“The future belongs to those in charge of the flow of knowledge, not the owner of knowledge.” –Ric Grefe

On June 2-4 2011, over 250 AIGA leaders met in Minneapolis, MN for the associations’ annual Leadership Retreat. The 97-year-old professional association for design consists of 66 chapters and 200 student groups in the United States. Board members, representing over 22,000 members nationally, traveled to the “City of Lakes” to engage in advancing the goals outlined by the Mandate for 2014. 

Chapter successes were shared, and frustrations released to an over air-conditioned ballroom of sympathetic peers. Inspiring quotes were tweeted, retweeted, and sometimes retweeted again. Trading cards and business cards were collected (Yes, we still do this. Print’s not dead don’t cha know). And endless numbers of friends and followers were added.

But above all, from discussions and debates had over the course of the three-day retreat, I witnessed the start of a collective understanding of the potential impact we can have as the largest and oldest professional association of designers in the world. I for one experienced a redefining awareness of the expectations I have of my dearly beloved, AIGA. 

Here are some opportunities I see for the future of the association:
 

Broaden Our Definitions of Design:

What it means to be a designer today is different than it was in the past. As it states in the Mandate for 2014, “outcomes may be more strategic, multi-dimensional and conceptual than what most would consider traditional communication design.” However, its core purpose remains: to provide solutions to complex problems. Within that, clarity is necessary in creating accessibility and ensuring effectiveness.

Executive director, Ric Grefe said it best by stating, “Society wants understanding, not information.” Designers are the arbiters of this demand, so it is imperative that we support those evolving professionals and include design strategists in our conversations. In advancing designers as strategic thinkers, we demonstrate our value to business and society well beyond creating artifacts.

Shift the Emphasis of the Conversation:

How do we define the metrics used to identify what is deemed ‘good’ design? Currently aesthetics, quite truthfully, rule the stage. Then perhaps conceptual intellect, followed by innovative execution, and finally success of implementation. Given our craft-obsessed history, it’s inconceivable that these criteria will cease to be part of our evaluation. The emphasis, however, in discussing design excellence must be shifted to effectiveness. 

Another way of describing effectiveness is impact, not just in the sense of creating business value for clients, but also in respect to our social responsibility as problem solvers. All of the criteria we used to evaluate ‘good’ design in the past—concept, innovation, creativity, intellect—are the exact qualities it takes to imagine design solutions that will create impact. We just need to start talking about the intangible value it generates to society at large, rather than the traditional conversation concerning the tangible.

Engage Global Communities of Designers:

If you pay attention to who’s being featured in design annuals and articles about design, the list is increasingly non-American designers. Furthermore, if you have ever worked abroad, collaborated or even communicated with designers outside of the United States, you know that AIGA is definitely one of the most relevant and reputable voices in design in the world. 

We must do a better job participating in international conversations about design. In our global economy, it is impossible to imagine ourselves subsisting as an organization exclusive to the U.S. By expanding our reach, we not only initiate new channels for dialogue, we experience new understanding of what it means to design for a global society. 

“Closer affiliation also offers AIGA a chance to establish the profession’s standards and practices as the global standard, which raises the bar in many design economies, reinforces the value of AIGA designers in adding value at the highest levels, and, in the long term, creates a level playing field for design that is based on more than price alone.”

I’m optimistic about the direction we are headed. And as I recall the mission and goals of the association, I have no doubts that we’ve been headed there all along. 

“AIGA’s mission is to advance designing as a professional craft, strategic tool and vital cultural force. By increasing the influence of design, we can improve the human experience.

In addition, the association is committed to stimulating thinking about design, demonstrating the value of design and empowering success for designers throughout the arc of their careers.”