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Volunteering to help out with AIGA events and initiatives is a great way to get involved and help strengthen the design community. Our volunteers help carry out some great events, and without their help, none of it would be possible.

If you are interested in volunteering, please send an e-mail to volunteer@idaho.aiga.org and let us know what interests you, where you feel you would be best suited to help and what kind of availability you have. We will keep your name on file, and as we plan events, we'll be in touch.

Thanks!

Posted by Idaho in News | September 22, 2009

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I think most of us have stumbled back into Boise after an amazing but intellectually exhausting weekend! Hopefully everyone who attended the retreat is able to get back safely as well. We have so many ideas and plans for all of you here in Idaho and can't wait to move on them! In a week or so, after we have a chance to decompress, we'll begin sharing things with the group and getting feedback from you all on what we plan to do and of course hearing about what you guys need as well. Things will be changing around here, I hope you're ready for it!

As for taking that next step towards making AIGA a global design movement, earlier today our new President Debbie Millman rolled out her first order of business - the AIGA Connectivity Initiative - with a new hashtag for everyone to use: #aigaconnect, with the intention of connecting chapters and our members and keeping the conversation going strong. I strongly encourage you to spend some time there, especially in the coming weeks, as our AIGA chapters throughout the nation will begin rolling out their plans in response to the Mandate of 2014.

It was truly a pleasure spending the weekend with AIGA leaders around the country. For those of you who attended the retreat as well, we'd love it if you'd please write to us, @reply to our Twitter, or leave comments here on the blog with your name (so we can spell it right!), your board position from which chapter and your Twitter handle. We'd love to keep in touch with everyone we met and follow along with how you are responding to our new direction. For Idaho members, be sure to follow the #aigaconnect hashtag and the other board members from around the country, as they are some of the most talented and inspiring folks I've ever met!

Posted by System in 2009 Leadership Retreat | June 8, 2009

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Today AIGA, the professional association for design, took a momentus step toward becoming a global design movement. Tomorrow we as an organization will emerge from the 2009 Leadership Retreat with renewed purpose, revitalized spirit, and a new direction for AIGA. It has been truly amazing to be a part of the dialogue this weekend, we have been moved and inspired by so many talented and passionate leaders and are reignited to bring the Sea Change back to Idaho!

Giving Back

The day started with a short assembly in which a few chapters shared inspirational stories of local programs and initiatives they have taken on to contribute to society and the design community. AIGA New Orleans presented a truly remarkable project in which they have gone to great lengths to preserve the history of graphic design in South Louisiana by documenting and archiving work, stories and interviews of people who lived the history, and processes and equipment used by designers in the past. We were so inspired by what they are doing and I strongly encourage you visit the program website to learn more about the amazing work they are doing: www.louisianadesignhistory.com . Next AIGA Colorado presented the many community initiatives they put on to give back to their local community, including the Denver_Urban Forest Project where they design banners throughout the city, student member scholarships, and the AIGA (Re)Design Awards. So incredibly inspiring! And finally Gaby Brink and Phil Hamlett of AIGA San Francisco / Center for Sustainable Design talked about what made Compostmodern so successful. To learn more about Compostmodern and how to host your own presentation of the event, visit www.compostmodern.org .

Constitutional Convention

After some final general discussion about issues brought up during our caucus sessions, it was time for the Constitutional Convention in which each chapter, led by their regional national board representative, voted to endorse or oppose the proposed Mandate of 2014 and the new directions for AIGA. Each chapter rose with their placards (ours a giant foam mustache and speared potato!) and voiced the approval, disapproval, or amendments or caveats for the proposed directions set forth to carry us into the next century. The energy and the passion in the room was overwhelming as nearly 100 years in operation culminated in this historic event. One by one each chapter emphatically voted to support the mandate, with many important caveats and amendments to be taken into consideration, some of which I'll list below (sorry if I left someone important out!):

• New Orleans suggested AIGA fasttrack their adoption of social media and social networking opportunities.
• Iowa reminded us of the importance of openly sharing knowledge and not being elitist in the way AIGA proposes to tier website content access.
• West Michigan emphasized the focus on design thinking and the importance of design to business objectives.
• Austin presented the caveat that while it's important to address the need for more long term benefits to the design profession, AIGA must continue to focus on individual, tangible benefits for members to ensure continued growth of the organization.
• Boston brought up a great point that while we need to focus on doing more online and in digital format, we must always remember and embrace the value of the printed piece, and especially acknowledging the support from our partners and supporters in the print industry.
• The representative from Rhode Island only wished to request a man-date with President Sean Adams, which was met with a standing ovation and joyous laughter!
• Seattle mentioned that while we propose to shift the focus to design's business strategy as opposed to purely creativity in design, creativity IS business strategy and inherent in the process.
• San Diego voted to leverage the latest technology to build a better, bigger social community for AIGA.

