTER, IA – Design legend Rick Valicenti will share his optimistic perspective on communication design at Dordt College on Wednesday, October 9, at 7 p.m. Valicenti will present “Time Well Spent II” in the Ribbens Academic Complex classroom CL1444/1148. Event parking is located in the parking lot west of the Ribbens Academic Complex.

Valicenti is the founder and design director of Thirst, a Chicago-based communication design practice devoted to art, function, play, and real human presence. He has been influencing the design discourse internationally since 1988 and is a leading presence in design as a practitioner, educator, and mentor.

The White House honored Valicenti in 2011 with the Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt National Design Award for Communication Design. In 2006, he received the AIGA Medal, considered the highest honor of the graphic design profession. In 2004, he was recognized as a Fellow of AIGA Chicago. He is a former president of the Society of Typographic Arts and is a member of Alliance Graphique Internationale.

Several works of Valicenti are in permanent collections of the Art Institute of Chicago, Cooper-Hewitt National Design, and the Columbia University Rare Books Collection.

Valicenti’s presentation is sponsored by the Dordt College Department of Art and Design, AIGA Student Group, and the Co-curricular Committee.

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AIGA Chicago: ”Between Light and Shadow“—realizing that chairs are creatures too

Left: Photographer: Tom Vack. Right: Design Director, Designer: Rick Valicenti.

Between Light and Shadow: The Designer/Photographer Relationship.
The AIGA Chicago event at Open Secret Studio / Chicago.
Tuesday evening, June 11, 2013.
photograph by versluis 2013


Photograph from the Open Secret Studio balcony by Steven Brooks. Photograph taken from flickr: AIGA Chicago’s photostream.


A few page spreads from the Holly Hunt Image Book—image is courtesy of Graphis. Client: Holly Hunt. Design Director, Designer: Rick Valicenti. Designer: Robyn Paprocki. Illustrator: John Pobojewski. Illustrator: Cameron Brand. Photographer: Tom Vack

On Tuesday evening, June 11, 2013 during Chicago Design Week the AIGA Chicago held a fantastic show and tell event at the Open Secret Studio in Chicago. The event was publicized as “Between Light and Shadow: The Designer/Photographer Relationship,” which featured designer Rick Valicenti of Thirst/3st and photographer Tom Vack who spent time talking about their collaborative process to produce the beautiful Holly Hunt Image Book. Classic Color in Chicago printed the 64-page catalog on Sappi Fine Papers called Opus.

After brief introductions from event co-chairs Brendan Shanley and Robyn Paprocki the meeting was kicked-off by Holly Hunt of Holly Hunt Enterprises Inc., followed by Rick Valicenti who led the evening presentation. Rick is a cultural innovator, a leading contemporary designer and visionary, design director and visual artist. Tom Vack is an acclaimed photographer and visual artist and remarkable for his imagination.

It seems that nothing is impossible for Valicenti and Vack when collaborating on a design project. However, as Valicenti declared: “Without a visionary client [Holly Hunt] we don’t get to practice [visionary] design.” Rick suggested that a truly collaborative process begins with a fanciful client. For Valicenti and Vack a working collaborative process instigates open-mindedness and encouragement among the contributors.

Indeed, one of the most unique and striking things about Holly Hunt is that she sees her collection of furniture, lighting, and accessories as not merely inanimate objects, but actually as creatures. According to Rick it was in the planning stages of the Holly Hunt Studio catalog that Holly reviewed the sumptuous materials and surfaces of her new collection and exclaimed, “The aliens have landed and they are beautiful”. For Valicenti, Holly’s response captured the motif and emotion of the collection that “things are new again”.

Rick acknowledged that it was through the cooperation of all the participants including the people at Classic Color and Sappi who deserved much credit for continuing the collaborative spirit in order to complete the project. Tom Vack suggested that new designs, new processes and new materials require new approaches when developing tear-sheet images for the Holly Hunt Collection.

Rick explained the technical aspects of the production process while printing the page reverse negative image of the long sofa. At that moment he decided that the image needed an aura of gold flecks, which was then added to the UV coating. As a result the “fairy dust” effect would emphasize Holly’s initial quote, “The aliens have landed and they are beautiful”. Interestingly, the impact of this technique creates the quality and feel of traditional Japanese painting with mineral pigments on linen.

