[Sigia-l] Putting the "Graphic" back with "Designer" (was:the lesser importance of home pages)

[Christopher Fahey]

> > Funny this would come up at the same time AIGA drops all 
> > reference to graphic...
> 
> "AIGA, the professional association for design."
> F.I.N.A.L.L.Y.
> So what do you think about it?

I frankly think it's a mistake for them to have made this change. By
dropping "graphic", and repositioning themselves as a professional
association for "design", they've both (a) diluted their own ability to
focus on their core membership's needs and (b) weakened the development of
the specific and noble profession of graphic design. These days "design", as
we on this list particularly know, means pretty much whatever anyone wants
it to mean: Tthe statement that "design is a good idea" sounds great as a
slogan, but "designer" without a qualifier is not a real job or profession
unless you're Steve Jobs or some similar professionally transcendant being. 

Presumably they intended to open their doors a little bit to include
interaction designers, information designers, exhibition designers, and
other fields that graphic designers have a close affinity with. But do they
also mean to include fashion designers, landscape architects, interior
decorators, industrial designers? Software designers? Network designers?
Business process designers? 

I know they mean well, but I just don't have a good feeling about it.
Perhaps it's because, as I've noted, I feel like we have just emerged from a
decade during which the term "graphic designer" was unjustly viewed as a
perjorative term. Graphic designers are looking back at their history again,
without shame. Must the AIGA buy into the unfair vilification of the term,
especially now that the cloud is passing?

I also see it as ultimately a superficial change, more trendy than
substantive. (Note also that they've removed the terms "American" and "Arts"
from their name, two other qualities that I imagine are still pretty
integral to their mission.) 

Who knows, maybe in a few years they'll issue Retro-AIGA jerseys, or "AIGA
Classic" membership plans.

-Cf

Christopher Fahey
____________________________
Behavior
http://www.behaviordesign.com