A new design organization?

I’d be more interested in starting a new organization that does what I’m looking for than trying to continue to fix the current org. I think it would be better. Time for the clean sheet of paper in terms of mission, goals, name, and people.

Then that’s what you should do. At least then you’ll be happy and have exactly what you’re looking for.

Let me know when it’s up and running, maybe I’ll join.

I also want the content yo suggests, but I think it is equally important to include business/best practices content. I assume the traditional design content will be addressed no matter what. It doesn’t have to be either/or. Both/and. IDSA shouldn’t overlook the fact that Industrial Design is fundamentally a value added business service.

I know through our surveys that many designers are looking for “ammunition” that they can use with their clients, bosses, boards, etc. to demonstrate the value of design within business. In general, we see the younger designers asking for more of what Yo wants (design-centric content and discussion) and what you want (design as a driver of business). I think in time we can do both, but again we need everyone’s help to do it. There’s not enough paid staff to take that stuff on at the scale our members are asking for.

w

Just a reminder, this is the “a new design organization” thread.
Let’s continue to share thoughts on what a new design organization would look like.

Good point. Thanks for the reminder.

As a Creative Director I’d only have time to be the figure head, albeit a loud one, as I have supported the fellow IDSA refuges who Design Museum Boston :wink: But perhaps once I’m heading up a university design department in 15+ years I will have the time to mobilize the force necessary to build the organization I think many designers desire.

And the survey said… stop listening to surveys where people write what they think they should.

You want ammunition? 1) don’t suck 2) be an active part of design thought leadership 3) know how to articulate and persuade

Maybe I’m feeling punchy having walked out of a board level meeting with a corporation with a verbal to proceed on a project, but it’s not that hard, you just have to actually be good. All the gant charts in the world are not going to cover up bad work and an inability to connect, empathize, and emote with your clients and users…


Why one Earth would you assume that! Have you been to an IDSA conference lately? You know what happens when you assume, you make an… well you know. The first word in Design Organization is Design… if you don’t get that right, you miss the point. Once that is beyond rock solid then you can begin to think about branching out. I’d rather alienate other but have a passionate core base that “gets it” than try to please everyone and get none.

CG, thanks for getting us back on track. What could this new group be called I wonder? My initial thoughts.

APPD: Association of Professional Practicing Designers.

You need to have a degree and/or professional work experience, 3 references from professionals with at least 5 years of experience or the sponsorship of an existing member, and there is a portfolio review, or you may be invited to join.

Local bi-monthly happy hours in major cities, and one global conference per year. The conference would consist of One day of work shops and lectures, one day of pure inspiration (museums, corporate archive tours, and so on), a pecha kucha style work share out, local studio crawl, and then a massive networking party with an open bar. Annual design competition and awards ceremony. Special invites to the best students around the globe. No other non members allowed to the conference… and the first rule of APPD is you don’t tell anyone about APPD.

APPD: Association of Professional Practicing Designers.

You need to have a degree and/or professional work experience, 3 references from professionals with at least 5 years of experience or the sponsorship of an existing member, and there is a portfolio review, or you may be invited to join.


I think the above outline by Yo is one of the most important things. Much like being a degreed engineer in Canada being a member of the group holds a certain amount of weight. It also becomes something that people strives to become members of as it represent and is recognized as a association that is beneficial to be apart of not only by its members but also by the business community and employers.

“Oh you are a member of APPD - well this makes the interview easier as we know you are held to high standards by that organization” is what the employeer would say…

I would also like to add the following to the thought.

A. As an active member you are responsible and mandated in some way shape or form to give back to the design community and to future members. i.e lecture at a local school for 1 class, host a online webinare something once a year.

B. The group has to branches for continuing education 1. Skill sets 2. Business within these two areas there would be several additional items. Ideally the the seminars would be hosted by high level individuals and in conjunction with a board certified school.


Chevis W

A secret elite fraternity huh?

My needs are slightly different, but I think both of our needs could be served with an open and entirely web-based organization.

  • Collect and bubble-up the best content from the best designers globally. You can learn from the best, and earn a reputation for yourself based on a meritocracy (ie. not the size of your bank account or what name-brand firm you work at.) Get designers to stop using Vimeo, YouTube, Facebook, SlideShare, or hoping to be featured on a blog and start posting their content at this new site to foster dialog. Use “liking” and ad-hoc social groups to automatically generate buzz for worthy content. This will quickly become the go-to spot for designers to congregate and in the process builds-up and incredible library of best-practices and case-studies we keep talking about.