Additionally, Rick mentioned in a HOW Design/Sappi interview, “that many of the images are actually combinations of many images, each illuminating with a slightly different lighting direction. Once layered in post-production, this created geometric patterns of light and shadow.”(1) As Tom Vack mentioned, “photography and lighting is a formal process and with digital photography light can be anywhere and I can move it around the subject the way a Cubist way—by layering the images and erasing parts of the layers to combine and reveal the layers beneath—in this way, I developed the images.”

1. Mazzoleni, Melissa. “Photographer & Designer Discuss New Furniture Design Publication - See more at: www.howdesign.com/how-design-blog/photographer-designerdiscussfurniture-design-publication/.” HOW Design Blog 11 June 2013. Web. 15 June 2013.

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Designer, Young Ae Kim can do it all — exceptionally well

photographs by versluis, 2011

Speaker, Designer, Teacher, Product Developer and Sales — Young Ae Kim, it seems, can do it all very well. On Tuesday, October 11, 2011 the Dordt College Department of Art and Design and the AIGA Student Group recently hosted an all day event with Young Ae Kim. We were honored and delighted to have her serve as a visiting designer. And her students accompanied her from the University of South Dakota, which was especially great to have community between Dordt and USD students. Interestingly, Young Ae Kim has training in product design and so some of her portfolio work showed the relationship of promotional materials for her own products.

We thank Dordt students, Michelle Stam and Ellie Dykstra who compiled the following notes from Young Ae Kim’s presentations.

Designer tips for students (notes by Michelle):

1. Ask to see the work of other companies. Go and visit them. This way you can see what they do and build helpful relationships within the design community. Make as many connections as you can.
2. Be welcoming and patient. Communicate well. Get along with all kinds of people, even one’s you don’t like.
3. Put yourself out there / take chances.
4. Educate people logically — help them see how your design could benefit them and improve their business.
5. Do a lot of research about the subject matter and the client. You want to know them the best you can so that you can better fulfill their needs.
6. Employers want to see work, not degrees.
7. Look at the big picture and where different opportunities might lead. You have to think about the future, not just what you want to do now.
8. Try to map out where you want to be in 5 year increments from now to 50. This will help motivate you and give you goals to aim for.

Quotes by Young Ae Kim — notes by Ellie

1. Be an entertainer.
2. Be experienced in all areas of life.
3. Be willing to do anything — having many experiences will expand you.
4. Know the difference between looking good and being creative.
5. “50 inches of invisible concrete on your face” (learn to take criticism).
6. Be outgoing and don’t be shy — you are a communicator
7. Have a big heart.
8. Present yourself in a professional manner.
9. Develop a business plan and how you can make it better.
10. Don’t compromise and seek out job you really want.
11. Know what you like and go after it.
12. Doesn’t matter where you work, its how you work and who you work with.

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Dordt is showing the 2011 “Book It!” show from AIGA Nebraska

Photograph by Aanna Stadem © 2011

Cover designer credits from left to right: Lewis Carrol’s “Alice in Wonderland” (© Emily Yoble); Franz Kafka’s “Metamorphoses” (© Peter Morris); Herman Melville’s “Moby Dick” (© Peter Morris)

The following copy is from the Dordt College public information office:

SIOUX CENTER, IA – “Let’s face it folks: as designers, we might not always take time to read all the copy, but our heads generally swivel to see great cover graphics,” said a recent article by the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA) Nebraska. Because great book cover designs should be celebrated, Dordt College is hosting Book It!, a graphic design competition and exhibition hosted by AIGA Nebraska showcasing the best book cover designs.

The exhibit will be on display now through October 10 in the entrance to the Dordt College Ribbens Academic Complex.

Cover designs on display have been judged as the top 15 picks by the panel of judges, all of whom are established graphic designers, including Rodrigo Corral of New York City, Roberto de Vicqu de Cumptich of New York City, and Bryony Gomez-Palacio of Austin, Texas.

Also on display in the Dordt College Campus Center Art Gallery is the famous Herman Miller Summer Picnic poster collection featuring the work of Steve Frykholm. The gallery is open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.”

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AIGA Student Group presentation — Sarah Franken, graphic designer

Poster design by Sarah Franken © 2011

Sarah Franken will be our next guest designer for Wednesday, February 9, from 4 to 5 p.m. in CL room 1223. The focus of her presentation will be about Print + Environmental Graphic Design. There will be a time for Q and A as well.

