AIGA Los Angeles

Founded in 1983 by design legends Deborah Sussman, Saul Bass, Jim Cross, and others, the Los Angeles chapter continues to connect LA's varied creative industries through extensive programming, events, communication and social outreach. AIGA/LA is recognized as a civic leader for its celebration of local design, partnerships with cultural and media organizations, exceptional support of educational institutions, and a dedication to nurturing the diversity and independent spirit unique to the Los Angeles creative community.

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Connecting people to brands and brands to people is what Co-Founder & Chief Creative Officer of @MovingBrands Jim Bull (@JamesMBull) does. Join Us to get a behind the scenes view of branding and corporate storytelling. Get tickets from link in our bio!!! (at CTRL Collective)

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Packed house for our #AIGAWomenLeadership event (at rhubarb studios)

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#DesignTalk What do you think are the biggest challenges to women's careers when it comes to the creative industry? Read @dianelindquist interview on the perspective on Women Leadership, link in our bio #AIGAWomenLeadership

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Let's challenged stereotypes & negotiated the potential that women in design. Buy your tickets with the link in our bio #AIGALosAngeles #AIGAWomenInLeadership. Artwork by @clevercreative (at rhubarb studios)

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Join, Renew, or Level Up by 11am & you'll be entered for a chance to win a Wacom Intuos Pro small tablet!!! Link in our bio!!

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Thumbs at the ready for tonight’s ‪#‎AIGASpark‬ at @EightyTwoLA. Increase a chance to enter giveaways for @dkngstudios posters, tickets to future AIGA LA events & Tickets to our Upcoming #AIGAWomenInLeadership event. Plus Bonus rounds 4 New Members during the fall drive: if you give us your name at the SPARK New Member table & join AIGA by Wednesday, Sept. 16th #LevelUpLA http://bit.ly/SparkEightyTwo!! ‪

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Join, renew, or level up your AIGA membership at the $250/year Sustaining level, we’ll thank you with a limited-edition, AIGA-branded custom sketchbook for all your brilliantly creative design solutions, plus a chance to win one of our sweet prizes during our special giveaway windows. Link in description box #AIGABelong #AIGALosAngeles

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#SpeakerSpotlight on @JessicaHische self described “avid internetter”, lettering artist, illustrator, author, & one of our speaker for our #AIGAWomeninLeadership this Sept. 16th. Known for her comical side projects & occasional foul mouth, Hische is actively involved in the design, illustration, and type communities, having served on the Type Directors Club board from 2012 to 2015. Don’t miss out on this spectacular event inspired from @AIGADesign Women’s Initiative. #AIGALosAngeles ----------------- Artwork by @CleverCreative

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Revived, refreshed, & embolden with our hot pink streak! For the next 8 days, we’ll show you even more AIGA love than usual. Keep your eyes open for special giveaways! Link in description box. #AIGAbelong #AIGALosAngeles

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:#SpeakerSpotlight @SuMathews (via Twitter) is the senior partner in design at Lippincott’s NYC office, co-founder of the AIGA Women’s Leadership Initiative & the current President of @AIGAdesign makeing her the 5th Female President in AIGA’s 100 year history. For over two decades, Su has thrived at the intersection of graphic design and brand strategy. Be sure to join the conversation on women & design leadership this Sept 16th. #AIGAWomenLeadership Get TIckets: http://bit.ly/AIGAWomenInLeadership ----------------- Artwork by @CleverCreative

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50 BOOKS/50 COVERS COMPETITION

Deadline: August 15, 2012

Design Observer is hosting this year’s “50 Books/50 Covers Competition,” to identify the best work published in 2011. In addition to 25 internationally recognized designers who will serve as nominators, any AIGA member is welcome to nominate books worthy of consideration in either the cover category or the book category. Books are broadly defined to include trade, special editions, letterpress and digital productions, and they may come from any country as long as they are in English (or bilingual with English text). Final selections will be made by Design Observer editors, and will be published in the AIGA Design Archives, as well as on Design Observer and Designers & Books.

Past “50 Books/50 Covers” selections

The selections from each year’s competition are featured in the AIGA Design Archives online. The most recent 50 Books/50 Covers of 2010 Exhibition debuted at the AIGA National Design Center in New York in December 2011.

