February 02, 2020
3:00 to 5:00 PM
FAU Davie Campus – Liberal Arts Building, Rm 120

Things that don’t have to do with Graphic Design: An Afternoon with Aaron Draplin

As a graphic designer, I’m lucky to make things for all kinds of things. But more and more, I/m realizing the profound impact it has on the things in the rest of my life. Things in my backyard. Things that hold things. Things for my nephew. And things on one of the saddest days of my life. That’s a lot of things. Plus, we’ll update you on all the things we,ve been up to, aside from all those other things. Tons of new things!

To be followed by a 60 minute session of Adobe Illustrator tips, tricks, tales, triumphs and threats will be offered up from our questionable existence! Questions answered. Riddles solved. Enigmas discusses. Don’t miss out!

There will be a ton of DDC merch and Mama’s Sauce will be there merching it up and live printing exclusive Draplin Florida tour art.

FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

draplin.com
www.mamas-sauce.com

Hello AIGA Miami members and friends,

• We will run an open call for Board nominations in May and June, recruiting an Incoming President and a Vice President to lead the chapter. More details will be announced very soon.

• The Board agrees that I should extend my term as President for no more than 6 months to assist in the transition to new leadership. The purpose of the extension is to provide a few months of focused orientation; as the 6 months progress, I will gradually step back for the new President and Vice President to take the lead. New leadership will be fully instated (and I will officially step down) by the end of 2019.

Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions, concerns, recommendations, or nominations for us. Just send me a note: president@miami.aiga.org.

I want to sincerely thank you all for being part of this vibrant and diverse South Florida design community. I’m grateful for the opportunity to lead the chapter and look forward to seeing how it grows over the coming months and years.

All my best,

Rebecca

Using vintage AIDS awareness posters from the Wolfsonian collection as inspiration, we asked designers to create contemporary versions based on the new perspectives and insights gained at a design workshop in February with Florida Department of Health officials and community members directly impacted by HIV/AIDS.

These 32 posters are the PosterFest 2019 submissions from our design community in South Florida. Finalist designs were unveiled at The Wolfsonian–FIU on Miami Beach during the culminating event on April 27, 2:00–6:00 p.m.

Finalists

“Use Both” by Cindy Diaz

“Sharing is Not Always Caring” by Mikeala Francis
@mikealafrancis

“Not Just for Him” by David Gurr
@DavidGurr

“Awareness Brings Hope” by Nathalie Sandin
@nathalielsandin 

“Blinded by Stigma” by Ana Smith

“42 Days” by Angelina Lang

“Protect Each Other” by Hamzh Elmi

“Shapes Sizes Colors” by Tennille Shuster
@tennillustrator

“Love Yourself. Protect Yourself.” by Marian Parajon-Downing

“AIDS Does Not Discriminate” by Victoria Roman

Honorable Mentions

“100% HUMAN” by Camilo Mateus
@mateusm94_

“KNOWLEDGE = EVERYTHING” by Karla Martin
@kar1am

“Amazing Breakthroughs In HIV Prevention” by Paris Bowman

“Close? Condom.” by Zahrah Duperval

“Stop Diving In UnPrEPared.” by Daisean Foster

“Florida +” by Alicia Veasy
@SupergirlAlicia

“Let’s end the stigma around AIDS” by Melo Caro
@discerningdesigner

“It Only Takes One” by Danielle Brady
@danielle_brady_

“RTR: Reduce The Risk” by Annette M. Piskel
@ampdzine

“In My Hands” by Kathleen R. O’Neill Schuler

“Stand Up” by Tennille Shuster
@tennillustrator

“PrEP” by Mathew Sotelo
@guyitsmathew

“Let’s Work Together” by Mykaella Panier

“Break The Stereotype” by Savannah Parker

“The Lottery” by Laureen Biruk
@laureendesigns

“YOU ‘Treat yourself , Don’t cheat yourself'” by Djeffane Ferdinand

“Bareback in Florida” by Luis Alexander

“Educate Yourself” by Dorcas Chocolate

“Direct Flight” by Annarosa Guerrero

“Drugs No Condom Yes” by Hernan Helfer

“Aids Awareness” by Fernando Carmona
@ferjr1991

PosterFest: Design for Good 2019 is co-presented with The Wolfsonian–FIU and Florida Department of Health in Miami-Dade County, STD/HIV Prevention and Control Program. Sponsored by Southeastern Printing with support from FIU Department of History, FIU Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Unity Coalition|Coalición Unida, and Ambiente magazine. The Wolfsonian thanks Henry S. Hacker and family for their generous gift of a major collection of international HIV/AIDS posters.

Empathy allows us to draw upon real-world human experiences to improve our understanding. For PosterFest: Design for Good 2019, AIGA Miami recently hosted a half-day workshop focused on building empathy around complex issues in society.

