CONFERENCE PROJECT IDEAS

AIGA National Conference
http://www.aiga.org/Events/

HOW DESIGN CONFERENCE
http://pages.designcommunity-hub.com/howdesignlive2012/

DWELL ON DESIGN
http://dod.dwell.com/

DESIGNER CON
http://www.designercon.com/

PAUL RAND EVENT POSTERS AS INSPIRATION
http://www.paul-rand.com/site/posters/

AIA Annual Design Conference
http://c1e2a683b44ef930c1afe55667e83c5fa50f04d2.gripelements.com/events-programs/annual-design-conference/index.php

GREAT BLOG
http://vi.sualize.us/
http://www.designworklife.com/

AIGA National Letter Against Contests!

AIGA URGES THE OBAMA 2012 CAMPAIGN TO RECONSIDER
ITS JOBS POSTER CONTEST

Article by Richard Grefe
October 24, 2011.

Editor’s note: The following is the text of a letter sent by Richard Grefé, AIGA executive director, to Jim Messina, campaign manager for Obama for America (Barack Obama’s 2012 presidential campaign), and David Axelrod, senior campaign strategist, on October 21, 2011. It is in response to “Art Works: A Poster Contest to Support American Jobs,” which asks designers to work speculatively to promote the Obama administration’s jobs program.

AIGA is committed to supporting the interests of professional designers and strives to play an authoritative role in promoting and communicating standards for ethical conduct and professional practice in the design community. The full content of our letter has been republished here; as always, we welcome your comments and questions.

 October 21, 2011

Dear Mr. Messina:

AIGA, the most established and largest professional association for communication design in the world, urges the Obama campaign to immediately:

Cancel the Art Works poster contest that trivializes the value of design by failing to compensate for it and assuming ownership of intellectual property rights, against standard professional principles, and

Consider the role of design in creating social and economic capital as well as innovation and growth, treating it as an economic driver instead of a creative indulgence, and involve the design community in integrating design into an economic strategy for strengthening U.S. competitiveness.

The recent “Art Works: A Poster Contest to Support American Jobs” demonstrates a lack of respect for the design profession, violates global principles and standards for professional design practice, contradicts the intent of creating jobs for American workers and asks designers to give up intellectual and creative property rights.

As executive director of the oldest and largest professional association for communication designers in the country, I speak on behalf of a profession that is central to innovation and creative value in the U.S. economy. We urge you to cancel the poster contest and consider alternative, appropriate approaches to achieving your need for great design that communicates effectively. No creative community in the world is as talented as American designers and as eager to be engaged on challenging assignments to enhance understanding of complex issues. For instance, over the past decade, AIGA and its members have been active participants in enhancing the citizen experience and clarity in the election process through the Design for Democracy initiative.

The Art Works poster contest asks designers to work speculatively, creating designs without compensation for an activity that has value to a potential client, against established global principles in communication design. We are quite certain that public relations consultants, political consultants, networks, telecommunication providers and advertising media are not asked to donate their services and turn their ideas, research and work over to a campaign that is poised to raise $1 billion without compensation. This demonstrated lack of respect for the value of creative endeavors is exacerbated by the stipulation that ownership of all the creative property submitted, whether or not selected, is transferred to the campaign. And it is particularly contemptuous to ask the creative community to donate their services in support of a jobs program for other American workers.

There are ways in which you can seek proposals from designers that do not violate the integrity of the profession (and the client) and we would be willing to work with you in developing a process to solicit ideas leading to retaining a designer to develop an effective design and program to advocate your messages.

The Obama for America campaign would also be well served to shift to a strategic perspective in involving the design profession by exploring with us the means to develop policy proposals to enhance the support of design as a key driver of innovation and economic growth in the U.S. economy. The government, in aggregate, is undoubtedly the largest single client for design services in the economy. Design provides a highly leveraged, relatively low cost means of enhancing the competitiveness of the nation’s products and services as well as a critical element in enhancing effective and efficient citizen-based government services. Recognizing this would follow the example of countries like Korea, China, Singapore and the UK in advancing productivity relevant to the 21st century.

