We’ve tweeted and blogged about sources of inspiration we’ve found. Now it’s time to hear what inspires you. Where do you get your inspiration from for your designs?
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AIGA MN Luncheon Series 2010 presents
Embracing Users, Embracing Chaos: An Interactive Design Survival Guide
Dear Member:
Traditional media tactics employ a traditional way of thinking about communication and creative: you create it, you control it, you put it out to a mass audience. The new media tactics (whether web sites, banner ads, or social networks) require everyone involved to embrace a certain amount of user-created chaos at every level.
Many designers tense up at the thought that the headlines and body copy can’t all be [insert obscure font name here], or that their Grandma could increase the size of the body copy WITHOUT THEIR PERMISSION. But while it may make a designer feel good to control the user experience, and while that may be a perfectly reasonable way to think about a print (or even television) experience — that level of attempted control makes for a very poor user experience online. It can make the site harder to find on search engines. It makes it impossible for someone to resize the font for readability. It can make access by disabled users difficult or impossible. In short, it can succeed at looking good and fail at being usable. A controlled experience is great in print, but it doesn’t translate well to the online world.
So, what does this mean for traditional designers? How can they hone their skills to shift into interactive projects — or be able to take on all elements of an integrated campaign? How can they tap into the expertise of their Interactive peers without feeling like a dumbass? How can they effectively manage the tension between the well-controlled designer viewpoint and the chaos-theory viewpoint of a web production team, who knows that they must plan for a variety of viewing situations that range from cinema screens to Blackberries, PCs to Macs, and browsers, browsers, everywhere!
People certainly aren’t going to be able to walk out of the room ready to conquer the web, but our hope is that they’ll have a sense of the mindset they’ll need to start getting into and be inspired to learn more.
[more]
Geek Girls Guide
We would like to thank our sponsors Visions Print Communications, Appleton Coated and Digital People for their generous support of this year’s AIGA Minnesota Luncheon Series.
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Thursday, August 26, 2010
Doors open at 11:30 a.m.
Presentation from noon - 1:15 p.m.
International Market Square
Suite 185
275 Market Street
Minneapolis, MN 55405
Register at aigaminnesota.org
Early Bird Rate
(until 5 P.M. Tuesday August 17)
Student Member $25
Associate/Professional Member $25
Non-Member $40
Regular Rate (after August 17)*
Student Member $25
Associate/Professional Member $35
Non-Member $50
Walk-in Rate (after August 24)*
Student/Associate/Professional Member $40
Non-Member $60
Group Rates
$250 Registered Group
Membership Table for 10
$400 Registered Group
Non-Member Table for 10
*Online registration closes:
Tuesday, August 24, 2010 at midnight
Paid registration includes a buffet lunch. It is not possible to attend the talk without attending the lunch. Capacity for this event is 150. As space permits, we will accept walk-ins at the door. Sorry, no refunds for cancellations.
We would like to thank our AIGA Minnesota Offical Gold Sponsor Microsoft Corporation for their generous support.
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Check out the details on the MIMA website.
Design Conversations:
Kit Hinrichs +
Delphine Hirasuna
Every July, AIGA Minnesota is asked to produce a comprehensive annual report as part of our affiliation with the national AIGA organization.
August 19th
W Minneapolis - The Foshay
821 Marquette Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55402
Add to my calendar
Join us for part one of Design Conversations, an informal three-event series hosted by W Minneapolis – The Foshay, benefiting BrandLab, and featuring internationally recognized design experts. Grab a cocktail, pull up a chair, and join the conversation with some of the nation’s leading creative geniuses as they discuss the state of visual arts, brand identity, and design.
The series kicks off on Thursday, August 19 with Kit Hinrichs and Delphine Hirasuna:
- Cocktail Reception: 5:00pm – 6:00pm
- Conversation: 6:00pm – 8:00pm
- Book signings and cocktails to fuel ongoing conversation immediately following and until the bar staff insists on going home.