About this competition

AIGA’s competitions are widely recognized as the most discerning statement on design excellence today, extending a legacy that began more than 90 years ago. The selections from the “50 Books/50 Covers” competition exemplified the best current work in book and book cover design as chosen by a distinguished jury of design peers. Through this competition, AIGA created an authoritative chronicle of outstanding design solutions, each demonstrated the process of designing, the role of the designer and the value of design. The selections have been part of the AIGA Design Archives, in the physical archives at the Denver Art Museum and in Columbia University's Rare Book and Manuscript Collection at the Butler Library.

“Justified” represents the next generation of AIGA’s competitions and seeks stories that reveal the value design created for the client. For book design, AIGA encourages entry in both competitions.

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DESIGNING WELLNESS: INSIDE MERCK'S HEALTHCARE REVOLUTION

Part of “Industry Insights: Career Development Webinars,” a members-only series created by AIGA and Aquent 

Wednesday, August 15 12:00 p.m. Eastern/9:00 a.m. Pacific

Learn how a global leader in healthcare is innovating ahead of a rapidly changing industry. Merck has grown to one of the world’s largest healthcare companies, providing pharmaceuticals, research and vaccines to a worldwide audience. Bob Calvano, director of Merck’s Global Creative Studios, will give a guided tour of the trends developing at his in-house, full-service agency, where he leads a studio of 80 plus designers, illustrators, developers and filmmakers. From iPad app development, to environmental design, to the use of photojournalism and live illustrated meetings, Calvano will highlight Merck’s commitment to producing innovative design solutions for the healthcare industry.

Register for this webinar

Presenter

Bob Calvano is director of Merck Global Creative Studios, a full-service, in-house agency, and provides creative leadership and business solutions on a global scale. The award-winning team’s portfolio includes environmental, interactive and print design, as well as video production, photography, illustration, webcasting, web development, and finger painting, if necessary. Prior to joining Merck, Calvano was an interaction design director at R/GA, and held various positions such as user experience design director at Oxygen Media. In these roles he fine-tuned his talent for creating engaging brand experiences and intuitive and elegant interfaces while making complex information easier to understand and navigate. He has worked with diverse teams creating consumer-based software, interactive experiences, websites, print and television content. 

Calvano has won numerous awards for his work in advertising and design. He has been published in periodicals such as Advertising Age, Graphic Design USA and HOW Magazine, as well as on aiga.org, and he currently holds a position on AIGA’s National Board of Directors. He received an Executive Education for Creative Leaders at Harvard Business School and has a B.A. in fine art. He has spoken at events such as the AIGA Pivot Design Conference, the FUSE Design Conference, and HOW DesignCasts, and lectured at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City.

Moderator

Alissa Walker writes about design, architecture, cities, transportation and walking for many publications, including Fast Company, Dwell, Wired and the LA Weeklyand is the associate producer for the KCRW public radio show “DnA: Design and Architecture.” In 2010 she was named a USC Annenberg/Getty Arts Journalism Fellow for her writing on design and urbanism, and in 2011 Alissa was awarded an ArtPlace grant for the initiative GOOD Ideas for Cities, where creatives are assigned urban problems proposed by city leaders, and present their solutions at lively public forums. Alissa lives in the Silver Lake neighborhood of L.A., where she throws ice cream socials, tends to a drought-tolerant garden, rides a Creamsicle-colored Public bike, writes infrequently on her blog, Gelatobaby, and relishes life in L.A. without a car.

About this series

The AIGA|Aquent “Industry Insights” webinar series was developed to give AIGA members exclusive insights into design techniques and strategies that today’s leading firms use to leverage their brands. Industry experts in rapidly growing sectors will share visual presentations, strategy reviews, demos and case studies—giving you a window into the best practices and fresh ideas of design leaders who are achieving results for their companies.

Presenting Sponsor

Aquent is the Official AIGA Sponsor for Professional Development, serving as a source for creative and design talent as well as providing access to great career opportunities for AIGA members nationwide. Aquent is the only global staffing company dedicated to creative, marketing, and digital roles exclusively for Fortune 1000 companies. If you are looking for great job opportunities or need to hire expert talent, please contact Aquent by visiting aquent.com.

