LOCAL/REGIONAL

THE BRAND GAP — Almost booked up!   

March 28 or March 30
Location: Hotel Lucia
Registration Deadline: Friday, March 24, 2006

Space is limited! Less than 20 spots remain!

AIGA Portland and Neutron, LLC team up to present the Brand Gap, a one-day seminar that will teach designers and corporate strategists how to bridge the distance between business strategy and design. Until strategy and creativity unite, there is no brand! Learn why brand has become critical to every business, learn the difference between identity and brand, learn why designers are natural differentiators, and learn the three basic models of brand collaboration. That’s not enough? Learn how to listen to markets instead of talking at them, learn why fast and frequent prototyping drives ideas and learn how to embed design throughout the company. Attendees receive the Brand Gap book, the Brand Gap binder, a CD version of the workshop for company presentations, valuable new contacts, ideas and methods for state of the art process, new perspectives on your career or company, and some very important new tricks for your design bag!

Learn how to bridge the distance between business strategy and design. Join 36 of our peers for a one-day collaborative workshop on creating and cultivating powerful brands. Choose between two sessions, March 28 (Tuesday) or March 30 (Thursday).

Congratulations to the winner of the Aquent $150 scholarship, Gary Lapado of Xerox Office Group!

This program is made possible by the generous support of our AIGA Portland Partners:
funding by the Portland Development Commission
printing donated by Print Graphics
paper donated by West Coast Paper
Aquent and the American Marketing Association, Oregon

Early Registration is available now!
Visit: portland.aiga.org and choose event to register.

Career Tools: Client Relations

Tuesday, March 14, 2006 8:00 am - 9:30 am
Elephant's Deli Garden Room
115 NW 22nd Ave
Portland, Oregon 97210

This event is now full!

Speaker: Thom Walters, Coraggio Group
Below the Water Line: Where the Client Experience Lives Influence, not power, is what separates those who get sustainable results from those who don't. True leaders and true brands exist below the water line, meaning that there must be influence to achieve greatness in business. Above the water line is what brands do; below the water line is what brands are.
Thom will introduce you to the art and science of influence; it is where the experience lives and credibility with your clients is established.
For more information, please visit http://portland.aiga.org/events/2006/03/8461769

This program was made possible in part by the generous support of the Portland Development Commission.

dMob           

Thursday, March 16
6:30pm - 9:00pm
Location: Lucky Lab

Attention Designers and friends: Looking for your design community? Network, renew past relationships, and make new ones. Join AIGA Portland at dMob on the third Thursday of every month. This social event is free and open to everyone in design and related industries. Look for an invitation in your email or visit the website (no link yet) for more information and photos.

AIGA Portland Board of Directors call for nominations

Is there a design professional – a peer, colleague or even yourself – that you would like to see in a leadership role in our local chapter? The Board is in the process of identifying, encouraging and enlisting the active participation of dedicated professionals in the service of AIGA.

Qualities such as vision, leadership skills, ability to play well with others, and a special interest in sponsorship partnerships or event management are all worth extra points. We encourage everyone to identify and nominate a candidate; nomination forms and additional information will be made available on our website shortly.

When you nominate a candidate and/or cast your ballot, you play a vital role in the future of AIGA Portland. Put on your thinking caps and watch for further information—this is your opportunity to make a difference!

COMMUNITY

In the Community

For more information on design-related events happening in Portland, be sure to visit the Community page at portland.aiga.org

NATIONAL

Inequality Matters: Design a poster by March 15

Inequality of income, limited access to health and education, and underdeveloped markets for trade are trapping much of the world's population in a cycle of poverty. AIGA and the Human Development Report Office of the United Nations Development Programe developed a poster initiative, “Inequality Matters,” in anticipation of the 2005 World Summit last September. Working with AIGA, Tom Geismar conceived and designed a series of posters illustrating the social disparity that exists between cultures. Rich countries, for example, account for more than 50 percent of the world’s annual income, but less than 20 percent of the population. The posters were displayed at the Summit and are available on the AIGA website.