There was unanimous support from chapters for the mandate, and it was exciting to be able to represent our members and all designers in Idaho to also support the proposed changes. As Ric Grefe pointed out, this weekend was really about AIGA as an organization sitting down and listening to members and chapters and their needs, and laying out plans to respond to those needs in changing times.

From here AIGA will review and respond all the caveats and suggestions meantioned throughout the weekend discussions, and will refine the mandate as needed before placing it in front of members and taking action to put these initiatives in place. As an organization we are moving to invert the pyramid and facilitate bottom-up conversation that encourages member participation and contribution. Instead of AIGA being the authority, its members will now be the authority and voice for design.

Out With The Old, In With The New (So To Speak)

Once we were done with the Convention and got back from lunch breaks, we all gathered with our chapters to discuss our next steps for implementing the mandate in our own local chapters. Once we get back home and decompress from the trip, we'll be sharing our plans with everyone and getting your feedback. Some chapters wished to share their plans and ideas with the entire group, with many inspiring us to move in new directions as well. One of our biggest wishes is to collaborate with our sister chapters in Colorado, Salt Lake, Reno / Tahoe, Portland and Seattle, and build a stronger relationship with our regional neighbors. Afterwords Ric Grefe made some closing remarks and gave a touching and clearly emotional speech for outgoing president Sean Adams, who received an award and standing ovation for his support over the past 2 years. Sean then introduced the incoming AIGA President, the legendary Debbie Millman of Sterling Brands. As a final note, Ric gave a speech for outgoing Presidents' Council Chair Mike Joosse, who put forth so much effort in putting together this year's retreat and helped to make it a resounding success. Congratulations and best wishes to all.

Tomorrow, A New Journey

As we say our goodbyes and celebrate one last time, we inevitably must head back to our normal daily lives tomorrow. My hope is that we can continue to keep in touch with everyone we've met and continue the discussions that have started this weekend. We are on the cusp of something extraordinary, today we voted to change the future of AIGA for the better, and tomorrow we take that first step towards making it a reality for our members.

Personally I have learned so much from so many people this weekend, and will return home with a plethora of notes and ideas of how we can make AIGA and the Idaho chapter a better organization. We are all honored and humbled to have been a part of this year's retreat, one that was critical to our organization's future. It has been truly a pleasure to have shared stories, laughter and ideas with you all, and look forward to building those relationships we've made the past few days. Wishing safe travels for all of you.

We are immensely passionate about AIGA and the design community, as are all who attended this weekend. I personally can't wait to get home and plant the seeds to put some of these initiatives in motion. AIGA has truly become a better organization because of the feedback and support of our members and our leaders. Now I've gotten all mushy, so that must be my cue! Good night.

Posted by System in 2009 Leadership Retreat | June 7, 2009

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We made it through Day 2 of the AIGA Leadership Retreat, our first full day in sessions. And a LONG day it was! Where as yesterday it was emotionally overwhelming to be a part of something like this and be here with so many talented people, today was filled with so much engaging discussion that it was intellectually overwhelming!

In the morning we started with a general assembly in the ballroom, where Executive Director Ric Grefe talked about the strategic and tacitcal challenges we as AIGA face. He made a great point in that this retreat is really an opportunity for the national board and staff to listen to local chapters and be transparent in the changes and mandates being put forth this weekend. The course adjustments being proposed are based on feedback that each chapter has received as well as feedback to the national board, and this year's retreat is about discussing those findings, determining the best course of action, and taking the necessary steps to move forward. He also emphasized the point that we must move forward together in order to be successful and fruitful in the long term.