PosterFest 2019 focuses on the HIV crisis in South Florida, seeking to spur compassionate conversation, inspire community engagement, and combat stigma through a unique design challenge built around empathy. In Miami, approximately 26,110 people are living with HIV.

What is Empathy?



To help designers engage and learn to communicate about HIV, we invited local public health experts, individuals impacted by HIV and design professionals to participate in a panel. Our panel included:

• Melissa Blundell-Osorio, Director of Education at the World Erotic Art Museum
• Harris Levine, a partner at Ker-twang
• Karen Iglesias, Health Education Supervisor for the STD/HIV Prevention and Control Program in the Florida Department of Health in Miami-Dade County
• Ashley Richardson, Education & Prevention Specialist for CAN Community Health
• Aquilla Lee, Community Member
• Suzanne Jewel, Founder, The Mindful Entrepreneur

Suzanne Jewell, the panel moderator, opened with a definition of empathy. Unlike sympathy—feelings of pity and sorrow for someone else’s misfortune—empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another person.

Empathy:

“Let me

hold the door for you.

I may have

never walked

in your shoes,

but I can see

your soles are worn,

your strength is torn

under the weight of a story

I have never lived before.

Let me hold the door for you.

After all you’ve walked through,

It’s the least I can do.”

– Morgan Harper Nichols

Questions to Ask

Sharing stats, stigmas, and personal stories, panelists offered insights into the needs and challenges of those living with HIV and at risk. For the design challenge, panelist Harris Levine recommended reframing questions such as:

• Rather than ask, “How can I cure AIDS?”, ask “How can I bring to light resources that many individual with or at risk of AIDS may not know about?”
• Consider how you can change the perspective of one individual who may not normally relate to another. “How can I change the perspective of someone who is X and who doesn’t think they can relate to Y?”

He continued, “You want to use empathy as a tool, a way to do your job well and truly understand people. We can change people’s perception with design if we understand where they are coming from, and bring awareness with design.”

No Particular Look

As panelist Ashley Richardson explained, HIV is not limited to a particular look. HIV can be transmitted through unprotected sex, needles, or even breast milk from mother to child. So anyone can be affected by HIV—no matter your age, race, socio-economic status, or lifestyle.

Finding Inspiration in Historic AIDS Awareness Posters

Following the panel, Zoe Welch, program manager at The Wolfsonian–FIU, presented ten posters for inspiration. The Wolfsonian houses a collection of 3,600 International Aids Awareness posters that span 1985–2010 across more than 80 countries. Exploring these, we gained a better sense of how designers can use empathy to translate issues across different countries, languages, and the distribution of the disease.

Exercises in Human-Centered Design

During the workshop, Jennifer Marin Jericho (AIGA Baltimore), Jen Ford (AIGA Gainesville) and Rebecca White (AIGA Miami) introduced us to the mindset of human-centered design. They discussed how posters encourage us to think, “How might I be able to contribute to a specific problem or situation?” It’s an extremely versatile, cost-effective medium that helps us reach people we may not normally be able to normally reach.

Jennifer and Jen lead us through a series of design-thinking exercises to develop powerful storytelling and empathy-building tools that allow us to create more impactful communication. We were encouraged to embrace the discovery process, rather than fall back on our own unconscious biases, and use our different and diverse backgrounds to provide unique perspectives.

“Great ideas are behind a brick wall…you have to remove brick by brick to reveal something great.” – Jennifer Marin Jericho, AIGA Baltimore

 

Breaking into small groups, we created “personas,” invented characters who could benefit most from the messages in our posters. For each persona we dug into questions such as:

• How can we reach this person?
  • Note: fear can cause people to stop listening or ignore the problem, so it’s important to consider solutions that aren’t fear-based solutions.
• What is this person thinking before and after viewing the poster? In what context will they see it?

We then created empathy maps, thinking about each persona and situation, finding common themes and grouping them. Sketching out layouts, type, images, and messaging, we presented designs built on empathy:

• Becky: Empower Becky to take things into her own hands and empower herself.
• Carla: Shift Carla’s perceptions that protection is a man’s responsibility and move past barriers to get tested.
• Mary: Help Mary take personal responsibility to educate herself and talk with her children in a safe environment.
• Carlos: Encourage Carlos to learn more about what it is to be HIV-positive and resources within the community.

In closing, we were reminded that, while we may not be able to change someone’s mind right away, it’s all about the days and the weeks afterwards. It’s about nudging someone just a little bit closer to comprehension, and compassion.

PosterFest Is Almost Here: Join Us

Mark your calendar and make plans to join us for PosterFest 2019! The free event features a keynote and conversation, a pop-up exhibition, interactives, and digital displays, and takes place on Saturday, April 27, 2:00–6:00 p.m. at The Wolfsonian–FIU (1001 Washington Avenue Miami Beach, FL 33139). View more details and RSVP online.