Tickets are $25 for AIGA members, $35 for nonmembers and $20 for students. All proceeds go to further the efforts of BrandLab. Space is limited and advance ticket purchase is highly recommended. Register today »
W Minneapolis – The Foshay map »
The series continues in September and November:
Design Conversations is a series benefiiting Twin Cities’ The BrandLab, a nonprofit established to create opportunities in the marketing industry for students with diverse cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds.
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Hinrichs and Hirasuna have collaborated over the years on a wide range of award-winning projects and important publications, one of which is @Issue: Journal of Business and Design. Founded in 1995, @Issue is dedicated to communicating how quality design contributes to business success. With print circulation at 100,000, @Issue is part of the marketing curriculum in some of the most prestigious MBA programs and design schools across the U.S. In April 2009, it was launched as an online blog under the url atissuejournal.com.
In addition to @Issue, Hinrichs and Hirasuna also have collaborated on several books, including Long May She Wave: A Graphic History of the American Flag, and The Art of Gaman: Arts and Crafts from the Japanese American Internment Camps 1942-1946. The work featured in The Art of Gaman was, for decades, largely forgotten. Hirasuna worked with the San Francisco chapter of the Japanese American Citizens to contact dozens of individuals in the Japanese American community on the West Coast to gather items while developing the book The Art of Gaman, which eventually became a traveling exhibition. In 2006, the exhibition was shown at the Museum of Craft and Folk Art in San Francisco, the Oregon Historical Society in Portland and The William Benton Museum of Art at the University of Connecticut in Storrs, Conn.
This spring, the exhibit traveled to the Smithsonian Museum of American Art with Hirasuna serving as a guest curator and lecturer. The exhibit, running March 5, 2010 through January 30, 2011, includes historical context through archival photographs, artifacts, and documentary films.
Hosted by W Minneapolis – The Foshay – produced by Rocket Design Resources
| OMPREHENSIVE MARKETING WITH AN INTEGRATED TWIST |
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| Join us as four local marketing luminaries set off some fireworks! |
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Now that the camaraderie of the July 4th holiday has passed, what’s next? MIMA might have the answer. That’s right, Integrated Communication Panel Day.
Join us on the morning of July 21st as we bring together moderator Andrew Eklund and panelists Eric Erickson, Paul Ratzky, and Glenn Karowski to talk about how they understand social media as a whole, but also how they harness its power to better manage the integrity of a brand. Learn more about the moderator and panelists here!
The ideas shared by our July panel will speak to the marketing professional in all of us. And, like any grand finale, question time will be spectacular. So mark your calendar and register now, because we think this Integrated Communication Panel Day is going to catch on fast!
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EVENT DETAILS
Wed., July 21, 2010
7:30 am Registration/Cont Breakfast
8 am Presentation
9 am Networking
WHERE:
Metropolitan Ballroom 5418 Wayzata Blvd
Golden Valley, MN 55416
Pre-registration Fees:
Members = FREE
Student Members = FREE
Non-Members = $40
Walk-in Fees:
Members = $40
Student Members = $40
Non-members = $45
REGISTER NOW
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| Do you know anyone who would be a good fit for this??
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Calling all gurus
The learning curve is steep, the key commands are complex, the page count is long—and we need your help.
AIGA Minnesota’s mentoring program is designed to fertilize the career growth and professional success of emerging graphic designers. As a mentor, you’ll work hand-in-hand to identify your mentee’s career goals & aspirations and provide valuable advice & guidance as you show them the ropes.
If you’ve ever thought about giving back to your design community, here’s your chance. We’ll provide the introduction to a like-minded young professional and, together, you’ll set your own schedule and time commitment over the course of the four-month program. Along the way, we’ll provide helpful suggestions and encouragement.
For more information and to register, please visit mntor.minnesota.aiga.org
Hurry! Registration for the MNtor Program closes on August 6th.
