Presenting: The Standard 4, Scoring & Folding FOLDED INSPIRATION

AIGA Baltimore, Sappi Fine Paper and Lindenmeyr Munroe invite you to the debut of

The Standard 4, Scoring & Folding FOLDED INSPIRATION
A Members’ Only Event Presented by Trish Witkowski & Daniel Dejan

When: Thursday, July 14, 2011
Where: Matthew’s 1600 Restaurant
1600 Frederick Road, Catonsville, MD

Time: 5:00 – 6:00pm Cocktails & Hors d’oeuvres
6:00 – 7:30pm Speakers/Presentation
7:30 – 8:00pm Questions & Answers

Members, in Advance – $10

Stevenson University & AIGA Baltimore Present: Dan Pink, May 25th!

A conversation with Dan Pink about his recent book, DRIVE… (100 copies of the book available to the first 100 registrants)

Forget everything you thought you knew about how to motivate people—at work, at school, at home. It’s wrong. As Daniel H. Pink explains in his new and paradigm-shattering book Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, the secret to high performance and satisfaction in today’s world is the deeply human need to direct our own lives, to learn and create new things, and to do better by ourselves and our world.

Drawing on four decades of scientific research on human motivation, Pink exposes the mismatch between what science knows and what business does—and how that affects every aspect of our lives. He demonstrates that while the old-fashioned carrot-and-stick approach worked successfully in the 20th century, it’s precisely the wrong way to motivate people for today’s challenges.

In Drive, he reveals the three elements of true motivation: Autonomy- the desire to direct our own lives Mastery- the urge to get better and better at something that matters Purpose- the yearning to do what we do in the service of something larger than ourselves Along the way, he takes us to companies that are enlisting new approaches to motivation and introduces us to the scientists and entrepreneurs who are pointing a bold way forward. Drive is bursting with big ideas— the rare book that will change how you think and transform how you live.

About the Author – Daniel H. Pink is the author of the long-running New York Times and BusinessWeek bestseller A Whole New Mind, as well as The Adventures of Johnny Bunko and Free Agent Nation. He has written for The New York Times, Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, and Wired, where he is a contributing editor.

He has provided analysis for CNN, CNBC, ABC, NPR, and other networks in the U.S. and abroad. Pink lectures on economic transformation and the new workplace at corporations, associations, and universities around the world.

ADVANCE
AIGA Members – $15
Non-Members – $30

DOOR
AIGA Members – $25
Non-Members – $40

Adobe CS5 InDesign Workshops Follow-Up

Professionals at the April 23rd InDesign Workshop

During the month of April, the Baltimore chapter of AIGA hosted two Adobe CS5 InDesign workshops focused on various aspects of digital publishing and publishing for tablet PC formats, like the Apple iPad. The events, moderated by Scott Citron of scottcitrondesign.com, covered a vast array of epublishing topics (April 7 at the Irvine Nature Center), and a more in-depth focus on iPad and digital publishing development (April 23 at MICA). Approximately 40 folks came and shared strategies for digital publishing at both events.

Choosing the winner...

Also, of note, Adobe gracisouly offered a free copy of Adobe CS5 Premium to two registrants for attending the workshop and filling out an evaluation form. Drawings for both copies were made from the two groups’ evaluation forms, were two winners, Mike Ring and Kristi Mathias were chosen at random by Scott Citron.

http://newsletter.baltimore.aiga.org/aiga/issues/2011-03-28/email.html

Newest Issue of AIGA Baltimore | Connect out now!!!

Doyald Young, Master Typographer

Read about this legend who passed recently. Former president, Joe Wagner notes, “I had the honor as President of AIGA Baltimore of spending 2 evenings with Doyald Young. A soft spoken gentleman with a natural talent as a Master Typographer. His real gift was his genuine love of people and  typography as an art. I have always valued the signed book he gave me, “The Art of the Letter”. Over the past 8 years we stayed in touch through letters, cards and email. A true gentleman, I will miss you my friend.”

Read more at http://www.neenahpaperblog.com/2011/03/the-letterman-doyald-young-1926-2011/

 

Crowd-Sourcing & Living With It.

