Learn immediately applicable financial metrics for your design firm

This six-part webinar series, presented by David C. Baker, was developed especially for those at the Sustaining Member level and above who are principals, operations managers and controllers in design firms. This series will cover the essential “numbers side” of running a firm well.

Webinar attendees will learn how to construct financial statements properly, how to interpret them, how to avoid common reporting mistakes and how to understand the same event from the perspective of leverage, profit and cash. Sessions will include a detailed explanation of several dozen benchmarks, how you should work with your accounting firm, how to manage cash flow, how to measure utilization and how to fix any gaps that the analysis reveals. You’ll be able to immediately apply this information to your own numbers, while learning in a helpful webinar environment that you can access from anywhere.

By the end of this series, attendees will have a fairly complete understanding of financial metrics—a skill that will be useful for years to come! AIGA Sustaining Members and above, log in to sign up for these complimentary sessions:

Not yet a Sustaining Member, Design Leader or Trustee of AIGA? Join or renew today to access these complimentary sessions!

Presenter

David C. Baker, principal of ReCourses, Inc.

David C. Baker speaks 30 to 35 times per year worldwide; has analyzed more than 750 marketing service firms; has worked in or visited 24 countries; and has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Fast Company, Inc. Magazine, Forbes, CBS Business Network, MarketingProfs, Businessweek and many books others have written. He speaks regularly for Harvard, SVA and TEDx events. His book, Managing (Right) for the First Time, was named by Inc. Magazine as one of the “Best Books for Entrepreneurs.”

An idea is formed in our head and comes from the heart and is crafted through our hand.

We are designers. Each of us can make a difference.

And together, we can do great things. This is the new AIGA.

Take part in the new AIGA

Videos created by TODA for AIGA

Creative March – March 23rd

Get ready for AIGA San Antonio’s third annual portfolio review, Creative March! We’ve gathered together a panel of excellent design professionals to answer your questions and critique your work. The event will start with a 40minute moderated Q&A with our professionals, followed by individual one-on-one 10-15 mini critique sessions with one of our panelists. Register for the event today! Sign up for critiques will be available first-come, first-serve at the event.

Jill Giles, Giles-Parscale, Inc.

Jill Giles is partner and creative director of Giles-Parscale, Inc., where she originates concept and design and art directs all projects. Her approach is holistic, encompassing a project’s look, message, market presence, and even the environment where it takes place. Jill lived in Japan, Washington DC, and Brazil before settling down in San Antonio in 1984 to establish her first studio, Giles Design, Inc.  In 2010 she partnered with Brad Parscale to establish Giles-Parscale, Inc., a design and web marketing firm. Jill attended the University of Texas at Austin, where she earned three Ford Foundation grants and a BFA.  She has been a guest lecturer at Parsons School of Design, an instructor of graphic design at the University of Texas/San Antonio and the San Antonio Art Institute. Jill is president of the San Antonio Public Library Foundation and has served as a board member for AIGA/Texas [American Institute of Graphic Arts], The Blue Star Art Space – Contemporary Art For San Antonio, San Antonio College Professional Advisory Board, the Downtown Alliance, San Antonio Museum of Art Contemporaries, and the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center.