Sarah mentions that:

My life and work since graduation from Dordt in 2006 has involved: Chicago, museums, public transit, cats, concerts, and striving for great design. Extra special emphasis on the 2nd and last items on that list, since that’s what you all might be the most interested in. I’ll be talking about my time working as a graphic designer in a museum setting and the kind of design skills I’ve learned, some of which I never expected or even knew I needed to learn. Hope you’ll join me.

Here’s some more basic info:
• Here’s a link to my portfolio.
• I currently work at the Science Museum of Minnesota as a Graphic Designer.
• I’m a member of AIGA Iowa.
• Previously, I worked at The Field Museum (of Natural History) in Chicago.

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Paul Berkbigler, Guest Designer Extraordinaire from AIGA Nebraska

Mr. Paul Berkbigler makes one of his points during the Q and A session with Dordt students.

Last Wednesday, January 12, the AIGA Dordt College Student Group had a wonderful time gathered around Paul Berkbigler who came as a guest graphic designer. In addition to serving AIGA Nebraska as Director of Education Paul is owner of P.Berkbigler Design and Illustration, which is based in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Our colleague Matt Van Rys graciously took the following notes highlighting Paul’s insights —here they are:

Some notes on Paul Berkbigler: A fount of knowledge for budding designers and freelancers.

After studying, working and teaching, Paul has returned to the wild world of freelance graphic design.

His design passions include, but are not limited to:

1. An illustrative spirit; loving simple visual elements and complex ideas.
2. A deep love and respect for typography; not only figuring out how to fit a bunch of letters into a small space, Paul enjoys the richness of content and shape when using typography Paul emphasizes that when he designs, combining words and images, he likes to ask the question: how does this photo or text enhance the text or photo around it? How is the communication improved by this element? He follows a similar mentality with interactive work, asking how each animation, motion or interaction will enhance the viewer’s experience and improve the communication.

His freelance clientele includes many Christian organizations and non-profit organizations (about 2/3 of total client mix) and the additional 1/3 is standard commercial for-profit clients. Paul acknowledges being a bit OCD about typography, being able to needle with type in a design for hours. However, he mentions that not every project will be a gem and budget or client taste can limit a design.

A little bit about Paul’s networking. Networking and meeting people can be and often is a powerful tool for a freelance designer. Paul acquires much of his work through a contact that runs a PR firm. He also mentions that if you are specifically seeking to work for Christian organizations, you may need to start networking within or in sister organizations. It is often not a direct contact, but an acquaintance that will need work done. Your good reputation as a designer and businessperson is important; if you really prove yourself on the first design, you can often get full creative freedom on subsequent projects.

When asked about seeking internships, Paul suggests that if you find a company or group that you feel strongly about and be a polite nuisance. Without wasting time, perhaps request a portfolio review or ask for a lunch meeting to discuss how you really like a new addition they made to their body of work. Overall, if you are passionate about something, try to become a part of that world and make connections.

A few students were curious about collaboration. Paul strongly endorses designer collaboration, suggesting that several great ideas will make for a superb finished product. He also noted that the challenge in collaboration is personal ego. If everyone checks their ego at the door, ideas and responsibilities will flow freely, allowing the best candidates for each portion of the project to be utilized. In conjunction with collaboration, Paul mentions something I have called “digital organization”. When preparing your artwork for another designer, try to be as organized and clear as possible. Provide a simple and well-named file/folder structure and in layered Adobe Photoshop/Illustrator/InDesign files, name and order the layers so anyone can interpret what you’re thinking, even yourself. Several years down the line when you have to update the project, you may not remember you original structures.

Some tips Paul has for freelancers are particularly helpful. For time use, Paul is flexible with how he uses his time, but strict about keeping track of time on a job. He prioritizes his work based on the expected completion date from the customer. He creates milestones when he starts the project so there will be deadlines throughout; basically scheduling in reverse. Some additional recommendations for freelancers include: don’t be an awful boss to yourself, keep fairly normal hours and if you do rush work, be sure to charge extra. When asked about should all designers have an online presence, Paul suggests determining the need for an online portfolio based on your intended clientele and how best to reach them.

Paul’s advice is concise and spot on…I lost count of how many times I was nodding as he described experiences I have also had. His work is excellent and inspiring; I suggest taking a look at his online portfolio (which he hosts using the AIGA Behance network) at www.behance.net/PaulBerkbigler.

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An AIGA visitor: Paul Berkbigler

Copyright for artwork and poster belongs to P.Berkbigler Design & Illustration © 2011.