The AIGA

Ric then walked us through some important branding guidelines, things I'm sure we've heard before but still good things to hear again and have reinforced. For instance, we are not "The AIGA", we are "AIGA", and there is no "AIGA National" just "AIGA". He also made a great point about our terminology, and the idea of us vs. them, AIGA Idaho vs. AIGA National. We are all AIGA, there are no boundries or segments of the organization, we are all part of it and are all equally concerned about the future of AIGA.

Needs And Priorities

We also went on to discuss the critical needs of the organization. Ric outlined the areas of greatest need for help, which are listed below:

• We need to acheive the strength of diversity. We need to do more to not only embrace minorities and support them in their careers, we need to embrace a diversity of disciplines and practices as well as diversify our offerings and become a valuable resource available to designers whoever they are and wherever they are.
• We need to address the principal member service issues, and enact programs to establish things like free events for our members, embracing the need for more small group discussion events and facilitating those conversations, and making sure our members (especially new members) are welcomed, engaged, and included in events and discussions.
• We need to offer more programming that members have identified as valuable. Throughout the surveys and roundtables there has been consistent desires for more learning and training type programs, small group discussions and open forums, blogs and opportunities for member contributed content, embracing other disciplines and mediums, and doing more to educate our local industries about the value of design in business.
• And finally we must deal with the perception that AIGA and local chapters are cliques or elitist, and find ways to break down those preconceived notions. This is something that Idaho as a chapter has faced and that I feel is incredibly important to address.

We then outlined the priorities in implementing these new programs by 2014:

1. We must continue to work on developing AIGA and chapter sites as a central place of information and a portal.
2. We must have clearly outlined benefits of membership, including the tangible and intangible. In the current state of the economy the concern about "what's in it for me?" is becoming more and more present, and we need to work harder at making sure those benefits are known, what our membership dues go towards, as well as what sort of programs and initiatives AIGA is involved in that benefit society.
3. We need to increase resources to the website(s) that provide for co-creation of content and broad distribution. There were many comments made that AIGA is behind when it comes to social media and social networking integration, which I also agree with but understand that there are higher priorities in the grand scheme of things. The new mandate has much emphasis on user generated content and member contribution, something that we at AIGA Idaho have been planning and preparing for as well.
4. AIGA must project a tone that is engaging to young designers. We need to reach out to younger designers who increasingly have the desire to contribute, be heard, and have the opportunity to voice their opinions and wishes. They are our future and we need to meet them and engage them where they are on the web and out in the world.

There Is No "Spec Jail"

The fun part began when national board member Brad Weed went through a presentation of AIGA's revised position on spec work. It was a great presentation that may have added to the confusion for some, but also opened up a heated debate that continued throughout the day. Some of the main points of Brad's presentation were that spec happens, it's inevitable, and with the freedom granted by the internet is nearly impossible to escape. Regardless, AIGA's official stance on spec work (as later clarified by president Sean Adams) is that we do not support the practice of spec work, but we also don't condemn members who have made that choice. And AIGA members have participated in spec work. What we can do, however, is educate both designers and clients as to the pitfalls inherent in spec work and equip them to make the most responsible decision.

For more info please read AIGA's official position on spec work and Executive Director Ric Grefe's follow up article on spec work and ethical standards. Please contribute to the discussion by leaving comments on one or both. AIGA Idaho will be putting together programming to help educate Idaho designers on the issue of spec work and clarify our position and the risks involved, as well as providing an opportunity for active discussion , so watch for that in the coming months.

Breakout Sessions

The rest of the day was filled with lively discussions about a number of topics via breakout sessions. There were two sessions, with multiple options of topics during each session. I attended the first on successfully using the Internet Kit CMS that drives our chapter site, which was informative and inspired some great ideas for our site. The second I attended was about developing website content, which I thought was absolutely wonderful, and moderated by members of AIGA Charlotte and AIGA Iowa. There was much discussion on user generated content and member contributions, something as important to AIGA Idaho as it is to the entire organization. The wheels are already in motion for such things in our chapter, but we'd love your feedback and especially your ideas as to what you would like to see or contribute.

As for the rest of the group, I'll let them elaborate on their breakout topics when they get a chance.