Pat Marince, PM Creative / PM Photography

Pat Marince has over 30 years experience on the creative side of advertising.
Currently he owns two separate businesses. Under P.M. Creative he creates print advertising, writes copy, produces radio and television commercials and designs brochures, direct mail and billboards. As a commercial photographer, P.M. Photography, he shoots products and people in his studio and works on location. He also has an extensive stock photo library. His fine arts photography has been exhibited in galleries, art institutes, restaurants and universities. Marince is also a partner in The Image Collective, a fine arts photography gallery. Marince has worked for General Electric Advertising in New York, and in their international headquarters in Paris, France. He has also worked as an art director for ad agencies in Paris and London. In Amsterdam, Holland he was creative director of the largest Dutch agency. Returning to the States he was the creative director of The Pitluk Group in San Antonio and Metzdorf Advertising in Houston. Until starting his dual businesses he was a partner in both Thompson-Marince Advertising and Hispano Southwest Marketing. Marince has won over 345 major local, regional, national and international awards for his work in art direction, graphic and editorial design, copywriting, television, radio and photography. They include over 220 local San Antonio Addy Awards, numerous awards in Dallas and Houston, print annuals and international awards that include; The New York Art Director’s Show, The British and Dutch Art Director’s Annuals and The International Type Design Awards. For six years he taught an advanced course in, “Art Direction and Concept Thinking” in the advertising program at Texas State University. Marince also taught the same course at the University of Texas at Austin, at San Antonio College and at The San Antonio Art Institute. Pat grew up in Erie, Pennsylvania, and graduated from The Columbus College of Art & Design, in Columbus, Ohio, with a major in advertising design and a minor in photography.

Eleazar Hernández, Hernández Design Studio / UTSA

With almost 20 years of design experience, Eleazar consistently develops
breakthrough ideas to meet or exceed client needs. He has produced award-winning work for both national and international clients in the retail, utility, financial, higher ed, healthcare, development, medical, fitness and construction markets. His approach to work and design reflects his emphasis on simplicity, concept and
intelligence. His clients have included: Anne Klein, Steven Kretchmer, Kaiser Family
Foundation, Planned Parenthood, San Antonio Spurs, Dallas Cowboys and CPS
Energy to name a few. During Eleazar’s career he has been awarded with numerous design and advertising awards such as: silver and gold Addys, a Best in Show at the San Antonio Addys and several national Telly awards. In 2007, Eleazar was named one of the Nation’s Top Designers to Watch by Graphic Design: USA magazine. The national honor is awarded to designers who display a rare combination of talent, leadership, success, insight, business savvy, community service and newsworthiness. Previous winners of this award have included great designers like Primo Angeli, Saul Bass, Seymour Chwast, Milton Glaser and Stefan Sagemeister. Hernandez served on as vice president for the Graphic Artists Guild (GAG) in New York. His work has been featured in Graphic Design: USA, Basel, Graphic Artists Guild Annual, and Logo Lounge 6 among others. He has served as judge for numerous advertising and design competitions across the nation and was a frequent lecturer at universities, design organizations and the student chapter of AIGA in Upstate New York.

Aleshia Mayo, Uppercase Design Group

Aleshia Mayo is Partner and Senior Designer of San Antonio-based, Uppercase Design Group. The award-winning, full-service graphic design firm specializes in creating and promoting corporate identities. Prior to her career as a small business owner, Aleshia graduated from Kansas State University with a BFA in Graphic Design. She joined the creative department at New Century Graphics where she gained an array of skills in corporate design, production and visual and verbal communications. After nine years, she left to begin Uppercase Design Group which is celebrating its five year anniversary next month! Her love for typography is hands down her favorite element of graphic design. Aleshia lives in San Antonio, is married to her high school sweetheart and loves being a mom to her two sons! While she loves Texas, she will always call herself a Kansan. Go KState!

Jessie Stanco, Boldface Marketing

Jessie Stanco is the owner and chief sourcing expert at Boldface Marketing, a promotional marketing company in San Antonio,Texas. She provides creative solutions to promotional needs, supporting marketing efforts with product expertise and an eye for design. She counts several well-know advertising agencies as some of her favorite clients. Before venturing out on her own, Jessie was the Production Manager at Frost Bank for 9 years. At Frost, she managed design and was the primary liaison for designers and agencies for a large part of her tenure, evaluating design on a daily basis. She also sourced unique products that supported the brand, bought printing, managed a large inventory of collateral and promotional materials and coordinated delivery and storage. Jessie is a 6th-generation Texan who loves to visit other places but is certain that Texas is the only place to call home. Jessie and her husband of 12 years, a fellow Longhorn, live in San Antonio with their two beautiful daughters.