Now AIGA members can design their own posters to add to the “Inequality Matters” gallery. Each poster should illustrate an issue from the UN Human Development Report 2005. The poster deadline is March 15, 2006. Visit http://www.aiga.org/inequalitymatters for the gallery of posters and submission guidelines.

AIGA Design Expedition to China
13 days to Shanghai, Beijing & Guangzhou

April 29 – May 12, 2006

The understanding of other cultures is a prerequisite for effective communication and design. Some of the most vital moments of cultural exchange come when engaging in a true dialogue with one's peers. With this in mind, the AIGA Center for Cross-Cultural Design is sponsoring a 13-day Design Expedition to China to visit three of China’s most dynamic cities: Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. This in-depth tour will lead a select group of American designers to engage their Chinese counterparts––to experience first hand how a Chinese designer lives and works, to discover the sources of his/her inspiration, and to learn how he communicates in this rapidly changing global environment.

In addition to discovering some of China’s greatest architecture, art and cultural riches, our itinerary will take us to the leading design programs & universities as well as into the studios of some of China’s top designers.

Space is limited to the 25 people on a first-come, first-served basis. For a registration form or more information, please contact: Robert Linsky, 617-646-4129 or linskyrobert@hotmail.com

Icograda Design Week

Seattle, WA
July 9-15, 2006
www.seattle.icograda.org

Icograda Design Week in Seattle is an international forum for discussion about the role of design in the face of incredible change in the world. It will address how designers can contribute to a healthy world economy while being mindful of the cultural, environmental and political impact of design.
Take advantage of early bird registration discounts until April 10. An additional discount is also being extended to AIGA members.
AIGA Portland would like to gather a group of volunteers to help with the event. If interested, please contact info@portland.aiga.org.
For more information on this event, please visit www.seattle.icograda.org

The event is presented by Icograda in partnership with the AIGA Center for Cross-Cultural Design.

Attn: Traveling Designers

If you're itching to get out of Dodge and looking for inspiration to act globally, design environmentally and work profitably, mark these conference dates on your calendar:

Fall 2006
Gain: AIGA Business and Design Conference
New York City, NY https://www.aiga.org//content.cfm/gainconference_07?

Volunteer on a National Level

If you would like to be involved in a national task force on helping to develop a clear plan for the profession to gain broader diversity, e-mail Amy Dorfman at amy_dorfman@aiga.org. AIGA board member Brown Johnson is currently working with Ric Grefe on this issue. Even if you do not want to serve on the task force, you’re encouraged to send your thoughts on the topic to Amy.

COMPETITIONS

365: AIGA Annual Design Competitions 27

Late Entry Deadline: March 24, 2006

The selections in AIGA's annual juried competitions represent the best work across all disciplines of communication design and strategy. As such, they become part of the AIGA Design Archives, a searchable visual database of exemplary design, they are exhibited at the AIGA National Design Center in New York and offered as a traveling exhibit for display across the country. For more information,

visit http://www.aiga.org/content.cfm/upcomingcompetitions

AIGA 50 Books/50 Covers of 2005

Late Entry Deadline: March 24, 2006

This time-honored competition aims to identify the 50 best-designed books and book covers annually. To be eligible, a book must consist of at least 48 pages (except for children's books) and be either case-bound or paperbound between covers. Except in the case of limited-edition books, print runs should be in excess of 250 copies. Entries should be for sale to the general public, or, if offered gratis, should not consist of corporate literature. For more information,

visit http://www.aiga.org/content.cfm/upcomingcompetitions

HOW Self-Promotion Competition

Deadline: March 20, 2006

The 19th annual HOW Self-Promotion Awards are upon us! So if you have outstanding promotion work—for you, your business or a client's image—HOW wants to see it. Download rules and an entry form here.

Previous winners: 2005 Gallery.

HOW Perfect 10 Awards

Deadline: April 14, 2006

HOW is now accepting entries into the 3rd annual Perfect 10 Awards. What makes a printed piece perfect? Appropriateness—of the design to the materials to the production values. In other words, a printed piece that is in harmony with itself. Download rules and an entry form here.

Previous winners: HOW December 2004.

CONTENTS

• Local/Regional News
• Community
• National News
• Competitions
• About AIGA
• Support Our Sponsors
• Contact Information