  • Replace all physical events and studio-tours with virtual events and studio tours = less friction, larger audience, perpetual dialog and archive.

  • Take all the money you’re saving and take your pick of smaller, more targeted design retreats to attend like the Aspen Design Summit.

I like Yo’s ideas for how the organization works for its members. I don’t like the name though. It seems like a special ed. program. (not that there is anything wrong with that…just not good for a design association).

I also like the idea of filtering it down to working designers. However, publicity and advocacy is (or should be) an important feature of an organization as well. Therefore, I think a secret society has its drawbacks. Journos need to have a phone number to call for a quote when the next iProduct comes out. (Michael Ditullo, god emperor of APPD says, “It’s great!!!”. Something like that;)

I like the focus of having a lot of regional events & just one big global event. Neat.

“Maybe I’m feeling punchy having walked out of a board level meeting with a corporation with a verbal to proceed on a project, but it’s not that hard, you just have to actually be good. All the gant charts in the world are not going to cover up bad work and an inability to connect, empathize, and emote with your clients and users…”

Bad meeting with a client that doesn’t really grasp what you do?

I like the idea of being licensed, which is one of the key things your group accomplishes.

Designers have been asking for that for years. It’s the Holy Grail for our profession… If anyone can come up with a licensing test similar to those given to PEs or architects, and get states to adopt it, then you’d have something. The design profession (even just industrial design) is just too broad.

Licensing is different than certification. Certification would be more attainable.

I was certified as a New Product Development Professional (NPDP), and that’s much broader than ID! It required about 1 week of training to pass the course. Here’s their study guide FYI.

Certification, like a brand, acts as a stamp of approval. A promise. Unlike your ID degree, certifications usually require keeping up with education credits, which ensures updated knowledge of agreed-upon best-practices.

Interesting, I’m a recent PDMA member so I’ll take a look at this… Thanks.

w

No, no, the opposite, walking in, explaining what we do with passion, critiquing their existing work at point blank and getting a large project on the spot. I don’t think I’ve ever walked out of a meeting where someone did not grasp what I do by the end. It is my job to explain it, and explain it well with conviction, heart, and logic.

not secret, very public, just exclusive. Thought I love the idea of getting designers onto one searchable data platform… maybe there could be an open content section, and then an elite member group with the review that could further authorize the best work.

Exclusive? Sounds like… THE HARVARD CONNECTION. Winklevii say yes.

As a student I think something exclusive that gives people a goal to work towards is nice. Once your’e in, you’re gold.

Just as long as once you are in you need to continue to prove yourself… not what have you done, but instead what have you done lately.

i.e. Police depts. don’t require their people to pass a yearly physical Fire Dept do… look a the physical diff.

NO TENURE! like what we find in the educational system. Also a code of ethics that is not just written on down but is actually enforced!

So…

  1. Would you be evaluated by other designers, or would you be evaluated by a diverse board of product development decisionmakers, or a split of both? I prefer the latter two options as they are more reflective of how designers are really evaluated.

  2. If you decide to spend a few years homesteading or vagabonding, your membership would be revoked? I think rather than constantly keeping up appearances, maybe it’s every five years or so.

  3. Would you have to be involved in the MASS production of goods? Kind of a barrier to one-off-ers and social criticism-design-collectives that create fine art statements in designer clothing.

  1. I like the ideal of “would you be evaluated by a diverse board of product development decision makers, or a split of both?” one of my issues with the design industry right now is i feel at time too much emphasis is put on conceptual design and really pretty pictures. and not on how the design meets a variety of other criteria… Marketing, manufacturing, costing, engineering.

  2. I think every year may be to much, sabbaticals are always a good thing so maybe every 2 -3 years and even a sabbatical can count if you can demonstrate how you kept / refined / honed your skill sets.

  3. I think both are needed but once again various organizations tote the one offs to much, because it is easy to sell the “sex appeal” with visuals. oppose to the say a simple profit chart - some of my best work although not sexy by any means are products that I redesigned / managed were in we pull out cost provided a cleaner and fresher look, displaced the competition gaining great shelf space and saw increased profits.

Chevis W