Adage.com recently reported that Harley-Davidson, that iconic motorcycle company, released a crowd-sourced ad through a company called: Victor & Spoils. the ad featured a campaign called “Cages” designed to encourage customers and potential customers to explore the HD1 factory customization program features available on various models of Harley-Davidson motorcycles.

The article discusses Harley-Davidson’s departure from the notion of “agency on record” and squarely characterizes their move to a strategic approach of multiple partnerships and collaborations—one of which is the recently focused ad. “Harley-Davidson Breaks Consumer-Created Work From Victors & Spoils” The article yields an increasing trend in advertising accounts—and one might argue that includes a range of creative projects that span advertising to design.

Long-term creative relationships are increasingly scrutinized. Perhaps my favorite episode of Mad Men’slast season illustrated this by portraying the loss of the SCDP’s longtime client, Lucky Strike. Despite the old relationship, things changed for the fictional ad agency in a heartbeat.

According to the book Radical Marketing, the authors, Sam Hill and Glenn Rifkin make the argument that much of the perception of what Harley Davidson is a company and a brand is driven by its highly loyal and faithful customer base. So much so that much of the publicity and promotion that promote the brand and its offerings are considered home-grown and consumer-focused, whether it be events at stores or promotions that run in tandem with various organized group rides. These grass-roots efforts take advantage of the high loyalty and sense of culture surrounding the iconic American brand.

This view of the company translates into a view that is perhaps independent of the specific advertising at the moment. See the ad for yourself: As a crowd-sourced ad, on the surface, it doesn’t seem to look bad at all—in fact it’s quite interesting with regard to special effects. The question of what the ad does to change or add to the notion of what riding a Harley-Davidson has come to mean is perhaps where the ad seems to be silent, or at very least not inconsistent with other things one has come to understand about what riding Harleys means. Outside of the ubiquitous sense of freedom the ad aspires to, there’s a connectivity that undergirds the culture of “hog riders”. Most people get that by now. And maybe it’s in this realm that the ad seems to fall short. Comments of the ad on Adage.com were much harsher some claiming that the ad was poorly-focused and pedestrian (my summation of comments I read).

Harley-Davidson, one might argue, hardly needs ads, which makes an argument of crowd-sourcing not so bad for them, while, on the other hand, it could be injurious to another organization with different consumer touchpoints.

An ad that’s fairly nascent may do little to scratch the relationship that Harley Davidson riders have come to expect from their company or their perception to it. This communications dynamic varies across various companies’ communications mix. I mean, I don’t always feel terrible about the well-designed bank identity that allows the individual banks to put homemade signs on the drive-up window, despite the fact that it may not look professional or consistent with the brand. But does it harm my perception of the bank? The deeper question lies.

The fracturing of media is certainly leading to the variance in methods of community with customer. Ultimately, one can only hope that the forces within the company that govern the vision are solid or, the company uses its professional relationships to properly define its standards for work similar to the well-designed style guide. But often, that’s wishful thinking. In a contested atmosphere, it may be impossible to give a client what they need instead of what they want, leading to less focus on long-term objectives of a communications relationship… And crowd-sourcing won’t always be able to help with that.

Viewing the evolving media landscape means not only adjusting to it, but working proactively at finding the underlying vision for the company as well as developing solid, brand-consistent work for a company. In so doing, it’s key to know when developed media is nibbling at the edges of the brand relationship or whether the media is reaching for the heart of meaning for that brand.

The enduring challenge for the professional creative is now, not simply to develop work that advances client goals in a fresh and clear way, but to ferret out the deeper brand-impact dynamic consistently in ways that strengthen the relationships with their customers.

Design Thinking Lectures

Design Thinking

Tune in for a series of lectures on design coming your way, beginning next week!!

Announcing the 2011 William O Steinmetz ’50 Designer in Residence at Maryland Institute College of Art:

This Monday February 21, 6:30pm
“Process is King but a Queen Is a Bitch”
Eddie Opara provides a free lecture in Falvey Hall at MICA
1301 Mount Royal Ave, Baltimore, MD

Pentagram’s newest partner, Eddie Opara, is a multi-faceted designer whose work encompasses brand identity, publications, environments, interactive installations, websites, user interfaces, and software, with many projects spanning across multiple media.