Ryan Bruner, Creative Tonic (Austin TX)

Originally from Northern California, Ryan Bruner moved to Austin in 2010 to pursue his MFA in Design from the University of Texas at Austin. Before transitioning into design, Ryan taught music at several high schools, colleges, and private organizations throughout Northern California–being called upon to compose, design, and instruct large scale musical programs. At UT Ryan combined his passion for teaching, graphic design, music, and technology through his exploration in emerging interactive technologies that allow users to interact within 3D space. Ryan has taught several classes and workshops at UT as both a student and part-time lecturer. In addition to teaching, Ryan works at designer at Creative Tonic (a Brand Experience studio based in Austin, TX) and is Email Communications Director for the AIGA Austin chapter.

Russell Toynes, DELL Computers (Austin TX)

Russell is a designer for the Global Brand Creative group at Dell. Along with loving his teammates like a second family and enjoying inappropriate as well as thought-provoking conversations with these people over lunch, he is a huge zombie enthusiast, enjoys cheddar cheese and apple pie (both separate and together) and is passionate about daily lotion use, public service and creating great, meaningful and purposeful design.

When you are a member of AIGA, you are part of a growing network of designers that work together to increase design’s influence and to expand opportunities for designers worldwide. Being a part of AIGA is critical to ensuring that our profession is strong, relevant and influential.

AIGA’s 23,000 members share and promote a professional ethos. Opportunities for networking are plentiful through our events and programming. Your membership makes possible the activities of a national organization promoting design’s value on your behalf, and gives you access to professional development and exclusive benefits that can only be provided by an organization with the scale and reach of AIGA.

Whether you’re an established designer wanting to give back to the profession or a design student just beginning your professional journey, you can choose the membership level that fits you best. Belong to AIGA at a level as high as your aspirations! Starting last year in August, membership can range from $50/year, $150/year, or $250/year – depending on the various benefits you’d like to receive. With these levels, every designer has an affordable chance to contribute as a member!

Learn more at aiga.org/belong

Membership in AIGA has its benefits—including discounts on services and products, health insurance, exclusive access to new job opportunities and more! For as low as $50 a year, join today to contribute to the influence of design, further your professional development and connect with a welcoming community of peers.

Get informed

Members-only, on-demand Webinars continue to sharpen your skills and knowledge with industry-leading tools and resources.

Newsletters receive Communiqué monthly, and can opt in at My AIGA for The Buzz, a monthly newsletter for emerging designers, or INform, a quarterly newsletter for in-house creatives.

Publications receive early access to this annual compensation survey produced by AIGA and Aquent. Sustaining level and up receive a printed copy of Design Business and Ethics.

Get noticed

Member Portfolios: showcase your work, connect with like-minded creatives and be found by employers and recruiters on this exclusive network.

Designer Directory: find yourself listed in the AIGA Designer Directory, which linkes to each member’s exclusive member profile on AIGA.org.

Get connected

Job Board view complete job listings at AIGA Design Jobs. Sustaining members and above receive discounted rates for posting job opportunities.

VendorDiscounts

Members at the Supporter Level and above can access these additional benefits and receive special offers that have been coordinated at the national level:

• Adobe
• Shutterstock
• Apple
• Blurb
• FedEx
• Lynda.com
• Books & Magazine Subscriptions
• F+W Media

Insurance

Members at the Supporter Level and above can access health insurance. AIGA is now partnering with two health insurance administrators to offer group rate coverage in virtually every state.

More information, visit http://www.aiga.org/benefits/.

AIGA is your professional organization, the place to go for community, inspiration and thought leadership you won’t find anywhere else. Beyond providing members with exclusive benefits, AIGA supports the profession by providing industry-leading tools and resources.

Your Career

Job Board AIGA Design Jobs is the first place AIGA members turn to find their next opportunity, and the premier place for employers seeking the most qualified designers.

Professional Development AIGA members have opportunities to learn new skills, get advice on pressing career questions, hear insights from industry leaders and learn how to manage more effectively.