The amazing Paul Berkbigler will be visiting Dordt College. As Paul says, “to talk about his life on the lamb as an escaped designer and illustrator working independently in the Midwest on projects across America. This event will offer you insights about the brave new world of working virtually from somewhere awfully close to your own living room.”

Join us in the Department of Art and Design Lobby from 4–5:15 p.m. on Wednesday, January 12 for an open Q&A session. This will be a chance to hear about how AIGA can directly help you.

Paul is a full-time, independent owner, proprietor and general honcho at P.Berkbigler Design & Illustration, which is based in Lincoln, Nebraska. Berkbigler also serves as Director of Education for AIGA Nebraska. His prior lives include: working at Studio X, a small design and illustration firm in St. Louis, Missouri, earning an MFA in graphic and interactive design at Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and serving as a full-time professor of design & illustration at Concordia University, Nebraska.

His professional specialties include layout & design, interactive media conceptualization, planning and implementation, motion graphic planning and creation, copy writing, play writing, editing, critical analysis, visual communication research, digital and hands-on illustration, printmaking and print process familiarity.

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Erik Rodne of HenkinSchultz—visiting designer at Dordt—will be here this Wednesday

Pomp and circumstance(s)

The AIGA Dordt College Student Group is very pleased to announce that our first visiting designer this year is Erik Rodne. Erik is currently a graphic designer (print + web) for HenkinSchultz Communication Arts in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. He has won several awards for his design work.

Erik will be visiting this Wednesday September 22, 2010.

His evening presentation is scheduled for 6:45 p.m. in CL1223 and he’ll focus on the AIGA South Dakota and about his design practice. All those interested are invited to attend. In addition, Erik will a visiting designer/guest critic for the graphic design I class that afternoon. Those interested can stop by anytime between 12 noon to 1:50 p.m. in CL1310.

Erik describes himself as an honest, hard-working designer who effectively crafts visual solutions for print and web projects. He’s a strong proponent of developing a project brief to help further define the target, primary message and success of each project.

Rodne says, “More than type and image the spirit of graphic design is carried through this century in the craftsmanship of ideas. And as I craft my future I envision daily creative challenges met with outstanding visual solutions. I am interested in the skillful, the masterly, the articulate designs; I seek further insight into the essence of creative virtuosity and to further develop my own pneuma. Most all areas of this trade excite me especially typography and the creation of typefaces. Through a myriad of expressive possibilities coupled with precise attention to detail and craftsmanship I enjoy discovering that altogether higher level in the art of communication and public service.”

Erik is a 2008 alumnus of South Dakota State University where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Graphic Design and a minor in Computer Science.

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How do we approach teaching web and interactive design?

Mr. Brad Weed of Microsoft presented, via his PC equipped web cam, a recorded informal talk about software development. Paul Berkbigler is in the foreground.

Under the auspices of AIGA Nebraska, “Small Talk #2” occurred last Friday, July 9. Although attendance was small, the gathering proved to be a productive regional colloquium for design educators. Mr. Paul Berkbigler ably led the meeting and Northeast Community College in Norfolk, Nebraska hosted the event.

Discussion and thoughts that came from the meeting were:

How are we incorporating web, interactive, motion, and mobile media design into existing design curriculum?

Decide the most effective way to communicate a message and then implement with media best suited to convey that message. In other words, a thoughtful designer should ask whether it’s best to utilize a web site when actually a printed piece would suffice to send a message to somebody or to send something as a message — and vice versa.

To reinforce the point: Paul suggested reviewing the resource materials by Leslie Jensen-Inman titled, “Elevate Web Design at the University Level." The import of her ideas is perhaps best stated in her biography: “She is an advocate for holistic creative solutions. Her diverse background gives her a unique perspective on teaching career development and professional practices.”

As educators we need to continue teaching hierarchy as a fundamental visual communication principle. Think of hierarchy of visual elements as remaining constant as media changes.

For some clarity about hierarchy, the order of import, here’s a passage from Graphic Design: The New Basics by authors, Ellen Lupton and Jennifer Cole Phillips:

In interaction design, menus, texts, and images can be given visual order through placement and consistent styling, but the user often controls the order in which information is accessed. Unlike a linear book, interactive spaces feature multiple links and navigation options. Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) articulate the structure of a document separately from its presentation so that information can be automatically reconfigured for different output devices, from desktop computer screens to mobile phones, PDAs, kiosks, and more. A different visual hierarchy might be used in each instance.

