There has been brief discussion as to why I do not care to join the American Institute of Graphic Arts, commonly referred to as AIGA. Especially considering I work in a studio that actively supports and volunteers to run the local chapter's website (which is a fine work in it's own regard). And by volunteer I mean the studio pays money — a lot of money — for the pleasure of being card carrying members.
In my perfect world AIGA should be doing more heavy lifting in communicating the value of design in everyday life. Sadly I don't see that they do this very well, at least not down to the street level (non-Fortune 500) where I believe this message needs to be heard.
Thankfully we have Target, who is doing more to make the value of design an everyday discussion and purchase-behavior criteria than AIGA has ever done — correct me if I'm wrong.
Look at this wonderful copy quoted from their new Design for All advertising campaign:
With businesses like Target (and Apple) taking the design matters message into households across America, of what relevance does AIGA have in today's world, and why would I ever consider becoming a member?
P.S. — The victor will be unveiled next Monday.
Join the fray by reading through and commenting at the end.
I agree. The incredibly creative advertising from innovative companies such as Apple and Target do more for spawning creativity and invigorating the masses of humanity in the education of successful design than AIGA or other similar organizations.
Evidence of the fact is that I have clients that routinely ask, can we look like XYZ Company. Why? Because they are doing something right. They are stimulating, inventive, are literally changing the culture...and they are selling. I have never had a client or client's art department mention AIGA for inspirational campaigns.
about the p.s. -- thanks. :-)
In 13 years, I've never found a reason to join the AIGA or GAG or MPA or any other organization with initials. I've been with agencies that were memebers of the local ad club so we could enter the Addys, but other than that, I agree with Greg about there not being much reason to join. Maybe if I lived in a big city and was able to attend some of their events and what-not.
"The victor will be unveiled next Monday."
That's a long 7-10 days. :) I am looking forward to seeing the winning design.
AIGA has been of great help to me in exactly one way: their symbol signs page. Otherwise they've been to me like MENSA.
That's a long 7-10 days.
There were unexpected communication delays.
AIGA has been of great help to me in exactly one way: their symbol signs page
Well hell, if I knew AIGA was giving away clip art I would have signed up yesterday. Do they have any free fonts?
The great potlucks with the hosted bar?
One might be so bold as to suggest the AIGA, and other like organizations, is an indirect rather than direct influence, as it's a professional organization first and a lobbying agency second. Perhaps the creative director of Target got their idea of pushing "design" as a value add because of their education/involvement in the type of design vision and discourse encouraged by such organizations. Perhaps AIGA vets like Clement Mok helped impress the importance of design on a certain Mr. Jobs. Perhaps, though we have no way of knowing—chains of influence are often more complex than they appear. Listen, I've bashed the AIGA in the nose long and hard over their shortcomings, which are several, but I think designers need all the support they can get in this world, as we're often a trod-upon bunch. Is it worth the money? That's another question. Let's just say I consider it my tithe to the design Gods. : )
I was a member for several years because the company I was with paid for it; other than that I've never found a reason to join myself, despite having friends on the board. It always seemed that they should be doing more to promote design for the cost of mebership (ouch).
Tom is correct, though. Networking among creatives and businesses can't be tracked and the spheres of influence and inspiration are vital to the success of the industry as a whole (marketing, advertising, and design).
Networking is the heartbeat of business. If professional organizations are where you network, then I suppose that is what you should be involved in.
I don't believe AIGA's goal has ever been to promote design to the masses like Target or Apple is doing. First of all they simply don't have the capacity to launch a campaign of that sort. Secondly, Target and Apple are selling products. They are not promoting design for the sake of design, they are engineering their brands in order to carve out a specific niche for themselves among consumers. (Also remember that for every person who sees these new ad campaigns and says "wow, design is cool," there are plenty more who hate the hype and think, "what phonies")
I am going to put on the hat and say that to fault the AIGA for not successfully communicating to the world how great design is incredibly niave as to the purpose and ability of a professional organization.
I'll get to the, "why it is good to be a member" later and I think I might be able to convince you to change your tune. ;D
I'll get to the, "why it is good to be a member" later...
What are you waiting for? Let's hear it.