Member Portfolios: showcase your work, connect with like-minded creatives and be found by employers and recruiters on this exclusive network.

Our Profession

Design Business and Ethics this series outlines the critical ethical and professional issues encountered by designers and their clients. This publication examines the key concerns a designer faces in maintaining a successful practice and speaks directly to the protection of individual rights.

Standards of Professional Practice A professional designer adheres to principles of integrity that demonstrate respect for the profession, for colleagues, for clients, for audiences or consumers, and for society as a whole. These standards define the expectations of a professional designer and represent the distinction of an AIGA member in the practice of design.

Spec Work AIGA believes that professional designers should be compensated fairly for their work and should negotiate the ownership or use rights of their intellectual and creative property through an engagement with clients. To that end, AIGA strongly encourages designers to enter into client projects with full engagement to show the value of their creative endeavor, and to be aware of all potential risks before entering into speculative work.

Our Industry

Salary Survey Each year, AIGA and Aquent join forces to conduct an extensive compensation survey for the communication design profession—the largest of its kind. AIGA and Aquent produces this salary survey as part of a comprehensive program of activities developed to serve the professional designer with strategies for success.

Design Leaders Confidence Index Since 2005, AIGA conducts a quarterly survey of design leaders to assemble an authoritative statement on the current conditions within the design economy. Over time, the responses enable AIGA to develop a confidence index of conditions in the profession that will be helpful to members and their colleagues. The index will also help us in advocating the interests of the design community in Washington and with sponsors.

Newsletters receive Communiqué monthly, and can opt in at My AIGA for The Buzz, a monthly newsletter for emerging designers, or INform, a quarterly newsletter for in-house creatives.

Conferences AIGA’s design competitions (Justified, Worldwide AIGA Scholarships, 50 Books/50 Covers, and AIGA 365) celebrate exemplary design and demonstrate the power of effective design.

Our Dialogue

• Interested in sustainability? Visit The Living Principles for Design
• Interested in in-house issues? Visit INitiative
• Interested in designing for social impact? Visit Design for Good
• Interested in usability? Visit Design for Democracy
• Interested in design education? Visit Design Ed K12 and  Design Educators Community

For your clients

• Post a job or internship
• Find a designer by portfolio
• Find a designer or firm by name or location
• Find a designer or firm by contacting a local chapter
• Learn more about spec work
• Learn about intellectual property
• Learn how organizations benefit from design
• Learn why design can help business and society

More information, visit http://www.aiga.org/resources/.

Participate in a meaningful dialogue about design’s capacity to benefit business and society, and the pivotal role a professional designer plays in that process.

Design is Strategy

DESIGN CREATES VALUE FOR BUSINESS Design is an investment in innovative thinking, positioning, branding and communication that creates value for businesses in terms of competitive advantage, customer trust and loyalty, and market share. In a rapidly changing global and local business environment, design thinking helps business counter the complexity of conditions with creative solutions. In a global economy in which production gravitates toward the lowest cost producer, human-centered design provides the competitive differentiation needed to gain market share. Design is a critical strategic asset that is most effective when employed early in corporate plans, not as a decorative finality.

Design is Social Engagement

DESIGN IMPROVES SOCIETY Designers bring empathy and creativity to social challenges. The first helps to understand the human-centered solutions that can make a real difference in real people’s lives; creativity can defeat habits with innovative approaches to making a measurable difference. It is the designer’s approach to the process of solving complex problems, particularly in the willingness to test risky options that transcend the traditional view of problems, that is a strategic advantage. Every designer is encouraged to become engaged with socially relevant projects in order to use their creative talents to their highest and best purpose and to demonstrate the value of designers and design thinking.

Design is Quality

PROFESSIONAL DESIGNERS SERVE CLIENTS BEST Professional designers are committed to ethical principles and business practices that serve the client’s interests. AIGA establishes standards for professional practice that describe the expectations clients deserve in gaining the full advantage a designer’s talents and process. These standards serve both the client and the designer in bringing clarity and integrity to the designer-client relationship.