The average computer desktop supports a complex hierarchy of icons, applications, folders, menus, images, and palettes–empowering users, as never before, to arrange, access, edit, and order vast amounts of information–all managed through a flexible hierarchy controlled and customized by the user.

As technology allows ever-greater access to information, the ability of the designer to distill and make sense of the data glut gains increasing value.

Try to avoid thinking of graphic design as only knowing and possessing the application software, which obviously is in constant change and flux. To explain this point, Mr. Brad Weed presented via his PC equipped with a web cam, a recorded informal and friendly talk about software development. Mr. Weed is the partner group manager for Windows Live product line at Microsoft. In addition, Brad is a national board member of the AIGA.

Weed advocated an attitude of always learning not just for the sake of utility but also as service and calling. Faculty need to work hard at being current by knowing and understanding the applicability of new media.

From the standpoint of design education, teach design students to:

• Think of design as utilizing repeatable formats
• Build on skills as a generalist
• Approach the design process with the “play” principle

How we’re handling requests for pro bono work involving student designers?

This question will possibly be the focus of a future / subsequent blog piece. However, here’s one point that was discussed, “Design an integral curriculum by developing projects that, when applicable, collaborate with various departments on campus.”

Participants:

Mr. Paul Berkbigler, Director of Education for AIGA Nebraska and principal of
P.Berkbigler Design & Illustration in Lincoln, Nebraska. Paul has taught graphic design at Concordia University Nebraska in Seward.

Mr. Jim Wolf, President AIGA Nebraska and graphic design instructor at Metropolitan Community College, Omaha, Nebraska.

Ms. Becky Meyers, graphic design instructor at Mid-Plains Community College, McCook, Nebraska.

Mr. Phil Schimonitz, graphic design instructor, Northeast Community College, Norfolk, Nebraska.

Mr. David Versluis, professor of art (graphic design) at Dordt College, Sioux Center, Iowa.

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What do you expect from a designer worth hiring?

“Small Talk #1” design professional panelists

AIGA Nebraska presented a design education-focused “Small Talk #1” last Saturday afternoon, June 26, 2010 at the Strategic Air & Space Museum. This impressive museum is located just west of the beautiful Platte River near Ashland, Nebraska. The next conversation—“Small Talk #2”—will be on July 9 in Norfolk, Nebraska. “Small Talk” discussed some “big issues” in design education. The AIGA is the professional association for design.

Nebraska design educators were asked to participate in a discussion group with a panel of invited design professionals, talking about the skills current employers expect design graduates to possess. An outcome of this conversation helps design educators identify what the design field currently expects from a well-trained design student. Potentially, the discussion could guide curricular development and reinforce, enhance the insight and information we give to students.

When hiring a designer we look for the following skills:

1. Humility—there is more to learn once on the job; possess a willingness to learn.
2. Personality—just as important.
3. Having the right “fit” within the company—interaction with others.
4. Communicating well with others in both writing and speaking is as important as having talent.
5. The ability to draw by hand (sketching out ideas).
6. Proficiency in newer social media.
7. The tangible skills of Adobe Creative Suite.
8. Creative problem-solving skills.
9. Thinking and understanding the design process (listening, understanding the audience, concept and process).
10. Culturally aware and knowing about current events.
11. Convey confidence (work hard at being well prepared).
12. Typographically astute (take time to kern and spelling error free) — detailed and clean, not sloppy.
    

The design practitioner panelists included:
Moderator: Paul Berkbigler, AIGA Nebraska, director of education
Bennett Holzworth – Nebraska Book Company in Lincoln, Nebraska
Justin Kemerling – Swanson Russell in Lincoln
Craig Hughes – Ervin and Smith Advertising in Omaha, Nebraska
Jeff Reiner – Turnpost Creative Group in Omaha

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Today, I spotted a male Bobolink!

Professor Roy Behrens presenting his talk on “Camouflage” at the recent AIGA Iowa summer series in Des Moines, Iowa.

The Bobolink seemed to greet me from a grassy side of a gravel road as I was driving fairly slowly a few miles southeast of town. Because it’s the first one I’ve ever seen I took it as an omen to do this piece, although it’s something I’ve wanted to do anyway.

