Re: Interactive Design in the Grown in California competition

On 7/16/04 7:31 AM, "Larisa Gieneart" <[email protected]> wrote:
>"Is AIGA still only focused on the visual aesthetics?"

>- we are bumping up against this one lately as well...the feedback we are
>getting from members is "how does a graphic designer add interactive to
>their skill set?" Which leads me to believe the pervasive mind-set is still
>"how do we add a web component to our print?"

>So I don't think we're doing a good enough job communicating that it ISNT
>all aesthetic to that particular group of people. We think there is a
>thought that you need to add this to your repertoire like quark or
>illustrator, when indeed GD's should not usually be asked to design
>interactive, they  may however be asked to own the look and feel, brand,
>collaborate etc...

>Next week we are having an event with this as our main topic the audience
>will all be traditional AIGA members, familiar with "design" but I wonder
>how we can best communicate the  difference of Interactive, without making
>them all feel like they should never go near an interactive project because
>you should "leave it to the big guys"...

>I would like to see an AIGA-ED stand on this topic.


I don't know that there's so much of an AIGA-ED stand on the topic as a
broader AIGA one (as I perceive it anyway; I'm NOT speaking officially on
behalf of the whole institution).  Over the last few years, the organization
has very explicitly shifted its focus to be an organization concerned with
advancing critical thinking about designing, and advocating the value of
design among the media, the business community, local, state, and national
governments and NGO, and the public-at-large.
http://www.aiga.org/content.cfm/aboutaiga

Of course, that's not a change you can make just by saying it, like flipping
on a switch.  It's a slow transition that involves aligning the activities
and POVs of 47 local chapters, and tens of thousands of people (both inside
the AIGA and outside).    And there is progress being made, though I
recognize it may not always be visible to those not invested in it or
watching closely.  

It also doesn't mean that the AIGA is now unconcerned with aesthetics,
style, "traditional design", or celebrating craft.  On the contrary, it
recognizes the unique importance those play in shaping culture, and is still
the oldest -- and only, really -- institutional curator of American design
standards.  

Lastly, I might even question whether AIGA was ever solely focused on
"visual aesthetics".   Throughout its history, the AIGA has been concerned
with advocating a broader design agenda, one interested in social change.
Alfred Stieglitz was one of the founding members.  If you look the names of
past presidents, you'll spot names like Walter Dorwin Teague (who, among
other prototypical industrial designers like Henry Dreyfuss helped pioneer
some of the fundamental design principles that later shaped thinking about
usability, context of use, and user experience) and William Drenttel*.
You'll also see among the names of AIGA national design medal winners people
like Charles and Ray Eames, Phillip Johnson, Walter Paepcke, Muriel Cooper,
and George Nelson, none of whom were solely, or even primarily, concerned
with visual aesthetics.   It's always been a broad organization.

That being said, I do recognize that most of the membership of AIGA consists
of students and professionals learning and practicing in visual design
disciplines -- illustration, type design, editorial design, packaging, etc.
But it doesn't mean the discourse is limited to narrow,
medium-and-discipline bound discussions.  At least it ought not be.

-jz


* See Drenttel's topic from the last national conference: "Jessica Helfand
and Bill Drenttel propose a broader cultural paradigm for design - one that
engages multiple disciplines including history, science, language and
literature - and which ultimately calls for a completely different approach
to design education."



-- 
john zapolski
director, design practice development
yahoo!, inc.

Chair, AIGA Experience Design
AIGA National Board of Directors



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