Design is Transparency

DESIGN MAKES THE CITIZEN EXPERIENCE CLEAR Design can strengthen democracy by building trust in the communication between government and the governed. Trust emerges from understanding; design is a critical intermediary in making the complex clear and enhancing understanding. In most of the interactions between government and its citizens, there is an exchange of information. Communication design can simplify and clarify this process; designers can also design service experiences that are more effective, more comprehensible and more efficient. AIGA is deeply involved in initiatives to encourage government use of designers to improve democracy and to demonstrate the power of design.

Design is Culture

DESIGN FOSTERS CULTURAL UNDERSTANDING Effective design focuses clearly on the audience, the customer or the ultimate beneficiary. The design process begins with research into how real people behave, often in the form of ethnographic research. The intent of successful design is to find human-centered solutions that will really work to address a problem and to do so in the context of existing cultures. This is an important issue in an ever-shrinking world in which design must address the unique needs of many different cultures without imposing values upon them. AIGA is committed to assisting designers in understanding different cultures, through activities focused on multiculturalism, developing channels for U.S. designers to build relationships with designers from other cultures, and in diversifying the profession.

Design is Sustainability

GOOD DESIGN RESPECTS THE ENVIRONMENT Designers welcome the challenges of designing within constraints; sensitivity to the environmental, economic, social and cultural implications of design is central to the professional designer’s ethical commitment. Good design respects planet, profits and people and welcomes the opportunity to meet client needs within these challenges. Sustainability applies to more than the environment; the designer’s goal is to enhance human experience and client need while doing no damage to civilization.

Hi everyone! We recently closed our 2013 Letterpress Valentine’s Card Design Competition and are pleased to announce our winners! The top three winning designs will all be letterpress printed by our generous sponsor for the event, Superior Printing. We will have them for sale at our Valentines Party on February 13th at Superior, free and open to all. The top design is going to be mailed to all of our fabulous AIGA San Antonio members. Thank you to all that participated in the competition!

See the facebook album of all of the submissions.

Here are your winners:

1st Place: Sam Reich | 469 C (Brown) & API Lipstick Red Foil

2nd Place: Kristina Leh | PMS 185U

3rd Place: Jessica Molina | PMS 200 and Blind Deboss

Thank you to all who participated:

Julie Carter
Robin Elmore
Sandhya Ganesh
Robert Gonzales
Eleazar Hernandez
Charlie Jakubisin
Chris Krebs
Kristina Leh
Mari Lorenzon
Nick Mendoza
Jessica Molina
Javier Muñoz
Ali Palmerson
Samantha Reich
Callie Roberson
Rebecca Stanford
Mariah Villarreal

Thank you to our sponsors:

Superior Printing
Clampitt Paper
CTI Paper
Lotus Creations

Update: Submissions have been extended till Friday, Jan 18.

Share your love for letterpress, and your creative awesomeness by entering our 2013 Letterpress Valentine’s Card Design Competition. Design the winning handcrafted letterpress Valentine’s card, and gain the adoration of the whole entire world! Ok, maybe just your friends and colleagues. Ready to get started? Here are the details:

The Competition Specs

Card Size: A6 (4.625″ x 6.25″ folded) or (9.25″ x 6.25″ flat)
Printing Technique: Letterpress, provided by Superior Printing
Color: up to 2 PMS or Foil supplied by Lotus creations (a Blind Deboss counts as a color)
Side: 1-sided, interior will be blank (vertical or horizontal)
Stock: Finch Fine, Antique Finish 130# Card Stock supplied by Clampitt Paper
Finishing: Folding only, no Die-cuts, bleeds are ok

Download an illustrator template here as a guide: Horizontal or Vertical

Each winning card will have a printing of 250, and an extra 100 for the first place (to be mailed out to AIGA membership). Winners of the design will receive 3 copies of their individual cards, as well as a free packet of all 3 cards. Cards will be made available for purchase on February 13, 2013 at our reception at Superior Printing.