Next Thursday, February 24, 6:30pm
“Seek & Find”
Deanna Kuhlmann-Leavitt provides a lecture at Patterson Theatre
3134 Eastern Ave, Baltimore, MD

Registration’s free for members through Saturday, February 19th!!

What is the best solution? Not the easy answer! Seek & Find is a way of working that is inquisitive and playful, disciplined and rigorous. Whether working in print, new media or the built environment, Kuhlmann Leavitt, Inc. asks how volume and scale, materials and objects, color, type, imagery and text can be used in an original and meaningful way to create experiences that inform and delight.
Also for Thursday:

FREE program. All are welcome.

An Event by the Society for History & Graphics:
Pioneers of Modern Design – An informal book discussion on Chapter 2
February 24, 7:00-9:00pm
MICA, Room M110

Info posted at: http://shag.squarespace.com

This SHAG program is sponsored by Dolphin Press & Print at MICA and MICA’s programs in Graphic Design and illustration. SHAG website is sponsored by AQUENT, the talent agency for marketers and designers.

Next Monday, February 28, 2:00 pm
“Jonathan Barnbrook: Graphic Designer”
Jonathan Barnbrook provides a free lecture in Falvey Hall at MICA
1301 Mount Royal Ave, Baltimore, MD

Recently recognized in a major exhibition at the Design Museum of London, Jonathan Barnbrook is confirmed as one of Britain’s best-known graphic designers. Since 1990 he has chosen to work with a mix of cultural institutions, activist groups, and charities as well as completing a steady stream of personal works.

Thursday, March 10, 6:30 pm
“Design Ignites Change!”
Mark Randall provides a free lecture in the Center for the Arts Harold J. Kaplan Concert Hall at Towson University

Creativity holds enormous power for fostering social change. As designers—contributors to the material world—we have a responsibility to make choices that benefit society in positive ways. The challenge we face is how do we expand our profession to have greater impact?

What is Graphic Design?

Looking for information for a class I’m teaching on Page Layout, I ran across a video on YouTube of Paul Rand, the designer for whom was, perhaps, my first entree to the notion of design as a profession. The interview I attached is by a group interviewing Steve Jobs, who at the time, was developing a company called Next, after he left Apple in the early nineties, oh so long ago.

Job’s description of the work of Paul Rand embodies what, if anything, describes the direction of the modern designer: “[Paul] is  the intertwining of a pure artist and somebody who is very astute at solving business problems.”

In another interview from around the same time, I heard Rand speak about the relative simplicity of the solution that he develops. In an interview on Connecticut Public Television (search YouTube for miggb), he retorts that the relative simplicity [of various logos—in this case the logo for ABC] could be duplicated and drawn by a child.

Reading between the lines, the designer is in the solution business, not the art business, nor the consultant business. Rand’s approach was about being both.

There’s a matter-of-fact, bluntness that leaves one wanting when hearing Rand speak of the pursuit of the solution. His book A Designer’s Art, perhaps my first graphic design read, is where his thoughts go into full bloom. But, in the Connecticut Public Radio interviews he’s basically like: I did this or that because I think it works.

I attached this video because the Steve Jobs of the 1990s, captures the speakable and the unspoken of what paul Rand brought to the table and that factor that a designer or design firm should be bringing to the table. Asked about Rand’s process, Jobs said it’s not to so much that he could say about it, but more that you could feel it.

Generalization or Specialization?

Recently, I was asked by a student what was better generalization or specialization and frankly I am of a divided opinion:

I’ve heard that being a generalist and knowing a bunch of different things in design waters down the thing that one specializes in and devalues the body of professional achievement.

I’ve also heard the opposite: Applying a diverse background of work often informs a designer by giving that person “fresh eyes” to a problem.

…And read a bit on this: In The Dip, Seth Godin says that the way our society is, there’s little value in being ranked lower than, say number six in any category. So, if one were a generalist, it means they do so at the danger of not adding to their strengths, whose achievement more than pays for itself in benefits (i.e. work, awards, money, etc.)

Well, I opened the question up to the AIGA Baltimore LinkedIn group and here are some responses from our great group members:

“I was asked by a student which is better: being a generalist and being moderately good at alot of disciplines in design or being a specialist? What are your thoughts?”

