Open Letter to AIGA Upstate New York

I too was very disappointed and somewhat embarrassed by the lack of
people who signed up for the Debbie Millman lecture. As faculty advisor
at RIT, I know that we offered to host the event and at least we would
have had a "captive audience' there.

The student chapter at RIT is willing and ready to help with future events
if possible.

Everyone is overwhelmed; over-stressed and over-committed, but this should be a wake-up call to all members about our commitment to the
profession.

I am a student member and I would be interested in attending educational events that are located in the Utica, Rome, or Oneida area. There are student members from MVCC and SUNYIT that may find it difficult to get to Rochester and Syracuse. By having events that are closer to these schools it may increase the attendance numbers for events.

Lisa

I am also a student member and I would love to have the opportunity to do studio visits and shadowing opportunities with professionals available to us. How about local workshops in related areas such as printmaking, screen printing and letterpress? A workshop on the business side of graphic design or freelancing would also be fantastic for students and young designers.

There must be educators within CNY AIGA willing to give informal talks on design history or to present their body of work.

I know that Syracuse has a burgeoning art and gallery scene -- how about accepting submissions and arranging a show somewhere? Rochester definitely has a bigger art scene and there must be plenty of design students at SUNYIT as well as other community colleges and the larger private universities within the CNY AIGA area.

Also, I have not seen any *gasp* advertising for CNY AIGA events either at OCC or in Syracuse, which perhaps would have added numbers to the events which were unfortunately canceled. I know members of SOTA in Buffalo who had no idea about the Debbie Millman event.

More low-key mixers (coffee/tea shops, bars, gallery receptions, etc.)would also be great opportunities for meeting other designers and networking.

Just some ideas off the top of my head.
ami

I think the geographic size of the chapter makes event planning almost impossible... a five hour drive to Albany or Buffalo or four hours to Binghamton (from WNY)... who can work a full day then drive for an event on a regular basis?

Does any other chapter in the country stretch across an entire state? Micro-chapters, micro-events? Perhaps events that would draw participation from Upstate NY? i.e. Design competitions aimed at upstate firms? ASID/WNY holds a similar competition and frequently draws participants from WNY and Southern Canadian provinces...

I agree with the geographical location. I am located in Troy, NY (near Albany) and most events (if not all) take place too far away for me to physically participate. Otherwise, I would gladly participate more in the chapter events. My other choice is the NYC chapter but I got my membership for upstate NY to support the upstate chapter.(?)

Sorry if I wasn't clear-I meant advertising other than online, especially at colleges with design departments. How many times have you automatically deleted an organization's routine-looking email blast without thinking? I know I have. Students can be lazy and obtuse and either do not know of or forget about events, so throw a poster up on a wall.

I realize I was in the minority at OCC as far as level of interest in the design community, but Marc was the only instructor to even mention AIGA.Marc, I need to get my money's worth!

Although incredibly disappointed when Debbie Millman's talk fell through, I was not surprised. I went to Rochester for the Sustainability talk and was amazed with the lack of attendees. I wasn't even particularly interested, but was hoping to meet other designers.

I do agree with Jason's sentiments about driving, and carpooling - if I knew more people in the area I would be even more willing to drive distances for events. I've driven to Buffalo for WNY Book Arts events and workshops simply because there's nothing like that going on here in Syracuse.

From a student perspective, I admit that I hadn't thought about CNY AIGA being a volunteer organization. I am definitely interested and willing to arrange or contribute to any events with a bit of guidance!

I have to agree with Jason.

Most of the events that happen for Upstate NY chapter are in Rochester, which is a central location. Most of the time, I am the only attendee from Syracuse. There are several design and advertising firms in Syracuse alone. To see only a select few from different areas show up to these events is extremely discouraging and frankly, embarrassing.

It is beneficial for members of the design community to attend these events. We don't live in a bubble. The subjects covered in these events apply to the industry internationally.

