I know, it’s been two months already since the AIGA conference and I promise this is the last review of it. But I think it’s important to have one more take (five is a good number) on the conference and I also think that if there is any place that should foster commentary about the happenings in Vancouver is Speak Up. With that said, I’m happy to bring you Ben Hagon’s (of Pylon Design in Canada) own opinionated review:
The Potential of Design
A review of the AIGA 2003: Power of Design Conference
By Ben Hagon
The decision by the American Institute of Graphic Arts to hold their tenth bi-annual design conference in Vancouver, British Columbia was a brave and progressive move.
Vancouver is a city of beauty, charm, and sheer natural power. A sparkling metropolis framed by great mountains and the Pacific Ocean, the location was concisely aligned with the conference’s vital theme: Sustainability.
It was a brave move by the Americans, instigational even, to select Canada as a venue. Since the invasion of Iraq, US — Canuck relations have been tense. First Canada refused to donate military support to Desert Storm II, then came a barrage of political faux-pas; the legal loophole which made marijuana possession legal, the ruling that made the prohibition of homosexual marriage unconstitutional, and lastly the decision by the government of B.C to set up safe, clean injection sites for intravenous drug users. All four political decisions left the U.S administration aghast at their closest neighbour and alley.
None of this seemed to concern the AIGA, the worlds largest graphic design organization. If this eighty-nine year old entity wishes to be perceived as young, cool, and relevant they are presently attaining their goals.
The AIGA’s mission statement is concerned with “furthering excellence” in our field; it is also gravitating toward a deeper level of function, which encourages us to use the AIGA as a place to “exchange ideas” and “advance education and ethical practice”.
This was evident at the AIGA 2003: “The Power of Design” conference. Instead of the usual design conference discussion about design and design-y stuff, the tone was more external; what effect can design have within our world. This huge sentiment drew a large list of speakers with everyone from Fritjof Capra, thru Katherine McCoy, to juggler Michael Moschen.
What was clear at this conference was the importance of design. This notion drew students from Texas, Designers from Toronto, and publishers from London. You could almost taste the enthusiasm in the air, we weren’t there for the free T-Shirts, or the complimentary booze, everyone came to Vancouver because we love design and care about it’s essential role within our world.
There is a current trend within graphic design to make us appear more important. Talk of context, relevance, and sustainability are common. More and more “Show and Tell” takes a backseat to “Why, What, When, How”. Why is this? Is it that designers are tired of being treated like decorators, or is it that we see a glimmer of potential to contribute to the creation of a better world?
With this conference as evidence, the AIGA believes the latter. And based on the attendance of the conference, there are a whole slew of designers that agree with them. The attendees list was a veritable who’s who of American design: practically the whole of Pentagram USA, Bruce Mau, Michael Vanderbyl, every educator worth their salt, the list goes on and on. A special mention should be given to the passion of the American students, some flying in from as far away as Georgia (a 7 hour flight), and all self financed, with the motives of listening, listening, and inspiration.
There was a buzz in the air. As a designer used to the day-to-day slog of studio life, it was exhilarating to be surrounded by so many with similar interests and an equal level of passion for design.
Greg Galle from C2 in San Francisco states, “A good conference gets you thinking. And keeps you thinking.” and AIGA 2003 fell squarely into that category, with it’s focus firmly set on sustainability and the environment AIGA surprised many attendees. Its title “The Power of Design” was ambiguous; however many’s initial guess would not have been designs impact on the environment. What we learnt however was that by making simple choices in our design process we can make a huge contribution to sustaining our planet.
Terry Irwin gave us a frightening statistic; graphic designers in part create forty percent of North America’s toxic waste. From chocolate-bar wrappers, to corporate brochures, to billboards, our toxic inks and varnishes sit in landfills all over the continent poisoning the landscape. By making some simple choices, we could make a huge difference.