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AIGA Los Angeles and You

As a member of the Los Angeles chapter of AIGA, you are part of the ongoing story of the design profession and our West Coast's creative community.

Founded in 1983, Founded in 1983 by design legends Deborah Sussman, Saul Bass, Jim Cross, and others, the Los Angeles chapter continues to connect LA's varied creative industries through extensive programming, events, communication and social outreach. AIGA/LA is recognized as a civic leader for its celebration of local design, partnerships with cultural and media organizations, exceptional support of educational institutions, and a dedication to nurturing the diversity and independent spirit unique to the Los Angeles creative community. Our 1,100 members are designers, students, educators, and related professionals and businesses that represent the range of design: including graphics, interaction, experience, motion, photography, entertainment, PR and affiliated fields.

On August 1, AIGA announced a brand new membership fee structure designed to allow many more designers to become AIGA Members. The following from AIGA Executive Director Ric Grefé was originally posted on Aiga.org. “As a global community of advocates for design, AIGA is committed to the personal and professional impact of members on design, business, culture and society… Now is the time to belong.”

We appreciate the continued engagement of all our AIGA Los Angeles members, and extend a warm welcome to all our new members! 

Take care,

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To our AIGA Los Angeles Design Community

Recently, AIGA announced exciting news about One AIGA and enhancements in our membership structure. We believe the changes will help to greatly expand our community and be more inclusive. The new membership model gives every designer an affordable chance to belong.

You can choose the membership category that best matches your commitment to the profession and the value of the organization in your career and future. Details of the changes can be found on the AIGA National website announcement.

With these new membership changes introduced, we understand that there will be questions about the new membership model. AIGA National has prepared answers to a couple of the expected FAQs here: http://aigalosangeles.org/membership. Please feel free to email us at [email protected] with any additional questions you may have about the membership model. We will do our best to assist you through this transition.

We believe in the vision of One AIGA. Anyone can now join at affordable rates. We’re looking forward to your continued support of the local AIGA Los Angeles design community.

Your Membership Co-Chairs,

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INTRODUCING A NEW MEMBERSHIP MODEL

The expectations of designers have broadened in recent decades, as have the range of design disciplines and practices. AIGA is committed to representing and supporting the interests of designers as they explore new roles. At the same time, social media and the internet have increased expectations for access to communities and information.

A new member participation model

In order to achieve a more open and inclusive community with a shared interest in design, AIGA is launching a new approach to member participation. Beginning this month, AIGA is shifting from a membership model based on the stage of an individual’s career to one that reflects the member’s interest in and commitment to AIGA and all that it entails: adhering to the profession’s principles, advocacy of the value of design, support for designers’ interests and stimulating conversations critical to design’s future.

We believe that the new model will allow many who have left AIGA membership to return, draw in new supporters who may not be practicing designers and make it possible for every designer to afford to join. We expect practicing designers to join at the Sustaining Member level, equivalent to the historic “professional” member, although we have lowered the cost of every membership level in recognition of the challenging economic environment we are traversing. We hope those who understand the value of having a unified voice to advance the interests of design will join us at even higher contributing levels that are now available.

Our goal is to double membership—to 40,000 members—by 2014.

We are eager to have you join this new AIGA for the next century, as AIGA approaches its centennial. We also hope you will take advantage of this moment to encourage a colleague, client or design enthusiast (or two) to join AIGA and share in shaping design’s future.

About the Author: Richard Grefé is the executive director of AIGA, the professional association for design. He is generally involved in all of AIGA’s activities, although his major contributions are in strategy, formulating new initiatives to enhance the competitive success of designers and advocating the value of design.

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Axiom's John Luu Shares 8 Tips for Keeping Your 1st Design Job

With many design graduates starting their first jobs this summer, it dawned on me recently that many design programs don’t teach students a lot of the soft skills that are more or less required for holding down a real-world job. Having your first bona fide design job at a well respected firm or agency can be both an exhilirating and stressful experience. With that said, setbacks early in your career can be very discouraging and cause many young designers to settle for careers outside of the design profession.

