RE:MEMBER .Issue 36

WELCOME

Welcome to the February issue of Re:Member. Has the cold weather got you down? Are you tired of staying home night after night watching TV-show reruns? Well, we’ve got the cure to help you beat your winter blues! Clear Space I! Drinks and good conversation with your fellow AIGA Chicago members are guaranteed to beat another dreary night at home. So put down the TV remote, get off the couch, hire that babysitter and come join us for Clear Space I on February 7 at The Motel Bar!

“Images are no longer just representations of interpreters of human actions. They have become central to every action that connects humans to each other...as much reference points for information and knowledge as visualizations of human creativity.”
—Ron Burnett

CHICAGO CHAPTER NEWS & EVENTS

Clear Space I

Thursday, February 7
The Motel Bar
600 W. Chicago Avenue
Chicago, IL 60610
6pm

Our first Clear Space of 2008 kicks off at The Motel Bar, featuring a classic cocktail menu and interior to match. Come crash with fellow AIGA members. Cash bar. 21 and over only.

Registration is FREE, but necessary. Register now!

Business of Design I - Katrina Markoff of Vosges Haut-Chocolat
Wednesday, March 12
Alliance Francaise
54 W. Chicago Avenue
Chicago, IL 60610
7:30am doors open
8am-10am presentation

The Business of Design series brings together Chicago’s business thought leaders in design, marketing, communications, strategy and research. We’ll tap the genius and the lessons learned from inspiring business leaders who understand the value of design and integrate design throughout their organization.

Katrina Markoff, owner and chocolatier of Vosges Haut-Chocolate, has built her business into a nation- and world spanning enterprise. Born into a Macedonian family in Indiana, Markoff brings an international perspective to her chocolate business. Using a spectrum of ingredients ranging from dark chocolate to paprika, Vosges’ exotic truffles offer customers a wide variety of flavors and experiences. With recognition ranging from the Bon Appetit Food Artisan of the Year Award to certification as a Women’s Business Enterprise, Markoff and Vosges have become a powerful brand in the world of chocolate.

This event is sponsored by Appleton Coated, JohnsByrne Company and Getty Images.

Small Talk I summary
The first Small Talk of the year was hosted by Pivot Design on Tuesday, January 22. The night was largely social, exploring the space and work display over hors d’oeuvres. At one point, the President and Creative Director, Brock Haldeman, gathered the guests together to introduce himself and answer questions.

The firm was started 16 years ago when Brock was a mere 24 years old. Of his decision to start his own firm, he replied, “I thought, I’m doing senior-level design work. I might as well be doing it for myself.” With no prior business knowledge, Brock took a loan from his parents and rented a tiny loft on the corner of Clark and Hubbard.

The decision to immediately obtain office space proved to be indispensable. Brock attributes his first studio to the success of his firm. Meeting fellow tenants resulted in connections with diverse industries. His first big client was a neighboring shoe store, for which he designed all packaging.

Today, Pivot has grown to a mid-sized firm with a considerably larger studio space at Huron and Franklin. Their focus is on corporate materials but extends to not-for-profit organizations as well. Their capabilities and passion are primarily in print and typography, but a small percentage of interactive work is growing.

This event was sponsored by Artisan, Dupli-Graphic and Getty Images.

Announcing 2008 Programming Calendar
Getty Images Official Imagery Sponsor of AIGA Chicago

These dates are subject to change depending on venue and speaker availability. Registration for all events will open approximately one month prior to the event date.These dates are subject to change depending on venue and speaker availability. Registration for all events will open approximately one month prior to the event date.

Small Talks—sponsored by Artisan and Dupli-Graphic
January 22 – Pivot Design
March 25 – Studio Blue
May 5 – Thirst
July 22 – VSA Partners, Inc.
September 23 – Chicago Children’s Museum
November 18 – Avenue A | Razorfish

Clear Space
February 7 – The Motel Bar
April 3 – Fulton Lounge
June 5 – details to come
August 7 – details to come
October 2 – details to come
December 4 – details to come

The Business of Design—sponsored by Appleton Coated and JohnsByrne Company and moderated by Joseph Michael Essex
March 12 – Katrina Markoff of Vosges Haut-Chocolat
July 16 – Eva Maddox of Perkins + Will and Archeworks
November 12 - details to come

Student Portfolio Review
April 2 – The Portfolio Center at Columbia College Chicago

Tools of the Trade—sponsored by The Buzz Company and Forget Computers, Ltd.
May 8 – details to come
August 27 – Creative content for the Web with Naz Hamid
December 10 – CMS schools of thought with Palantir.net

Fresh Talent—sponsored by The Buzz Company and moderated by Rick Valicenti
April 17 – three young Chicago talents, including Dawn Hancock and Alisa Wolfson

Annual Members Meeting—sponsored by Lake County Press
June 12

Learning From Legacy—sponsored by Artisan and Neenah Paper
September 18

Incite/Insight—sponsored by Rider Dickerson
October 30

Welcome 2008 Annual Sustaining Sponsors
Thanks again to our partners who make all of our programs possible!

MEMBERSHIP

Membership benefit reminder
Improve your design practice with advice from Creative Business. AIGA members can now enjoy an extensive archive of articles, originally published in the Creative Business newsletter, with useful tips on pricing, marketing and management for company principals and self-employed designers. Visit the AIGA Web site to download your complimentary Creative Business articles today.

AIGA Chicago welcomes new members to the chapter

Welcome to AIGA Chicago!

From National

Polling Place Photo Project
On January 10, The New York Times and AIGA announced the launch of the Polling Place Photo Project, a nationwide experiment that encourages voters to submit photographs of every polling location in America during the 2008 primaries and generalelection. By documenting local voting experiences, online users cancontribute to an archive of photographs that captures the richness and complexity of voting in America. Visit the Polling Place Photo Project Web site to learn more about the project and participate.

Massaging Media 2: Graphic Design Education in the Age of Dynamic Media
Massaging Media 2: Graphic Design Education in the Age of Dynamic Media conference will gather a diverse group of presenters and attendees from around the world for a provocative conversation on how graphic design education is being affected by dynamic media. Through keynote presentations, panel discussions, multiple-track speaker sessions, a working lunch and a breakfast round table, discussions will focus on five key subject areas: pedagogy, practice, theory, future history and making it work. The conference is being held in Boston, April 4-6. Visit the Massaging Media 2: Graphic Design Education in the Age of Dynamic Media Web site for more information and to make reservations.

Design Community Events

Exploring Design—Thinking and Making in a Changing World
On February 17 and 18, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago will present a two-day series of events devoted to addressing the current state of architecture and design, and their position as engines of production in a world awash with “stuff” that quickly finds its way to the landfill. The roundtable is on Sunday, February 17 at 3:30pm. The lecture is on Monday, February 18 at 6pm. Both events will take place at Fullerton Hall, Art Institute of Chicago, 111 S. Michigan Avenue. Admission is free.

Save the Date

March 12—Business of Design I: Katrina Markoff of Vosges Chocolates
March 25—Small Talk II: Studio Blue

Special Thank You

AIGA Chicago and the Re:Member team would like to thank Krista Seidl, our event reporter, for so diligently and thoroughly reporting on all of the chapter events for the past year. Krista will be pursuing other volunteer opportunities within the chapter. Thank you for all the time, attentiveness and insight, Krista!