Unable to commit to being a mentee this time around? Please forward this email to members of your professional network who you think might fit the bill. Or, join us in the Spring when the program will start back up again.
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©2010 AIGA Minnesota chapter AIGA | the professional association for design. If you have any questions or comments please contact the AIGA Minnesota office: International Market Square, 275 Market Street, Suite C21, Minneapolis, MN 55405, office@aigaminnesota.org or 612 339 6904. |
Great way for students to network!
AIGA Minnesota Luncheon Series 2010 presents
Periscope
“This is Twins Territory”
Have you ever wanted to know what it is like to design for a major league baseball team?
Spend your lunch hour with part of the team from Periscope and see the ins and outs of an immensely popular brand campaign that involves agency wide integration from Advertising to Design to Digital to Brand Advocacy to Media. Six looks and six years of designing the same set of materials has garnered Periscope national attention from ESPN, Sports Illustrated and national and local news, six Emmys and won National Sports Forum’s highest honor beating out campaigns from the NBA, NFL, NHL, NCAA and MLB. Hear about the best way to function as an integrated team and learn how to appear fresh and new while staying true to the core idea.
Periscope, the largest independent agency in the Twin Cities with $260 million in annual billings. Periscope’s broad range of services includes Insight & Innovation, print and broadcast advertising, collateral and print design, in-store and package design, social media, digital marketing, direct marketing, brand advocacy, graphic services and media planning and buying. Periscope’s diverse and impressive client roster includes leading local, national and international clients across a wide range of industries. [more]
Periscope
We would like to thank our sponsors Visions Print Communications, Appleton Coated and Digital People for their generous support of this year’s AIGA Minnesota Luncheon Series.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Doors open at 11:30 a.m.
Presentation from noon - 1:15 p.m.
International Market Square
Suite 185
275 Market Street
Minneapolis, MN 55405
Register at minnesota.aiga.org
Early Bird Rate
(until 5 P.M. Tuesday July 13)
Student Member $25
Associate/Professional Member $25
Non-Member $40
Regular Rate (after July 13)*
Student Member $25
Associate/Professional Member $30
Non-Member $50
Walk-in Rate (after July 20)*
Student/Associate/Professional Member $40
Non-Member $60
Group Rates
$250 Registered Group
Membership Table for 10
$400 Registered Group
Non-Member Table for 10
(to register, please email luncheons@aigaminnesota.org by July 20)
*Online registration closes:
Tuesday, July 20, 2010 at midnight
Paid registration includes a buffet lunch. It is not possible to attend the talk without attending the lunch. Capacity for this event is 150. As space permits, we will accept walk-ins at the door. Sorry, no refunds for cancellations.
We would like to thank our AIGA Minnesota Offical Gold Sponsor Microsoft Corporation for their generous support.
When you want to learn even more than you’re learning in class, check out the internet for tutorials. Many are free and can enhance your learning experience. Nothing can take the place of an instructor right there supporting you as you go but tutorials are a great way to get a leg up on the competition during your education.
What a fantastic meeting in a room full of creatives! Now I don’t normally do mornings, I’m kind of a night owl, so I try to avoid scheduling anything that involves driving into the cities anywhere near rush hour traffic. But this meeting…I knew I had to be there and it was worth the 6am alarm and the drive into Minneapolis.
The topics were geared for solopreneurs in the design industry and all were worth their weight in gold (or bandwidth and ink in our case). The first one was all about getting clear and focused. Dan Woychick made some great points about being clear on how others see you. Is it the same as you see yourself? What is your position? your niche? My biggest take-away from his presentation was this: doing is a commodity - if you want to get work, you need to have an expertise. You want people to pay you for your thinking, not your doing. Every where you look you can find people who do what you do. What is it that sets you apart? It is important to be clear about who you are and what you know to be successful whether you want to be a freelancer or find employment.
Dan’s other big tip was the importance of forming a network. “We are only as strong as the collaborators we surround ourselves with”, he said. Who are you surrounding yourself with?