If you choose to proceed with this contest, we will feel compelled to single it out as a reflection of your lack of respect for designers and your perception that design has little value, even while you are encouraging creating work for other workers and professions. Incidentally, it is also undoubtedly injudicious to seem to politicize the current NEA initiative entitled Art Works that is a well-conceived effort to demonstrate the value of art to communities.

Yours truly,



Richard Grefé


AIGA executive director

cc: David Axelrod

About the Author: Richard Grefé is the executive director of AIGA, the professional association for design. He is generally involved in all of AIGA’s activities, although his major contributions are in strategy, formulating new initiatives to enhance the competitive success of designers and advocating the value of design.

AIGA SAN DIEGO MEMBERSHIP EVENT

Thursday, October 20, 2011 — October 20, 2011

6pm - 10pm

3rdspace

4610 Park Blvd, Unit 3

San Diego, CA 92116

View Map

Register Now

http://sandiego.aiga.org/events/2011/10/68591749

Come mingle with fellow designers and discover what drives each of them. You’re invited to join us for a few spirits, some great eats and music by DJ Marc Larson. You’ll also have the chance to hear about what we’ve got planned for this year. So come catch up with some old friends and make a few new ones. We hope to see you there.

Members: Free

Guests: $20

RSVP Now!

The venue is in University Heights (between Madison Ave & Spalding Place), so all parking is street parking. Be sure to arrive early in case you have to hoof it a block or two.

MIDTERM PRESENTATION

November 2nd
You need to present your first three projects to the class in comp form. This presentation will include the design brief for each as well as a presentation of the project. So, if it's a packaging project, you are showing either a tight computer rendering model, or a tight, physical dummy.

Consumer Packaging Project

Mamma Chia
Redesign logo, label, website
www.mammachia.com

For health-conscious souls seeking an extra dose of vitality, Mamma Chia is the undeniable drink of choice. Infused with ancient wisdom and powered by one of the world’s healthiest whole foods, Mamma Chia provides sustained energy to power your soul’s purpose.

Mamma Chia pairs the highest quality organic chia seeds with delicious organic fruit juices and is lightly sweetened with a touch of organic agave nectar. The pleasing appearance of the chia seeds suspended throughout the beverage adds a compelling quality full of heart and brain-healthy omega-3s, powerful antioxidants and dietary fibers, as well as complete protein, calcium and magnesium. Combined, these nutrients create a vital force that delivers the power to live the life you’ve always wanted.

Cereal Box

Choose a existing box of cereal to redesign. Choose a style from design history (ie. Arts&Crafts, Dada, Cubism, Constructivism, Bauhaus, Contemporary Poster), or choose a designer to use as your inspiration!Check out these retro boxes!

http://trendland.net/100-cereal-box-design/#

Nice package: Six principles of good packaging design 

by Ben Chadler, Design Director

Landor

1. Simplicity

It’s a rare person who enjoys being in a supermarket—it’s often cold, crowded, and visually stressful. So any brand that keeps its message simple, without bombarding us with proclamations, may entice us to reach for it. Supermarket brands can learn from premium food companies such as Simon Johnson, which strips its narrative down to the essentials, creating calm on the shelf. Visually quieting the noise with a simple design is one way to help your product stand out.

2. Honesty

No one actually believes that all olive oil comes from some idyllic Tuscan farm, or that a loaf of bread is hand-kneaded by a German baker, despite what the packaging tells us. We all suspend our disbelief, knowing deep down that we are being ”spun.” A brand such as Another Bloody Water, however, speaks in a way that grabs our attention. The brand rises above the spin by giving its audience credit for being in on the joke, which instantly disarms us and makes us feel wiser for buying in. In a largely hyped-up or even dishonest environment truth can be revolutionary.

3. Personality

Packaging with a unique personality isn't just nice to have, it’s essential. It’s the fundamental difference between brand and private label, between emotion and function. Personality has the potential to show what’s unique about a brand, and yet this critical aspect is often ignored. Legibility, shelf shout, and flavour differentiation take precedence, leaving us with an overwhelming amount of boring messages. An unexpected feature—a clever twist in the logo or a little wit in the back-of-pack information—can change the way we relate to not only the product but also the brand. Handled creatively, personality can make it possible to actually like the ”person” that is a particular brand.