Irwin’s mentor Fritjof Capra has been fundamental in connecting design and environmentalism. The reasons for this is that he makes it all seem so easy. Oratorally he is not an extremist, which leads to a greater scope of appreciation. By talking in a calm, regular manner, instead of environmental ranting, he reaches more people, thus increasing the effectiveness of his sentiment. His concept of waste=food is so basic that it seems achievable. In all species except homo-sapien, waste=food. Everything that one species creates as waste, another absorbs. From horse feces becoming manure, to discarded branches being used in Beaver’s dams, the planet has created a circle of sustainability. Somewhere between Isaac Newton and Henry Ford, Capra argues humanity has lost sight of this.
Capra states that if we as designers make sustainable choices (papers, inks, etc.), encourage our clients to take an interest, and pressure our suppliers to support the products, we can make a huge difference. His essential point was that if as humans we designed our way into this destructive, industrial mess, then we, as designers can surely design our way out of it.
His messages were well received by the audience and his books sold-out in no time at the on-site bookshop. It seems Capra’s points struck a nerve; they were the basis for the conference. There were many more sustainable lectures (David Orr’s being the stand-out), however the point had been exquisitely made by Capra, and confirmed by Terry Irwin and her supporters.
The other important discussion point in Vancouver was education. Thursday was student day, with a portfolio session in the morning and a wonderful symposium What Little we’ve Learned in the afternoon.
The most essential lecture was Jessica Helfland and William Drenttel’s Culture is not always popular, where they argued, quite ferociously, that design education is failing students and insulting their intelligence. By the continued practice of teaching modernism and the Bauhaus’ one solution fixes-all approach to design, and by cowering from intellectualism, we are perpetuating the circle of decoration, and not coming close to design’s threat of becoming a tool for society at large.
I perceived this, as a much-needed attack on the design establishment, and their outdated notions of craft, concept, and beauty. Helfland & Drenttel have the intellectual punch to back it up. Furthermore with their teachings and writings it appears they are beginning to bring about a change in the way design is considered.
They argued that thinking and making are not separate, that when one is producing an object, one can also cognitively consider the piece and it’s external context. Their savage optimism was shakingly inspirational, the general reaction at the conference was that their lecture was far-and-away the climax of the conference.
What did The Power of Design achieve? And why was Culture is not always popular so well received? They confirmed what many designers have been discussing for some time, that design is on the crest of a new movement. The difference is that this movement is not defined by one particular style, as previous movements have been, it is concerned with the external factors of design. Arguments such as Style vs. Content are no longer relevant, we will not discuss such internal trivialities such as what’s the “Big Idea”, or what “Feeling does it Evoke”, we will begin to concern ourselves with what does it say about our society? Is our work improving anything except pocket books or trophy-cases? Or, will my career aid my children’s standard of living or merely contribute to the contemporary epidemic of visual overload?
Some may argue this is just the overspill of a generation schooled in the caring-sharing Nineties (think Body Shop, Colours, or Organic foods, etc.) and this maybe true, nonetheless what is preferable, the slightly left-of-centre, more humane person, or as in the current establishment; the right-wing, money-hungry, capitalists of the eighties?
According to AIGA, the future could be bright; all we need are platforms to keep these notions in rotation. Recent developments such as Design Observer, Speak Up, Emigré’s recent format, Eye’s support of new writers, and Dot Dot Dot, show that design is trying. It is up to us as practitioners, educators, writers, and citizens to support them. A wonderful change is afoot, it is our responsibility to guarantee that it happens. So throw away the black turtlenecks, Gucci glasses, and pretensions, and talk to people, find out what your peers are about, and most importantly think about how your work fits in the world.
In 2003 AIGA helped show us the Potential of Design.
vancouver was soo long ago and i thought all were ready to move on. now one more... actually, not having made it to vancouver i enjoyed this review. "A good conference gets you thinking. And keeps you thinking." i think is a very valid point and used to be my argument why i would not attend a national conference as it the past it was not about provoking thought but was merely a show-off. so, it looks to me that while some might not have agreed with much that was said, or did not like the format etc. it did create plenty of discussion and that must be seen as a great success.
On Dec.02.2003 at 09:52 AM