Kenneth Kunkle is an attorney who works with creatives. He shared great information about how to structure your business, the importance of having written agreements when you work with someone else, what the difference is between an employee and an independent contractor and copyright information. He is definitely an expert when it comes to the left side of the brain portion of your business and one to connect with when you are ready to get started in business.
Lastly, Doug Powell shared how important it is to have income that doesn’t center around client services. He suggests it will be very important for new designers to come up with creative ways to make money by turning some of those ideas that flood into your mind into an actual business that can general revenue for you. Once you have an idea, he covered some of the basic necessary steps to making it real. You must look at who your customer is, what business model you are going to follow, who can help you get the answers you need and whether you need a business plan or not. Now if you answer the questions he suggested, you have the good start of a business plan so it isn’t as difficult as one might think.
Suggested resources by the presenters included:
- Making Ideas Happen by Scott Belsky
- The Art of the Start by Guy Kawasaki
- kickstarter.com
- winwithoutpitching.com
- recourses.com
- sethgodin.typepad.com
- mergedesignblog.com
- muse.kunklelaw.com
- woychickdesign.wordpress.com
If you are not a member of AIGA, you can still attend their events by just paying a slightly higher fee. Another great event well worth the money!
Joke from the event:
How many designers does it take to change a lightbulb?
Answer: Does it have to be a lightbulb?
Luncheons 2010: Solopreneurs Discussion featuring Doug Powell, Dan Woychick and Kenneth Kunkle
Solopreneurs Discussion
Discover your entrepreneurial spirit and business desire. If freelancing or self-employment is in your future, this event will provide ideas, possibilities and insights. Join us for this special event, where a trio of speakers awaits your questions. Hear from Doug Powell, Principal, Schwartz Powell; Dan Woychick, Principal, Woychick Design; and Kenneth Kunkle, Kunkle Law PLC.
Doug Powell ? a designer, business strategist, entrepreneur, and curator of the blog Merge ? will offer next steps to help you shape your great new business ideas. Allow Doug’s inspiration to bust you out of a narrow way of working. He suggests the next generation of designers will have to find other ways of working, providing value and generating revenue. Learn tips to start and launch your design-driven business. www.schwartzpowell.com and mergedesignblog.com
Dan Woychick is a designer and creative strategist with over 20 years dedicated to helping non-profit organizations communicate more successfully. He has helped clients with brand identity and positioning, market research, and the design and production of print and electronic communications. Dan is experienced in building a network of collaborators, hiring employees, working from home and renting office space. He will share his thoughts on marketing yourself to find clients and focus your work. For more info, go to www.woychickdesign.com or read his blog, think + do: an exploration of non-profit marketing and design
Kenneth Kunkle is a local attorney whose practice is focused on working with creative professionals. Blogging at muse.kunklelaw.com, Ken provides a wide field of knowledge in the areas of business, copyright and trademarks. His long history working in, and with, a variety of creative fields provides a unique understanding of creativity and the law. Ken will be discussing issues related to business structures, work for hire and independent contractor status. www.kunklelaw.com
Time: Doors open at 8:30 A.M.; Presentation from 9:00–10:30 A.M.
Please note that this is a morning event, not a lunch; we listened to you and are offering this low cost option.
Early Bird Rate: (until 5 P.M. Thursday June 17)
Student Member $7
Associate/Professional Member $7
Non-Member $10
Regular Rate: (after June 17)*
Student Member $10
Associate/Professional Member $10
Non-Member $15
Walk-in Rate: (after June 22)*
Student/Associate/Professional Member $10
Non-Member $15
* Online registration closes: Tuesday, June 22 at midnight
Paid registration includes light refreshments (coffee/tea/cookies). Capacity for this event is 150. As space permits, we will accept walk-ins at the door. Sorry, no refunds for cancellations.
Generous support for this year’s AIGA MN Luncheon Lecture Series provided by Visions Print Communications, Appleton Coated, and Digital People.