I'd rather align myself with a professional organizion (faults and all) in helping shape the direction of my profession then rely on corporate America or the general market to dictate that my skills are of value. Who is to say that Target won't change marketing direction? You think WalMart gives a crud about design? And please, don't quote advertising campaigns as validity of existence. It is nothing more than manipulative posturing. Don't tell me you actually believe that stuff you get paid to produce.
Anyway, the AIGA is a business organization and networking is important for remaining relevant in your industry and in the market. As a member, one is able to use the organization for what it's good at. If you want more out of it, then jump in and contribute where you see problems. That's what we did with the AIGA LA site.
I'd like to think that as members, we all will become more empowered with the knowledge and inspiration to influence the market. You talk about taking it to the street.. well let's develop a common language and take it to the street together. It will be more effective.
"What are you waiting for? Let's hear it."
Waiting for work to die down so I can afford to take the time to say it right. :)
IMHO, the AIGA is a big waste of time and money.
I've attended several meetings, helped start-up a sub-group (or whatever it is they call it -- the equivalient of SIGs at the ACM) and spoken at a couple of conferences.
That they periodically get a lot of designers together is nice, but my feeling is that the meetings/conferences/seminars/etc always end up as little more than, to put it very crassly, expensive circle jerks where the same people end up saying the same thing over and over and over again.
Given their not insubstantial membership fee, I would have hoped that they would do more than put on the occasional party and put out a hopelessly overdesigned annual, but that's all they seem interested in doing. And trying to effect change from the inside is all but impossible for anyone working a full-time job (the organization is so consensus driven that, by the time anything is agreed upon, it's been watered down to the point of irrelevance).
I would say don't waste your time and money on it.
I don't know if I'd leave it up to Target to educate the masses about design. The general impression they leave is that design is just looking cool and being hip. Design is much broader and more functional. We actually try to solve business and marketing problems. We sometime confront social and political issues. Design is at the heart of usability when it comes to new technologies.
Educating the masses about design may or may not be a goal for AIGA, but I have seen efforts by the organization to bridge the gap between design and business. That is a good beginning, since business is where the wheels hit the road. For those of us who aren't simply design employees, but are out there everyday trying to convince clients of what design can do for their business, AIGA has been helpful.
Membership fees to belong to my Country are pretty steep, the Board sucks, and the events they organize are worthless, to say the least. But I know the only way to change that is to participate. An organization is just as good/bad as its members.
Forget about the conferences. Being an AIGA member, at least I have a voice about all the issues regarding the role of Design in society. Maybe this site is your voice, and I respect that, but how much better off would we all be if we were all to use the same channel to voice our opinions and criticism. I suggest asking a screenwriter to imagine life without WGA, same for actors and SAG,...
I don't know if I'd leave it up to Target to educate the masses about design.
Well spoken, as that old commie Billy Bragg might say,
"Money speaks for money, the devil for his own
Who comes to speak for the skin and the bone?"
I think I agree with Jesus... "an organization is only as good/bad as its members." It echos a recurring comment from pro-AIGA members which goes something like "if you don't like it, join and work to change it."
The trouble is getting enough people who are sympathetic to "our ideas" to join and also work towards that change. When I was on the AIGA/LA board, working to build the chapter's website, there was the start of that critical mass (Tom, Rob, and I'll even add in Nat) -- but it wasn't enough. Maybe we weren't aggressive enough. Or maybe we should have been more willing to scream and fight out way towards change. (Or maybe there are too many board members who just don't get "it.") But after a while I (and many others) gave up in frustration. We had the support from "national" -- but making changes to the chapter itself was really really hard. -- Not that I wouldn't try again, but the "change from within" approach is a lot of work.
Here's a cliche - it's a chicken and egg problem.
It's always best to end with a really lame joke:
A chicken and an egg were in bed together. The egg was smoking a cigarette. And the chicken says, "well, I guess we know the answer to that question."
ba-dum-bum!
I see the same problem with the AIA, American Institute of Architects, which is basically the closest thing architecture has to a union. They do offer some useful stuff to a practicing architect, but overall, it's really just a bunch of important feeling architects congratulating each other over and over again. The average person has little understanding of the real value that design can provide, at most any level. It's such a shame, really.
