Get re:Charged!

It's hard to believe it's been 2 years since the last re:Charge. Lisa Chelini and I co-chaired the last conference in St. Augustine. It was a gruelling yet rewarding experience and if I had to I do it all over again, I would not. JK

I'm good friends with the current co-chairs, Jessi Bruton and Florence Haridan. These leading ladies are going to put on one heck of a show for you. (and that's just the after-party) They've snagged some of the top speakers in the country, like Debbie Millman (sigh), Stefan Bucher and who can forget Ann Willoughby? We also have some local celebs like Carl Smith who we can count on to make us laugh while inspiring us.

The conference is in the heart of Downtown Jacksonville, so you know there will be tons of things to do in addition to the packed schedule. It's only 5 weeks away so register soon.

re:Charge08 AIGA Design Conference Jacksonville, FL April 3-5, 2008

If it wasn't ubiquitous, no one would care.

I've never liked Google's logo. I like it even less since reading this Wired article. "Happy" results? I can't believe this woman ever taught fledgling designers, and at a prestigious school no less.

But wait! There's more!

You've seen the LogoCreator! You've seen Logoworks by HP! You bought the Make my Logo Bigger cream! But now, there's something new! Brought to you by Quark and Adobe, as seen in HOW magazine, it's... Stock Layouts! No budget? No time? No talent? No problem!

Design can lead others

In this article from Business Week, A New Model for Green Design, Valerie Casey of IDEO talks about her Designers Accord -- the Kyoto Treaty for designers of all kinds. (There's even a quote from Ric Grefe of AIGA! He's my hero.)

It has all the usual and important green promises: measure your carbon footprint, pledge to reduce it annually, rewrite your company policies, etc. And already several of my design heroes have signed up: AIGA is one of the first "Endorsers" (or organizations), and on the list of "Adopters" (or firms) are Heller Design, Tricycle and Willoughby Design Group. (But where's Pentagram?) It's similar to the positive peer pressure one receives on refusing speculative work.

But my favorite part is the promise to educate clients on sustainability. The greater appreciation of design gives designers greater power. And not just power to demand the aesthetic we want or the billable rates we deserve. Power to change the minds of those who used to be our "bosses" and are now our partners. Power to improve the world in a real way, armed only with our pretty pictures and witty words. But only if we band together.

The first principal of the Designers Accord is to publicly declare one's participation. To declare participation, one must fully understand what participation means. So for now, I publicly declare my intention to study and adpot the Designers Accord. Join me!