Box 17

The type studio. This is the workshop where AIGA meets. The ceiling of this room is open to two floors of the building. The empty space of this room is filled with several old printing presses. There are many drafting tables with stools. The free standing wall has a tack board for putting up different student work for critiques. The stairs are a spiral stair case that goes to the second level directly into the room. There are several small storage rooms and other class rooms that are off of this large room.

Box 16

Many student groups meet in a place that makes sense for that group. In the case of AIGA, we meet in the university art building. The art building is uniquely designed and is unlike any other building on campus. From the outside one can see the building was designed by a architect with distinct style. The entire out side of the building seems to be covered in fiberglass. This gives the building a translucent look. The roof is very asymmetric with many different contours and levels. The roof is translucent which lets a lot of light into the building. The lighting on the outside of the building is also very different than any other building on campus and goes with the design of the building well. There are various sculptures and earthworks scattered around the building. Some were by students and some were by visiting famous artists.

Walking into the building's main entrance one will find the first thing they see is a gallery. The gallery is always filled with a senior project, faculty work, etc. and is always changing. In the lobby area there are also displays of some the best student work for that week. There are several levels to the art building all uniquie to the others and sometimes confusing and get new comers lost. The art building also has its own certified Apple store. Since 99 percent of students in the art building own Apple computers this is a great item to have in the building.

Down one level in a large typesetting workshop is where the AIGA group meets. The room is full of drafting tables and old letter presses, along with many lead type sets and characters. There is not a better place for the AIGA, the grapic designers organization, to meet.

Week 6 - Conclusions

I have been attending AIGA meetings for the past year and part of this year. In doing so I have been able to come up with a few conclusions about the group:

1. AIGA likes to go on trips to visit different printing presses and design facilities.
2. There are some really good designers in the group and some that are just starting out.
3. The group is much more organized this year than last because of the new professor leader.
4. Most people in the group like to design using a computer.
5. 99.9% of the people in the group own a Mac laptop.

If I were to go observe another student AIGA group I believe most of the meetings would be similar to Kent State's. I could be wrong though, some of the other AIGA student groups have better websites which may mean they might be more organized than we are. I believe that other groups would visit similar printing facilities and design firms and also host similar events on campus.

Online Artifact

http://aigaksu.tumblr.com/

1. What surprised me? - I was surprised to see that the KSU AIGA website hasn't been updated since 2004. You would think as a much as graphic design is involved with the web they would have had a more updated website.

2. What intrigued me? - I was intrigued to find that the group leaders offer mentoring on Sunday evenings for two hours. This is really good for students in the VCD major at kent state university. A lot of times I will want to get some feedback on a project before I turn it in.

3. What disturbed me? - There isn't really anything disturbing about this online artifact from the group. Just the fact that their website wasn't updated.

Groundwork Activity Questions

First - In the student group of AIGA I must take care in the fact that they are trying create a network of graphic designers. Even though I am an insider I still need to consider the way I act around the group. Many members may be annoyed that I am taking detailed notes about the group. I will have to politely explain to them the reason I am taking the field notes. I will most likely do things and activities in the way th group want me to.

Second -

1. When did the group start at Kent State University?
2. What is the primary goal of AIGA?
3. What are the benefits of becoming a member of AIGA.
4. Do you have to be a graphic designer or graphic design student to become a member of the organization?
5. What is the most exciting event or activity you have been involved in with AIGA?
6. Have you personally won any of the design contests that AIGA has sponsored?

Third - AIGA is not like many of the other student cultures that have a stick code of conduct or secret rituals to follow. It is a very laid back atmosphere. To get the most out of the group it is best to get involved with a part of running the group. For example there are jobs in communication such as the AIGA twitter, website, and blog. There also job is outreach and finding students who want to get involved in the group. An outsider would need to know basic knowledge of graphic design to understand much of what is discussed in the meetings. The outsider would need to be polite to other group members and would need to get involved in one or more parts of the group.

Box 12 - Unlearning Our Privilege

Over the last academic year and the beginning of this year I have attended many AIGA meetings. There are very few issues that would make me under privileged in the group. All of age, nationality, gender, skin color, race, ethnicity, and religion do not affect how the groupd treats them. There are other things that may give you more power in the group. If you are an upper class man with much higher education and experience, you are looked up to as a leader in the group. I may have power in the group because of my past in web design and years of experience in the fields. I am already on the list to help out with the web site. Social support may have a small effect on a persons experience in the group. The more people the person knows in the group, the more chances they may have to share ideas and opinions.

As I study the group I do want to find out more about where the power lies and how privilege affects that power. Since the group is not as controversial as other groups there are not many biased opinions in the group about things. Most opinions are spoken only only small detail such as meeting time, t-shirt designs, guest speakers, restaurants to eat at etc.

Week 5 - Blog Post

So far for this project my main source of information has been my past knowledge of the group and my field notes. My fields nots have provided very good, detailed information on what the AIGA organization does and wants to do in the future. I have done a small amount of online research. The AIGA website provides some about information and a lot of information about the current community and their events. I have also done some research in the academic libraries and have found some articles written about AIGA. I have found a lot of good information so far but my research is not complete and need more answers. I am still looking for some information on how the group started. I also want to get some first hand experience on how AIGA has helped to make someone into a successful design.