The Nexus of The (Creative) Universe

After a second Caucus discussion meeting and a final Q and A session, we debriefed and parted ways to prepare for this evening's party, a reception at the legendary Wieden + Kennedy, sponsored by Adobe (who is in the process of officially renewing their sponsorship of AIGA for another two years!). What an absolutely amazing place, and unfortunately it can't be adequately described unless you see it for yourself. The entire space, all (geez there must have been 6) floors of it custom built with huge slabs of concrete and wood paneling, with huge wooden steps leading up from the main floor of our reception space to the upper levels. Above walkways for the top levels criss-crossed the space. Paul, Jennie and Jodie took lots of pictures, so be sure to check out their Twitter streams for many a TwitPic, including some of the men's bathroom... It's probably best not to ask. Definitely an amazing place to be able to go to work every day, and apprently many don't choose to leave in the evening - there were many folks still working and milling about!

Preparing For The Future

It was another great day, filled with enlightened discussion and a free exchange of ideas that was truly inspiring. As leaders and members of AIGA, we collaborated with national staff, suggested improvements and ideas to better serve our members, and helped to set the stage for our Constitutional Convention tomorrow which will decide the future of AIGA. Tomorrow will be an historic day for our organization, with nearly 100 years of operation culminating in a final call for support or amendment for the proposed initiatives to be enacted by 2014 that will transition AIGA into the next hundred years and hopefully continued relevance and importance within the design community. If you haven't been following along up to now, please make sure you are following tomorrow morning (noon Idaho time) as we make plans to change course for the future. If you have any questions or concerns please communicate those to us and we'll voice them to the group. Visit yesterday's recap to see the proposed mandate. We'll keep you updated via Twitter as the event happens.

After the Convention tomorrow we will be developing action plans to put everything we've learned and the ideas we've had into motion, and we'll be posting that soon to the blog and the Retreat resource mini-site that will come. Exciting things are happening, so be prepared for some big changes around the AIGA Idaho house! As for me, once again I've slipped into a sleepy stupor and must head off. Until tomorrow, good night.

Posted by System in 2009 Leadership Retreat | June 6, 2009

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Well we all made it safely and successfully (for the most part) into Portland yesterday, and were up and ready for the first day of the 2009 Leadership Retreat today. After registering this morning Paul and I hauled our potato sacks in and set up our table full of spuds and mustaches, eventually resulting in this lovely display:

You could only imagine how proud we were. Once we got started out noon there were introductions, explanations of what will be happening this weekend, and sessions detailing the state of AIGA as an organization. National Secretary/Treasure Shel Perkins shared the current financial standing that AIGA as an organization is healthy, solid and financially sound, and our assets outweigh our liabilities. In troubling economic times this was a relief to hear. National board member Stanley Hainsworth (and his incredible hair) shared some ideas and concepts about future programs and initiatives to come from AIGA, including things like My.AIGA.org and a concept for a National Design Week which sounded unbelievable! And finally Executive Director Ric Grefe reiterated many of the great initiatives and programs being rolled out as well as sharing some new programs and opportunities, including involvement with the Obama White House in which design thinkers will engage with senior staff about the importance of design and creativity. Exciting stuff for sure.

The rest of the day was filled with great discussions about the findings of roundtable discussions and member surveys, and wrapped up with inspirational stories from a few chapters about programs that have been successful and rewarding for them. Afterwards all 250+ of us attempted to fill 4 elevators for a trip to the 23rd floor for a reception and some pin trading. Each chapter designed pins to take and trade with other chapters, ours being these beauties below:

Our buttons were a huge hit, and we had no trouble getting rid of them! We got to meet lots of wonderful, incredibly talented people, and look forward to collaborating them in the next few days and beyond.

Adjusting Course

As I mentioned before, the purpose of this year's retreat was to decide as an organization what we need to do to stay relevant and valuable on into the next hundred years, as well as how to go about doing it. Ric Grefe's speech touched on many of the aspects that are of critical importance for the organization, and it was equal parts moving and inspiring. Here are some of the highlights from his speech:

• We need to continue to break down barriers between professions, mediums, styles and disciplines - AIGA is no longer a club, it is a hub for creativity, a network for professionals, and most of all an idea, a movement and a voice for design.
• The idea that AIGA is "a professional association for design" has been outgrown and dated. Again, we are no longer a club, we are now a global design movement
• The coming "Sea Change" is about engagement - engaging our members and communities better and better facilitating a conversation instead of being an authority.
• We need to continue to demonstrate the value of design, especially in every day life.
• Most important of all, we as designers work to improve the human experience.