Submission Info

Only one submission per person.

Submit your Designs: via email at heart@aiga-sa.org
Submission Specs: Please submit two things to us:
1) A print-ready PDF with crop marks (please make sure colors are PMS/Foil only, please specify colors in the email. If you want to use a foil, please use common mettalized, matte or gloss foils.)
2) A jpeg of the design for judging on Facebook.

For questions regarding the competition, email: communications@aiga-sa.org  

The Judging

The judging will happen on Facebook. That’s right, we’re letting our Facebook fans choose the winners. We’ll be uploading an album so that everyone can see the entries, and vote for their favorites by “liking” them. The design with the most “likes” wins!

The top three most “liked” designs will be printed by Superior Printing, and the winning design will be mailed to all of our members for Valentine’s Day.

Voting will being on Wednesday, January 16 and run through Tuesday, January 22. Winners will be announced the following day and will be recognized during our reception at Superior Printing on Wednesday, February 13. (Details on the reception will come soon!)

Important Dates

December 17 (Mon) – Competition launch
January 18 (Fri) January 15 (Tue) – Competition submission deadline
January 19 (Sat) January 16 (Wed) - Facebook voting begins
January 22 (Tue) - Facebook voting ends and winners announced
February 13 (Wed) – Reception hosted by Superior Printing (Details to come soon)

Good luck!

Sponsors

Superior Printing
Superior Printing Company is a family owned print shop located on the West side of San Antonio. The art of letterpress printing dates back to the mid-15th century with Gutenberg’s press. Today, this is considered specialty printing and only a small number of print shops own letter presses. We work closely with our customers to ensure their vision is reflected in the end product.

Clampitt
Clampitt Paper is a family owned and operated company; it was started in 1941 by Max Clampitt and is now run by his youngest son Don Clampitt. Clampitt is a paper merchant that sells direct to large and small scale printers as well as creative designers and local artists.

Lotus Creations
Lotus Creations, Inc. has been supplying premium quality engraved and etched dies to the graphic communities and  leather manufacturers for over 40 years. Lotus brings years of experience to every die we produce and takes pride in our reputation for exceptionally high quality engraving, customer satisfaction, and competitive pricing .

CTI Paper
CTI Paper USA offers an eclectic ensemble of specialty papers and envelopes designed to inspire creative genius. Elegant, sophisticated, fresh and fun – The Fine Paper Collection® includes the world’s finest translucent paper, cast coated paper and metallic printing paper available.

Credits:
Design by Julian Cordero
Copywriting by Chantal Grimball

Moving Screens: Video for Mobile Devices

November 28, 2012
11:00 a.m. central

Featuring:
Will Hyde, founder of Fad (now Superfad) & senior worldwide design evangelist at Adobe Systems

Thanks to improved internet bandwidth and the power of mobile devices, it’s now commonplace for people to watch video on these devices. As designers get more involved in creating websites, apps and digital publications, they have more opportunities to incorporate video into their work. Additionally, DSLR cameras are giving people an affordable way to capture relatively good-quality video. With all this content—and all this opportunity—how can designers get involved? There is definitely still a time and place for highly-produced, top-quality video content. But there’s also increasing opportunity for timely, okay-quality video, particularly in the world of social media. So let’s talk the basics of video editing and motion design.

Register for this webinar

Not sure you can make it? Go ahead and register anyway! Whether or not you attend the live event, as a registrant you will receive a link to view the archived version.

This is part of “Breakthroughs: Where Inspiration and Technology Meet,” a new, free, exclusive webinars from Adobe and AIGA. This series will explore the ways that today’s studios are creating innovative, multi-platform experiences as well as the tools they are using to achieve them. These members-only webinars pair visionary designers with Adobe experts that will help lead you to your next design breakthrough. Moderated by educator and interaction designer Callie Neylan, these mobile-focused sessions will address best practices and zero in on fresh ideas for using new technology and platforms to exceed client expectations.