I just love our monthly community meetings. Not only because I get the chance to hangout with fellow designers, but because I always come away feeling inspired and excited about the ideas that were discussed. It’s inspiring to be in a room full of problem-solvers and see where our collective creativity takes us. At this months meeting on August 3rd, we broke up into groups twice for brainstorming sessions. 
Each group discussed the topic and generated ideas, then presented them to the room. Each session covered a different topic. The first session was dedicated to brainstorming content ideas for the blog. As the Email & Web Content Manager for the chapter, I was quite excited about this being a topic. I need help generating content, we came up with a lot of great ideas.
In the second session we discussed ideas for how we can be more useful to emerging designers. With a large portion of our membership being students, we want to create programming and resources that will help them as they are starting their careers. The chapter was members at all levels of their careers so we have a great opportunity to share the wisdom we have gained during the course of our careers with those just starting theirs. I’m really excited about this focus of attention, and again with so many creative minds at work, great ideas were generated.
Interested in seeing all those ideas we came up with? Keep reading. Jason Rizzo, the chapters Archivist, was kind of to photograph our notes so we could type they up to share with you. We’d love to hear what you think, and if you are interested in helping get any of these put into action, please contact us. To help with the blog ideas, email blog@raleigh.aiga.org, and to get involved with the emerging designers ideas email emerging@raleigh.aiga.org. Thanks, and hope to see you at the next community meeting on August 7th!
Blog Ideas
Group 1:
Janet, Michael Whaley, Sammie Song, Laura Hamlyn, Matt Munoz
salary for regions
polls
- fonts
- colors
- type nerd stuff
- what do you want to see
insternships
mentors/shadow + connect with
student profiles/portfolios
companies
spotlights
top 10 lists
- business cards
- sites
- how tos
- local people to follow
jobs in design – what do you do with a degree in…
promote case studies
the “making of” process of a project (video)
town square reporting
many videos
who’s the community
design contests and awards
interactive map
- printers
- illustrators
- other community members
online vs. local printing (buikd a case for local)
editorial (local design curmudgeon (Janet)
design opinions
why you should hire a designer
what are the type of things AIGA does
because of AIGA
real people
design book club
Group 2:
Jason Horner, Clarke BArry, Tim Rosenberg, Ellen Lynch, Carina Prine
Local
- info
- pictures (flickr feed)
- twitter feed
- indication of activity
Memberships
- make it sell
- call to action
- bio list of members (phone book)
Interactive (yellow pages/bio)
interactive map of: (www.designcouncil.uk)
- agencies
- printers
- studios
- developers
- web
- marketing
- writers
- photographers
Group 3:
Amy Lyons, Jeanne, Karla Perea, Abbenyi, Brittian Peck
connect with related groups – resources
- web/tech groups
- marketing groups
- be a hub for events and info for all related groups
intern resource – companies/students looking for
Intern/Pro blog – read like a conversation between the intern and the pro, interact with each other’s blogs
twitter feed of members
designer to designer (about things you’d have to be a designer to get, peeves, annoyances, obsessions)
question/topic of the week
design glossary for non-designers (for people who work with designers)
designer directory
more visuals within the stories
design makeovers
community bookmarks (like delicious)
Group 4:
Jason Horner, David Mitchell, Pati, Charles Gupton
all access pass to AIGA
behind the scenes
share insights
resources to help designers do their job
show pictures of inspirations
treat website like a magazine – education & inspiration
Group 1:
Tim Rosenberg, Amy Lyons, Karla Perea, Charles Gupton
mentorship program
shadow program
job/career day
lecture series focused on the diverse design disciplines
Levels of career development – the career stage a designer is at, match mentors with mentees one level below
- competency
- stability
- legacy
Create opportunities to learn
how to avoid business pitfalls
developing business awareness/acumen
develop business strategies
putting content in a retreat environment
Group 2:
Pati, Brittan Peck, Sammie Song, Jeanne, Jonathan Opp
examples of people talking about their work
mentorship programs – connect pro with student/gradutate
“Pitch Night” get a client portfolio review
Survey – Ask AIGA, AIGA answers
10 things I want to know (worries, concerns, etc.)
10 things I wish I knew
working with clients/meetings
how to prepare your portfolio
mock interviews – expectations panel, skills, things that disqualify you as a candidate
group competition to help local organizations, winner gets an internship
Topics:
- developing your creative voice
- work projects and/or personal creative fulfillment
- your own voice
- special student/recent grad portfolio section, include contact info to start connecting
Group 3:
Brian, Joe Schram, Clarke, Michael Whaley, David Mitchell, Abbenyi
getting hired 101
- event/local businesses
- articles
Taste of the real world
- AIGA structured internship/mentorship
- all levels – middle/high school
best practices
- payment
- workplace standards
- manual
milestones
- one per year of college
- goals of professional career
- skills current?
- design educators AIGA
panels/roundtables – existing resources
survey of local firms
- local specific
- questionnaire
networking
- job search
- employers/applications
- events
Group 4:
Ellen Lynch, Jason Horner, Janet, Laura Hamlyn, Carina
Living principles event
address cost/value p spell out benefits
help them get jobs
activate student board – unite schools
give them real world experience/advice
- interviews
- networking skills
- business basics
get (non-design) businesses involved with students
relevant interactive/social media skills
networking events – awareness
lunch & learn – clean up your online profile
Photos by Jason Rizzo