4. Practicality

Who hasn't been driven to the point of bad manners and near physical exhaustion with a stubborn blister pack? Or cursed aloud as a bag of rice grains exploded across the kitchen floor? Structural packaging that drives the user to frustration doesn’t exactly encourage repurchase or foster long-standing loyalty. On the other hand, innovations like pump spray balsamic vinegar bottles, ziplock resealable bags, and screw-cap wine bottles that demonstrate an understanding of our day-to-day experiences with a product often provide a tangible reason to appreciate the brand.

5. Sustainability

In the current environmentally conscious climate we feel guilty about throwing away a plastic bottle and recognise wastefulness when removing the third layer of wrapping from a new kitchen appliance. We welcome recyclable materials such as glass and paper, and are happy to have less material waste to throw in the bin. Refillable packaging is another way to reduce the amount of waste we produce. Reusable laundry liquid bottles and rice container refills provide a new sense of efficiency. In times past we left our milk bottles out for collection. Reuse is not exactly a new idea—it’s simply an old method with new values. Additionally, refillable packaging is not only efficient, it also maintains a visible brand presence in the pantry at home. Sustainable packaging provides a sense of satisfaction that comes from acting responsibly through our purchasing decisions.

6. Authenticity

New products and brands enter the market at a dizzying rate. Finding brands that have stayed true over time or remind us of lasting quality create a level of comfort and reassurance. Of course, well-established brands can draw on their heritage to deliver authenticity—brands like Coca-Cola with its familiar red-and-white logotype or Tiffany’s classic blue boxes. But authenticity can be true of modern brands as well. Aesop’s signature tinted brown bottles and a consistent two-colour aesthetic reflect its beautiful products. Brands that maintain integrity can foster a genuine feeling of value.

We tend to take well-designed packaging for granted—and in a way we should. Packaging should be effortless—consumers shouldn’t need instructions to open a box, and we shouldn’t have to think twice about throwing it into the recycling bin. If packaging requires minimal effort and leaves a positive impression, the relationship with a brand can be more meaningful and pleasurable. It can even earn a bit of appreciation.

St. John’s Bible Art Exhibition

The San Diego School of Christian Studies and First United Methodist Church of San Diego present 25 art print reproductions from the Saint John's Bible on display in the Trotter Chapel at First Church through October 30. The Saint John’s Bible is the first commissioned, hand-written, illuminated Bible in over 500 years. It is described as a Bible for the 21st century, America's Book of Kells, a work of art as well as one of theology. The exhibition will be open Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sundays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and on weekdays by appointment.

First Church is featuring selected illuminations and their Scripture as part of Sunday worship in October. The San Diego School of Christian Studies is offering biblical studies, history and art classes in October and Novem- ber. See the complete schedule and list of events for First Church and San Diego School of Christian Studies at www.fumcsd.org/StJohnsBible.
First Church is located west of Texas Street in Mission Valley, 2111 Camino del Rio South (619) 297.4366.

The Saint John's Bible is a work of art and a work of theology. A team of artists coordinated by Donald Jackson in Wales and a team of scholars in Central Minnesota have brought together the ancient techniques of calligraphy and illumination with an ecumenical Christian approach to the Bible rooted in Benedictine spirituality. The result is a living document and a monumental achievement.

Back in the 1990s, Donald Jackson observed the monks of Saint John's Abbey processing with their Book of the Gospels for Sunday Mass, and he recognized the importance of "their book." To create a Bible that would capture the beauty and tradition of centuries of liturgy and carry it into the future—that is the vision that united a calligrapher in Wales with a group of Benedictine monks in Minnesota.

Explore this area of the web site for more on the history, vision, guiding principles and techniques that make The Saint John's Bible an epic work of art. http://www.saintjohnsbible.org/

An Independent Book Project

This could be a really fun portfolio project for those of you in need of a "publication" and have interest in furthering your understanding and comfort with typography.

1. Pick a subject, the example I'll use to demonstrate is based on a toothbrush.
2. Pick a style, of design; Russian Constructivism, The Bauhaus/Swiss, Modernism etc.
3. Research the subject, and the style although the project is not about the subject but about how to create an interesting visual language based on a "style."
3. Design an informational piece which about the subject using the style.

This project could be also expanded out and include packaging, website etc.


SEE SAMPLE IN CLASS.