UPSTNY Member Interview | Jonathan La Plante

I am a senior graphic design major at SUNY Oswego and AIGA student member since 2008. I am currently the president of Break Thru Design, my schools AIGA student group. I am really excited about becoming a professional designer after graduation, and look forward to continued learning through my real world experiences.

How do you benefit from being a student member of AIGA?

As a student, AIGA gives me an outlet to expand my involvement in the design community outside of the classroom. Attending AIGA events and participating in Creative Eats enables me to connect with other professionals working in the field. I feel that getting involved and participating in the design community is a great way to demonstrate my commitment to the profession.

What inspires you?

I get a lot of my inspiration from studying good and bad designs and learning about what makes it work or not. Resources like design books and websites are valuable sources, but the most inspiring thing to me is having a problem, and the pursuit of solving it. All of the research and discovery leading up to a successful solution is rewarding and makes me hungry for a new problem to solve.

What role do you think designers should play in going green?

I think everybody needs to put into practice ways of being more environmentally responsible. The unique role designers have is to work with the innovators developing and implementing green technologies or methods and help them to communicate to society the realistic advantages they offer for our future.

As a student member, what kinds of Upstate NY AIGA Chapter programming would you most benefit from or like to participate in?

I have really enjoyed and benefitted a lot from what AIGA Upstate NY has been doing. Things like Creative Eats, portfolio reviews, lectures, and Q&A’s are all great events. I would love to see more of the same programs as well as expanding on programs that reach out more to students.

In what way does being a part of AIGA enhance your future career as a designer?

I see AIGA as an organization that I can directly get involved with to supplement my future career by connecting with others that share a passion for design. I think being active in AIGA by attending and contributing to programs will show that I am dedicated to my chosen profession and that I have a desire to stay connected, informed and current on all the relevant issues I may encounter as a designer. I hope to be a leader in the design community as my career progresses and I feel that AIGA is the best place to get started.

Posted by newyorkupstate in Member Interview | March 2, 2010