Bobolink Books is the trade name of a publishing house established by Roy Behrens, professor of art at the University of Northern Iowa and artist Mary Snyder Behrens of Dysert, Iowa. The Behrens’s seem like colleagues to me. We have a couple of their links on the right side called Camoupedia and another is The Poetry of Sight.

Last week Roy and Mary were in Des Moines, Iowa where Roy presented for the AIGA Iowa summer series at an event called Past, Present, and Future. Professor Behrens represented the past as Design History with his talk about camouflage. He is an expert on camouflage and how it relates to art and design and for the past few months has been invited to show his camouflage presentation in various areas of the U.S. and recently in Ottawa, Canada, at the Canadian War Museum.

In a book edited by Steven Heller titled Teaching Graphic Design Behrens is featured with a course syllabus titled “The Thinking Eye: Sight, Insight, and Graphic Design.” Within this syllabus Behrens summarizes the presentation he gave at the AIGA Iowa. Behrens describes one of his lectures as follows:

The perceptual basis of biological and military camouflage, e.g. figure-ground blending, figure disruption, mimicry, and displacement of attention (distraction or deflection). [A] Review of Abbott H. Thayer’s work on the subject, and his subsequent influences on World War I French, British, German, and American military camouflage, including the “dazzle painting” of ships. Comparison of his “laws of disguise” with gestalt psychologists, unit forming factors. —page 154

Also discussed was spurious resemblance, meaning the outward visual appearance being different from what it claims to be. Of import for practicing graphic designers is understanding and communicating effectively with the cadence of visual patterns. In other words, the art and science of camouflage can remind graphic designers of the dynamic possibilities of negative and positive spatial relationships — the interesting dichotomy of typography and image. By studying camouflage designers can develop work that conveys messages implicitly rather than explicitly. In this way the designer respects the intelligence of the audience.

However, there may be times in which a designer’s work needs to be bolder and to show it's colors in order to make a statement — just like that male Bobolink I saw today.

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“Me, Myself & Design” 2010

Dordt senior student, Paul Hanaoka, presents his portfolio to Mr. Joe Sparano of Oxide Design Inc. of Omaha. As Sparano gives feedback, Dordt students, Andrew Hornor (background) and Mark Veldkamp (foreground) observe the review.

On Saturday, April 10, six of us from Dordt College traveled to the Concordia Campus in Lincoln, Nebraska to participate in “Me, Myself & Design” — an event organized by Mr. Paul Berkbigler, Director of Education, AIGA Nebraska. This festive occasion provides a great opportunity for students to meet professional graphic designers and to ask questions about what’s it like to work as a designer.

In addition to panel discussions and portfolio reviews, by the professionals, the event is an excellent way to connect with the AIGA member design community.

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Defining the Designer of 2015

Image © 2008 AIGA

Correlated to AIGA and the previous post — this will be of interest to both student and alumni designers as well. Please see the Designer of 2015 Next Steps article (click here). Let me know what you think, about what the piece says, regarding trends (click here) and competencies (click here). If you want to read further, check-out the paper (PDF) written by Meredith Davis (click here).

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Reminders from AIGA

My AIGA
Stay connected and update your contact information by logging into your online member account and updating your contact information at my.aiga.org — This will ensure that you will receive mailings and email throughout the summer. This is a reminder to keep your contact information current as well. (you'll see My Account on the left side of the webpage)

Members urge AIGA to take long view, build a future for design, designing and designers
As you may recall, at our group meeting, on Assessment Day you responded to questions from the AIGA about how you viewed the organization from a student perspective. And since I was invited to participate in the Iowa AIGA chapter-organized roundtable on 8 April in Des Moines, I used the opportunity to bring your feedback and ideas for the organization. Please see the Insight article to see how your responses compare to others in the AIGA. Thank you for participating—the Iowa AIGA Board was impressed with what you had to say!

After School Special: Advice for Emerging Designers
Lynda Decker of Decker Design has created a great presentation that will give you helpful and valuable advice on making the transition from school to work. To view it, visit: After-School-Special.

Events
If you’re in or near Denver this summer, perhaps consider, Image Space Object 6: Tools for Transformation, Denver, August 6–9, 2009. For more information, visit: Image Space Object. Small teams of participants and studio mentors work together to create multi-dimensional environments, human interactions and brand strategies. User-centered narratives serve as a starting place for the design of graphic, interaction, product and environmental experiences. Research, modeling, team ideation and experiential prototyping are employed throughout the three days to produce tangible final presentations that can be brought back to work and used with your design teams.

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