BTW, that Target Flash site is horrendous.
David, it's happening. It just takes a while to influence and motivate a large organization run by volunteers. I know that you and I didn't get along very well, but if you're interested, you're welcome to get involved again. We miss your sunny disposition.
And yes, that Target site blows. Just because Target sees innovative I.D. as a marketable element doesn't mean they care to invite design into the board room. I certainly don't see anything innovative or even appealing about the customer experience in my local store. That's not embracing design, it's simply relying on it as commodity.
I wuv you David.
I think I kinda misspoke my ideas. Lol, that is not too uncommon of a thing for me.
My thoughts were pretty random and not saying that design drives design, but just that generally good design is inspiring. If it is inspiring, it drives others to be inspiring. I definitely wouldn't leave anything to Target (or any one company, for that matter) to educate the masses, but in one area lately [their broadcast commercials] they have been innovative and truly creative. That is inspiring. Companies that inspire seem to drive the market to be "better than the next guy" in order to sell more. Which more often than not turns out to be through true, more effective design. Problems are solved and the revenue is generated. Bottom-line.
If the public is buying, then the public is being effected by design or marketing in some shape or form. It seems like the truly creative ads actually do stimulate people.
The Target site does suck, doesn't it?! I had never even been to the website. Poor marketing on their end, perhaps? lol.
As with any organization, AIGA probably has many members that lack the motivation/skill/time/effort/insert-valid-excuse-here to promote their local chapters well. On the flip side, AIGA also has many more members that probably push it to the limits and fulfill AIGA's commitments to "...furthering excellence in communication design as a broadly-defined discipline, strategic tool for business and cultural force." (aiga.org/about)
You can only receive what you are willing to put in. If professional organizations work for you, then more power to you. At this stage in my life and career, I don't have the time or energy to devote myself to yet another thing. My dad used to tell me (and still does...ha!) "Son, if you're not going to do something well, then don't do it at all." In my mind, I wouldn't want to be a member unless I was able to do my part.
Honestly, I will probably change my tune and join after time goes by and my circumstances change. According to AIGA's website, the benefits are many, and for the price (which is not steep at all in my mind) I would think it was worth it, when I come to the point where I need something they offer and where I can contribute back to the community.
List o' benefits at AIGA:
Community (networking is essential to a thriving business), Information, Inspiration, Education, Representation, Business Services (with discounts and such), and a National Design Center (everybody say "ooohhh... aaahhh...")
Sorry for the long post all...My post is longer than Greg's initial post! Sorry.
Totally off topic: Okay - reading it without the spanish pronunciation - I think, "I think I agree with Jesus" is one of the funniest things I've read in a long time. Thank you, David Young, for making me laugh out loud today.
I was a member when I was a student, but never put much into it or got much out of it. When I saw the annual dues for professionals, I about choked. No thanks.
As long as we're cruising off topic a bit, I'd like to take issue with what I perceive to be the underlying message of most of these posts - that good design somehow makes the world a better place to be, in and of itself. Target a shining example to enlighten the masses? Should the fact that I can now pay $21.95 for a nifty Michael Graves toaster produced by prison labor in China make me happy?
As far as that goes Albrecht Speer and Leni Reifenstahl were both world class designers. Don't we need to reconsider some of our priorities here?
First of all, good design makes the world a happier place to be. That would be enough for me.
To address your point: In many cases, good design DOES make the world a better place to be. Design isn't merely a "visual" phenomenon, as you seem to believe. GOOD design involves function, aesthetic, and the whole underlying experience of any given thing.
If good design didn't pervade throughout day-to-day living, I can't even begin to imagine the chaos that would ensue. The reason you might disagree is because so much GOOD design is currently taken for granted. It's so GOOD and so ingrained that we don't even realize it's design, let alone 'good and effective' design. The world we've created (dependent on technology and speed) requires good design. Good design has made the world we created bearable, and therefore: A better place to be.
I'd probably live without them, but I'd certainly be a helluva lot less content without a Target within driving distance. So sue me.
Alright, I'll weigh in on the Pro-AIGA side of the fence.