Think of it as a small investment in a career, instead of a really long and inconvenient car ride.

It's true, the distance between events can be prohibitive. I would like to participate in more events but the drive is 2.5 - 2 hours away. If the events were to "Tour" the state and rotate regions they occurred, you may not be able to increase the attendance at each event, but you may be able to improve the overall attendance for the year and reach more designers in general.

I would also focus on video streaming, phone conferences and other forums to include more people. You may only have 24 people at a single event, but you could reach hundreds with a video.

Hmmm... I agree with the general comments about location. My transfer from the Cleveland AIGA chapter two years ago was a shock- as a student I regularly met visitors such as Steven Heller, Robin Raye, James Victore, and Steff Geissbuhler. Here, I was all set to attend the first event I got an email about, then did a double take when I saw that it was in Buffalo. As much as I am passionate about the principles of AIGA, it's just not realistic to think that I'll be able to: a. take off work and b. afford to drive hours away for a one hour event. I also think that one of the great things about AIGA is the potential networking, and people are less likely to benefit from that regionally than within their own city. I feel that organizations such as Syracuse's "Ad Club" have a somewhat dated view of the design field, but people around here seem to still attend them because they know their fellow community members in them. Like politics, if people feel that their volunteer efforts won’t make a difference in their everyday lives, they will give up on attempts to help. Syracuse (and other Upstate NY cities) needs a grassroots AIGA movement first. Then, we can build attendance from business’ deeming membership fees and events worth their employee’s time. And finally start to build awareness of forward-thinking design strategies around here. Upstate NY needs AIGA, and we appreciate this outreach.

Holy crows!
Initial thought: you can't have cake and eat it too!!!
Seriously, did (some of) you actually read the President's letter before you comment.

Before you comment, here's a preflight list:

What won't work:
-wishful thinking / half-baked ideas
-empty promises
-whining
-excuses
-waiting for something to happen

What will work:
-Initiative
-Taking responsibility
-Doing something
-Offering up your services/helping (see lorrie freer's response)
-Signing up to do something (like make posters for your campus next time)

Example:
If you want posters on your campus, try this two-step process:
1. Make one! (You're a designer!)
2. Hang it on the wall.

If you need to get out of work for a couple hours once or twice a year*, just do it. Why can't you ask for that time off if you need? It's to your bosses/company's benefit that you go. I don't get why it's impossible to do once or twice a year. I'm guessing it's really something else.

* I've been informed that there are only 2-3 events total per year and they are either held in Rochester or Syracuse.

It's obvious from your attitude that (most of) you guys want it served up for you nice and neat and tied with a bow. ...Sorry folks, from what I've been taught, observed and learned, nothing works that way; not your job, not AIGA, not your relationships, and certainly not life.

"Snap out of it!"

Another for the "Won't work" list
Get over the geographic issue, AIGA can't change the distance between cities, and looks like they can't afford more events when you aren't showing up in the first place.

Speaking as a student and a fairly new member (only a few months), it is certainly not that I don't want to help, it is often that I don't have the means, because I am a student. I am only going to school right now, working on my Masters, so I don't have much in the way of disposable income. I also live in the very Northern part of Upstate New York - Watertown/Fort Drum. I would be more than happy to attend events in Syracuse, but driving further than that is just not possible for me at the moment due to financial constraints. As far as the election notice, I don't know if it was sent before I became a member, but I don't recall receiving it. However, I am more than happy to help out in any way I can.

I also want to say: How do I go about becoming more involved? I am new to this and do not know what opportunities are open to me as a student member? Can I volunteer to be a committee member? I would be more happy to.

First of all, it's not easy to ask for time off when your boss/company doesn't see the benefit because they have no idea what AIGA is. That is the whole point. And the difficulty of working in this region. I offered the idea of having more frequent, smaller, local events to build volunteer participation. You don't have to have a celebrity there every time- why can't we just share our design experiences and inspiration together? Organize an event to first educate the local business community about AIGA? I bet we could get more event sponsors that way, too.