I thought it might be a good opportunity then to share some tips on how to keep your first design job that many had to learn the hard way.

  Arrive Early, Stay Late Work-life balance is a valid concern for many people in the workforce, but for your first 6-12 months as the newbie in the design shop, I would recommend coming in a little bit early and staying a little bit late to get a feel for the ebb and flow of studio life. Main benefits of this are that if you’re at your desk at the start of business hours every day, everyone notices. Also, the quiet time gives you an opportunity to catch up on unread emails, plan your day without interruptions and read up on contemporary design trends and production techniques.

  Finish Everything on Your Plate The biggest mistake I see young designers make is letting old, unfinished projects linger on their job list and clutter up the job board. Lingering projects is not only bad feng-shui, it’s really bad for business since it gives a distorted view of a firm’s revenue pipeline and impedes new opportunities. Make an effort to wrap up any projects that are still waiting on client feedback or the odd piece of content, and try to get it out the door so that you can check it off your list.

  Volunteer for Projects No One Else Wants To quote architect Michael McDonough; “95 percent of any creative profession is shit work.”

Creatives will always fight over a fun pro bono poster project or a letterpress holiday card but if a project involves learning a new program, language or technology, it’s usually hard to find someone eager to step up. If you’re the person willing to learn motion graphics, mobile app development or a new print production technique, you start to align yourself with future revenue streams for your employer. Also, volunteering for high-risk projects outside of everyone’s comfort zone is a great way to gain experience, new responsibilities and eventually, expertise.

Note: For great on-demand tutorials on how to learn 3D, Motion Graphics, Web and all of the various software tools, check out Lynda.com. AIGA Members qualify for a 20% discount.

  Become an Invaluable Asset This is an expansion of my previous point but over time firms and agencies grow and evolve in order to compete effectively in the market place. The design firm that specialized in stationary and brochures in the 1980′s, expanded to branding in the 1990′s, interactive in the 2000′s and are now retooling for social and mobile in the 2010′s. Design professionals should adapt and evolve with the industry or risk becoming irrelevant as time passes by.

Ask to go on press checks or shadow a web developer to help you better understand the production process. Having a basic understanding of the print production process or how websites on the internet actually function can go a long way in informing your design process, allowing you to take ownership of a project at all stages of the concept, design and production process.

  Find a Mentor To succeed in your career, it is often helpful to have a mentor, whose breadth and depth of experience can provide insights to achieving your goals. This person is someone who can give objective and dispassionate advice that are in your best interest. Ideally this should be someone outside of work, or at least your department, who can keep private conversations confidential and hold you accountable for achieving your personal goals.

  Cultivate a Professional Network Most people only network when they are actively looking for a new job. This tends to be counterproductive for a wide variety of reasons. Ideally, you should have a professional network already in place when you need to take advantage of it.

There are plenty of reasons to network but the main reason is to stay plugged into what’s new in your local professional community and to cultivate a network of contacts that can be of benefit at a future date. Also keep an eye out for the up-and-coming photographer, 3D-Animator or iOS App developer. Good ones are very hard to come by.

Finally, don’t forget to help others if the opportunity presents itself. Heard of a great opening within a corporate in-house design department that isn’t advertised anywhere? Let your professional contacts know about them. Networking is a two-way street and you want to pay it forward.

  Ask Your Boss How You Can Do Your Job Better Seems pretty direct and obvious but most people avoid this conversation, which is a shame because having your employer personally invested in your success at your job can be a determining factor in how well you thrive at work.

Employers think about their employees’ career goals and job satisfaction, on average, maybe 15-30 minutes a year. More often than not, they’re busy trying to run a successful business (hopefully), landing new business, improving client relations or a million other sundry things, so you really have to force the conversation. One key thing to note with this tip; whatever feedback your employer gives you, be sure to meet all of those expectations once they’ve been laid out in the open.

By no means is this list complete, and if you have suggestions or comments, please share them in the comments area. I am curious to know what other agencies and firms think about the subject.

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It's Not "Just Friends". It's Membership With Benefits.