Ric also touched on our mission, which is just as important now as it has ever been - to advance design as a professional craft, strategic tool, and vital cultural force. In doing so our goals in that mission are to 1) stimulate thinking about design, 2) demonstrating the value of design, and 3) empowering the success of designers.

Mandate for 2014

At the core of our discussions this weekend are the proposed mandates for 2014, which will be our 100th year in operation. The main concerns for our organization and the initiatives that are critical to its success are 1) the continued relevancy of AIGA now, in 2014 and in the future; 2) growing every designers leadership abilities, and positioning them as leaders in thought and ideas, leaders in creativity, and leaders in our communities and society.

In doing roundtable discussions and member surveys over the past six months, AIGA has discovered the following findings that will affect our future direction:

• AIGA should place a higher priority on contributing to long-term benefits for the profession, such as building stronger demand for design in the future, with less emphasis on individual member benefits.

• In advocating design's value to business, AIGA should focus more on design thinking (developing case studies of business effectiveness and defining the value of design on business objectives), although the role of creativity and inspiration in great design will always be respected.

• In tone, the AIGA experience should focus on younger designers' interests and needs, in order to attract the next generation of designers to membership. In content, programs should reflect business practices, leadership, values, ethics and standards, in order to respect the interests of mid-career and seasoned designers.

• AIGA should focus more on facilitating opportunities for member engagement, member originated content, member involvement and the expression of personal opinion than on reinforcing its authority on design, professionalism and values.

• Reflecting the interests and needs of a younger cohort, AIGA should develop programs and activities that highlight opportunities for social responsibility, social engagement, sustainability, multiculturalism and diversity. These are critical to the long-term strength and relevance of the profession and AIGA.

In response to these findings, AIGA has proposed the following changes to be made by 2014 to meet the needs of its members:

• Members have ample opportunities to engage in social networking activities, to provide content and make connections. Opportunities are online and in person; the AIGA experience is defined from the bottom up rather than top down.

• The model for conferences involves more regional and local gatherings, with resources invested primarily in the development and distribution of digital audio and video programming. More content is available on the website, with particular attention paid to where the line is drawn for access by nonmembers.

•Non-dues revenue has increased considerably because the line between member and nonmember access to web content has been clearly defined; “tasteful� advertising is accepted on the website; and an online store offers member products for sale to other designers and the public.

• Members have access to a strong core of programs for professional development, particularly for midcareer designers and in developing leadership skills.

• Although members receive a limited number of signature print pieces each year, AIGA distributes content primarily in digital form, for reasons of sustainability, economics and reach.

• AIGA offers daily online examples of design excellence, with opportunities for member input as well as expert jury opinion. Design excellence will be embodied in criteria of aesthetics, creation of value for clients and social responsibility.

• Designers become involved with AIGA as a way of assuming a role in the broader business, social and cultural environments, both in the United States and abroad. AIGA continues to develop collaborative relationships with organizations outside the design field, to expand appreciation of the value of design and to seek a leadership position for its members in international design forums and among social entrepreneurs.

Even though it's a lot to read, it's tremendously important to the future of our organization. On Saturday each chapter will be voting to support or amend these motions.

Participating in Change

As we sat in the conference room this afternoon filled with 250+ leaders of our organization and profession, I couldn't help but feel overwhelmed and moved by what was happening and what will happen in the days to come. As an individual it is such an honor and humbling experience to be here, and as a chapter it is empowering to help shape the future of our organization and contribute to something we are all so passionate about. I strongly encourage you all to be a part of it - follow us on Twitter, individually and our chapter account, to stay up to speed on what's happening and the exciting things to come, and follow the entire conference by searching for the hashtag #AIGA_09LR. Send us questions or comments, and we'll share them with the group.

There is a lot happening this weekend, a lot of information to share and even more to think about. If you miss something, don't sweat, in the next few weeks we'll be putting together a resource mini-site that will provide the full background information about the event, what was discussed and decided for the organization as a whole, and what our action plans are as a chapter and how it affects you as members of AIGA Idaho. These are exciting times as we move AIGA into the future, and we are honored to be a part of it. Good night.

Posted by System in 2009 Leadership Retreat | June 5, 2009

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