It's easy to comment on someone else's problems from the outside. But if you don't live around here, you really can't grasp just how things work. While we appreciate another opinion, being scolded just isn't constructive or helpful. Best of luck in Nebraska or wherever.

I agree with Liz. Yeah, it's great when design stars come to town. But over the years, what I've valued most has been the smaller events where design folk can actually talk to each other, learn something, network, share information, etc.

Every time I've attended an AIGA talk, I always learned as much from my colleagues during the mingling before/after as I did from the speaker. Events like the recent Empire mixer and the After Hours/tinis were great for this reason. Maybe AIGA could focus on more smaller scale, social/educational events like those for a bit, to let people get to know each other and want to join and participate with each other in the organization?

Part of the issue is for me is geography. If there were organized rides, the drives would be more doable after a long day. I'd pay extra to attend an event out of town if it included a shuttle/limo ride. And what better way to get to know your peers than to sit in a car with them for 3 hours?

A small cadre of the tini group still meets informally--none of whom are members--so I can't help but believe that there's a real need for design community. If the upstate chapter focused for a while on the local community instead of bringing in people from outside, that might help to rekindle things?

A few random ideas:

- Most designers have blocks where things like self-promotion and accounting are concerned. Buy a local PR expert or CPA lunch in exchange for captive audience.

-Many graphic designers have other creative pursuits/businesses. Host an informal show-and-tell where people can display their work and share ideas.

-Designers like to learn and get their hands dirty (think, Boxcar tini). After that event, the group explored organizing a similar event but fell short of organizing it.

-Organize a collection of old art supplies, PMS books, CAs, Prints, etc., and arrange to donate them to local art teachers (a la creativepitch.org). Have participants speak to classes about careers in art and design.

Rethink what constitutes "high quality programming." Find ways to get people (not just members) involved and excited about design locally first. Worry about membership later.

That's my 2¢ as a former member who would still like to see a stronger design community upstate.

We are a branding and marketing firm in ONeonta NY, we serve binghamton, albany and our local area, I think upstate aiga needs subgroups, I dont think one group can cover all of upstate - it is far too vast.

We got a notification on 4.18 about the Millman Talk that was it, My staff just saw Millman at the HOW conf. in boston but none of them said they even saw the notificaiton. I think if the communication was more frequent advertising the event - there would not have been a problem filling it up - something like this also warrents.

Just a comment, we are all aware of what was said in the email "The chapter is in jeopardy due to the lack of member participation." Also, "It is important for the board to hear your honest thoughts and provide us feedback on what is the future of AIGA Upstate New York."

The members of the Upstate AIGA are providing constructive feedback about issues that concern us. Unfortunately, many people in Upstate NY are not flushed with money to travel great distances. This isn't 1975 when gas was only .30 cents a gallon. People from the state of NY are one of the hardest hit states for taxes. Many people don't have that extra money to travel. They have to decide if they are going to spend $70 on a tank of gas or buy groceries to feed their kids. Maybe things are different in Nebraska, lucky you if they are!

There are a few things I can tell you about people from Upstate NY. People are extremely friendly, have the willingness to participate and help others, and we do not bash peers in a professional environment. We listen to all sides and make an educated opinion and come to our conclusion. As the saying goes "you can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar."

Hello everyone. I am new to the upstate area but have been a student member of the AIGA for the past three years as a graduate student at the University of Houston. I have now completed my MFA and will be as active in the upstate area as I can (given that I am looking for a teaching position in the area). My primary interest is typography, especially historical aspects and letterpress. There is a rich history between AIGA and the bookarts.
It does seem odd that the chapter stretches so far and wide. I used to think driving across Houston for an event was a daunting thing but virtually across state is even more so.
I hope to meet folks at an upcoming meeting.

David Damico