As an AIGA member, your dues support the National organization in New York, while also providing resources for the local Los Angeles chapter. Those resources are used to leverage private and corporate sponsorships for events, programs and scholarships. For questions regarding AIGA Membership or Benefits, please contact Tamera at [email protected]. Membership in AIGA has its benefits—including discounts on services and products, exclusive access to new job opportunities and more! Join today to contribute to the influence of design, further your professional development and connect with a welcoming community of peers. 

Some of the benefits you’ll receive when you join AIGA:

Benefits from our Official Sponsors

Discounts on Adobe products

Adobe Systems, Official AIGA Sponsor for Design Solutions, offers special rates for all products in the Adobe store.

AIGA|Aquent Survey of Design Salaries

Members receive early access to this annual compensation survey produced with the support of Aquent, Official AIGA Sponsor for Professional Development.

  Save on Shutterstock images

Take 15 percent off any standard image   subscription atShutterstock, Official AIGA Sponsor for Creative Inspiration.Members-only discounts on products and services

  Access to live members-only webinars 

AIGA members can access live and archived webinars in the exclusive “Breakthroughs: Where Inspiration and Technology Meet” series, produced by AIGA and Adobe.

AIGA Design Jobs

Only AIGA members can view complete job listings at AIGA Design Jobs.

 AIGA Member Gallery

Current members can showcase their work, connect with like-minded creatives and be found by employers and recruiters.

Apple products

Discounts on Apple products and accessories, as well as complimentary shipping and engraving.

Competition entry fee discounts

Members save 25 percent on entry fees to AIGA competitions.

Conference and event discounts

Members get discounted rates for AIGA national and local conferences, lectures, seminars and networking events.

Design Business and Ethics

New professional- and associate-level members receive a printed copy of this publication.

Design firm advice, tools and resources from APDF

The Association of Professional Design Firms offers discounts on activities to improve your business practices. Do you Freelance? Have you ever searched for the perfect Terms of Service Agreement or wished you had a Privacy Policy from a trusted professional that was yours to reference? You will.

Designer Directory

Only AIGA members are listed in the AIGA Designer Directory, the place employers turn to first for qualified candidates. 

*Wondering if that interviewer is a member of AIGA? It might be helpful to check the directory before hand...

Discounts on books and magazines

Log in for discounted subscriptions to CMYK, Communication Arts, Creative Business, Design Bureau, HOW and Print—as well as discounts from Peachpit Press/New Riders and Allworth Press.

 Exhibition previews

Members have advance access to all exhibitions in the AIGA National Design Center via exclusive opening receptions.

FedEx® services

AIGA members are eligible for special rates on select FedEx® shipments and FedEx OfficeSM print and copy services. Need to send a client a proof?

F+W Media events and services

Through a partnership with F+W Media’s Design Community, AIGA members get discounts on select events and services.

Health insurance

AIGA is now partnering with two health insurance administrators to offer coverage in virtually every state.

Management advice and resources from DMI

AIGA members can register at the DMI member rate for attendance at DMI national and regional conferences, seminars and workshops.

National Design Center library

Members can request by-appointment-only access to the AIGA National Design Center library in New York City.

Print-on-demand discounts from Blurb

This easy-to-use, on-demand publishing platform offers AIGA members a discount to make their own books. Portfoltios and case studies make a great impression when printed with Blurb

Software training discounts from lynda.com

AIGA members have access to information and activities that help develop and maintain software skills.

Rockport Publishers events and discounts

Rockport helps members expand their knowledge base with discounts on design books and a free lecture series for emerging designers.

  CarbonCool Studio Offsets           

Offset the carbon consequences, 70.5 tons, of a small design studio (up to 5 employees). This offsets the studio's electricity use and heating, as well as car and air travel.

Community Building

Meet and learn from professionals from across the design community.

Take advantage of the variety of opportunities to meet, exchange ideas, and build community within the Los Angeles Area and nationally.

Strengthen the voice of the industry by participating in the largest association for design professionals.

Shape the local agenda through Chapter leadership. Support one of our many initiatives or chair a program.

And More!

Professionals from related industries such as printing, interactive, photography and advertising are also welcome to join.

So many reasons to join… Join today on aiga.org!