I've been a member for about four years. I pay my own membership. Barring a major collapse of the organization, I will continue to renew my membership.
I understand and respect many of the ant-AIGA sentiments, and I'm not going to try to refute any of them. However, a year has not passed that I have not felt my $275 sent to AIGA did not pay for itself times over...
Two years ago, AIGA released it's Design and Business Ethics Series. It is a collection of booklets detailing a broad range of important "ethics" issues close to the heart of designers. Issues include topics like Copyright, Typography, Photography Usage, Client Relationships, and more. AIGA continues to release additional booklets in this series. Content is free to use in your own publications if you're a member.
At the same time, the released A Client's Guide to Design -- a great resource to refer clients to that explains the key tenets of a client/designer relationship.
As a business owner, AIGA's Design : Business email (sent monthly) is also a terrific resource. While some of it's content is republished from Creative Business, much of it is fresh. An extremely valuable resource if you own your own studio or freelance.
AIGA's Design Annual is also a refreshing break from the of ad-stuffed issues of HOW and STEP.
Member events are also a great perk. While the Chicago chapter was a bit more evolved than my current Dallas chapter, the events that I have attended have been excellent. Many of the speakers are old-school designers, and you won't find their wisdom written in the pages of most design publications anymore.
So is it worth my $275, regardless of whether or not their social impact is greater than that of Michael Graves? Napoleon says, "Heck yes!"
And yes, I'm back from Hawaii. Hi Greg! I'll call you tomorrow.
Monday? Did he say Monday? No way. Get the heck out is allz I got to say. Been waiting for this shoe to drop for ages. Probably quadrupled your site traffic every day by NOT telling us when the winners would be unveiled.
Can't wait to see what all the hub-bub was all about.
Well, I can pretty much guarantee that if this were MY site, and people were impatient, impatient people wouldn't be winning ;) I pretty much visit everyday anyway. To be honest, I'm more dissapointed in the sporadic posts than I am in the delay concerning the contest.
I need my daily read. (It seems like a lot of my favs have been dry lately. Appleturns, Jeff, Gaiman... it's enough to make me want to write my own. (I'm pretty lazy though, so don't count on it.)
My rant on AIGA is here:
http://www.brianstorms.com/archives/000544.html
Boy Brian Dear, you obviously did not attend the AIGA Design Conference in Vancouver. Talk about environmental overload. The AIGA whacked the attendees up the back side of their heads with the "We as Designers need to take the driver's seat in saving the world!" idiom. It was and environmental "love-fest."
If I may, I'd like to drop two cents worth into this thread. My relationship with the AIGA has many plusses to a very few minusses (For the record, my company pays for my membership and attendance to select conferences).
I'm going to mix in the positive with the negative here: I am a former Board Member for my local AIGA chapter. As such, I enjoyed the opportunity to not only meet, but engage in intimate conversations with several "design stars" and a couple of design "legends." Does that sound like a plus? Downside was, even when given name speakers, it still was like pulling teeth to get the local members to attend. Low attendance leads to fewer sponsors which leads to fewer quality events. Is participation important?
Second, and granted the AIGA does very well at preaching to the choir, but doesn't do near enough in reaching out to the folks who need good design, the clients. However, as part of the "Ethics" piece mentioned earlier in this thread, there are two pointed sections directed at clients ("Business and Ethical Expectations for Professional Designers," and "A Client's Guide to Design: How to Get the Most Out of the Process"). The AIGA also produced a mini-essay entitled "What Every Business Needs. And How," also directed toward our clients. The AIGA researched and compiled the information, designed, published and delivered these valuable tools to the entire membership.
How much of these tools, and respective concepts therein have we as Designers shared and worked into our relationships with our clients? In other words, the AIGA provided some pretty valuable tools, are we using them?
Finally, I was attending an AIGA conference with two of my partners in crime from my organization. One of my cohorts knows the publisher of @issue, who just so happened to walk up to us during a break. While we were kicking around the future of the magazine, Kit Hinrichs and his wife stopped and joined our conversation, then Woodie Pirtle, then Bruce Mau. Now, none of these folks will remember me from Adam, but to me ... that half hour was worth much more than the price of admission. Thank you AIGA.