Lucas writes: “Being a jack-of-all-trades type of person I feel that I have had success through that path. But there is trouble finding a job outside of just freelancing that suits this type of process. I think you run into trouble trying to figure out where you fit in with a 9-5 job in terms of salary, “Am I a Web Designer or more of a developer or am I just a poser?” Also, I fantasize about being a hand-lettering specialist. Do what feels right, do it well and things will come your way.”

Brian writes: “From what I’ve experienced when you start out you have to be a jack of all trades to get people in the door and feed yourself. Then as you season you usually are attracted to a couple of things you are passion about and specialize in thus become known for.”

Stephanie adds: “More and more clients are coming to us (professional talent firm) for that Hybrid Designer / Developer. But more than anything they want to see the passion for what you do and they want you to be able to communicate that with those you work with.”

Just a small sampling of the population but opinions abound. Have an opinion? Feel free to add it to our discussion. Thanks.

Free Agent Nation …

Watching the NFL Playoffs, and the loss of the Baltimore Ravens, had me taking in the way the analysts discussed the loss. But more importantly, how they wasted no time in discussing the makeup of next season’s team. The old adage of “not for long,” being an acronym for NFL, has never been more true than in the modern game.

The way the game works nowadays, a player grows into a role, and if upon becoming relatively indispensable in their early career, they test the “free agent” market and they’re often gone to the competitor in a flash. That’s perhaps the truest test of how indispensable one is in the NFL. Will they keep the promising guy? On one end, we’d have a franchise player and on the other end, we have the journeyman who fills a role.

Without a doubt, each player on the team needs to know not only how integral their role in the team is: Are you playing for the long-term contract or are you playing (to impress) for your next team? Furthermore, they need to know what the team’s metrics dictate regarding these decisions as well. (Does the current team have a chance to make the playoffs? Does the current team have enough money to pay me what I’m worth?)

Similarly, the creative world has grown the same way. Many of the new economy experts say there is increased emphasis focus on assembling teams that evolve with laser specificity to certain projects and dissolve more fluidly. But you know this already. Environments that inoculate the creative from the stark realities of business are becoming more and more rare.

It feels like a million years ago that advertising stalwart, Eisner & Associates, suddenly closed its doors, leaving clients, suppliers and employees twisting in the wind. While that’s the extreme scenario, creatives have entered the free agent nation as well. Smaller teams for many projects just may be the new normal.

I recently worked on a design project where I felt like one of the cast from Ocean’s Thirteen: A group of folks on a conference call whom I would never know, anchored together with specific tasks to perform, a decent project and a project coordinator. Each person bringing something to the project to make it work.

The new economy is pushing us this way. With the American GDP estimating a weak recovery so far, after a disastrous two years, watching the bottom line is what everyone’s doing. Evil Catbert HR directors routinely are trying to figure out how to get your work done without you doing it. Businesses will hire from anywhere. What’s not made in China is even rarer. The bottom line is the top priority.

So, it’s not a surprise when a creative colleague gets that meeting—the kind of meeting at the end of Wall Street (the original)—where one’s walking into the office and everyone is whispering about the impending changes immediately coming to the company. Of course, let’s substitute Charlie Sheen’s character being arrested for being laid off at the end of the movie.

The new economy is about bringing on people who can “do that (special) thing you do” the way Richard Price, the author of Clockers, was brought in to David Simon’s The Wire. as told in an interview on NPR. “That thing you do,” of course, is something that shows a special creative insight that inspires and attracts attention. His was the aforementioned book. What is yours?

“The fundamental unit in today’s economy is the individual, a.k.a. YOU! Jobs are performed by temporary networks that disband when the job is done. So to succeed you have to think of yourself as a freelance-contractor—BRAND YOU! Someone who is savvy, informed, always learning and growing, who knows how to sell herself, and—most important—does work that matters.” — Tom Peters, the Brand You 50.

It’s wholly important that the creative professional hone their skills whether they area a franchise player or a free agent, because in the end, we are all free agents, as nothing is promised. This is the driving ethic behind initiatives like AIGA Baltimore on Behance, a curated page for the AIGA Baltimore audience, or recent events such as Critique Hash Brown, one of which took place recently.

Taking the opportunity to hone your skills or going the extra mile to develop new ones keeps your creative energy focused so that someone wants you to do that special thing you do.