Photography by Isabel Castro

From Tuesday, April 2 to Thursday, April 4, The School of Entertainment & Design Technology invites you to join the fun as we celebrate Five (Super) Years of Art, Design, and Tech at our annual event for creatives at Miami Dade College – North Campus. D3(Digital Design Den) brings together top content creators, scholars, and independent thinkers to inspire and increase opportunities for underrepresented groups interested in advertising, technology, and digital production careers.

This year, D3 2019 will celebrate the “Super Power” of the designer! Our featured guest will reveal the secrets of the creative superhero and discuss how to wield superhuman design skills and harness technology to impact our lives every day. During this three-day event, attendees are immersed in the worlds of art, design, and technology to “discover their craft.”

Event Highlights

Tuesday, April 2

• InkWars! | 2:00–4:00 p.m. @ MDC North – Bldg. 5 – Breezeway
  • A fun hands-on, live-drawing competition, where artists of all levels are given design prompts to create images on the spot. May the best artist win!
  • Tickets

• Student Showcase | 4:00–6:00 p.m. @ MDC North – Bldg. 5 – Breezeway
  • Enjoy live entertainment while admiring creative projects made in various art, design, fashion and technology courses by MDC students.

• Bilby Animation Short Screening |  6:00–7:30 p.m. @ MDC North – Bldg. 2 – Screening Room
  • Join us, for an exclusive Dreamworks Animated Short Screening with Director, JP Sans.
  • Tickets

Wednesday, April 3 – @ MDC North – Bldg. 3, Conference Center

• Discover Your Creative (Super) Power @ 9:15 a.m.
  • The Inner Critic is the main source of our biggest blocks to perform at our best. Learn how to become more visible, promote your achievements, and make yourself known.
  • Meet Denise Jacobs of The Creative Dose, our inspirational host, April 3 + 4.
• Let’s Change the World Through Design & Technology @ 9:30 a.m.
  • Learn about advances in technology that provide fashionable 3D printed prosthetic limbs for kids.
  • Keynote presentation by Albert Manero of Limbitless Solutions

Thursday, April 4 – @ MDC North – Bldg. 3, Conference Center

• Join us for a behind-the-scenes look at the art and techology of Black Panther.
• Keynote presentation by John Lepore & Doug Appleton of Perception NYC
• Tickets

For full event details: mdc.edu/d3expo or 305.237.1696.

Location information:

Miami Dade College – North Campus

11380 Northwest 27th Avenue Bldg. 3 – Conference Center, Miami, FL 33167

Recycle Runway brings together students from four South Florida college programs to celebrate the power of Design. These students were challenged to create unique garments inspired by design and constructed from a range of recycled materials including chip bags, CDs, garbage bags, and soda can tabs. Each of these garments will be modeled in a one-night runway exhibition.

Participating schools:

Barry University
Broward College
Florida Atlantic University
Miami Dade College

FAU METROLAB
111 East Las Olas
Ft Lauderdale

APRIL 6, 2019
6:30pm seating

LIMITED SEATING AVAILABLE
RSVP: rrfabcollab@gmail.com

Recycled Runway began Florida Atlantic University’s History of Graphic Design course. Forty students were tasked to source recycled materials to create wearable garments that reflect notable historical styles, objects, or designers. Design students enrolled in area higher education institutions were also invited to participate. On Saturday, April 6, Recycled Runway will take place on the FAU Fort Lauderdale campus. One-of-a-kind garments created by students enrolled at Barry University, Broward College, Florida Atlantic University and Maimi Dade College will be featured in a one-night runway event.

Today, these students work in the classroom, but tomorrow they will be the primary creators of 21st-century communication. Recycled Runway emphasizes sustainability, community engagement, and equity to alert design students to their civic responsibilities. In the process of creating these unique garments, students discovered that research depends on creativity, as well as patience and decision making. During their final presentation, students model their creations and learn about the need for “human-centered” design practices.

Recycled Runway embraces experience-based learning and active learning. Concepts of eco-materials, sustainability, and human-centered design practice were discussed in class. Students were asked to interview professionals in the field to determine how they creatively sustain their practices. They worked in groups, and the joy and challenges of collaboration encouraged their commitment to high standards and accountability. During production, students made sketches, took body measurements, and learned how to portion material accordingly; they reviewed examples of other designers’ creative re-use of everyday “stuff.” They grappled with the challenges of dressmaking. In the process, they discovered that research depends on creativity, as well as patience and decision making. During their final presentations, students modeled their creations and learned about the need for “human-centered” design practices.

The Wolfsonian is home to one of the largest AIDS awareness poster collections in the world. Donated in 2012 by Henry S. Hacker and Family, the more than 3,600 posters from over 80 countries date between 1985 and 2010—together presenting the myriad nuances, diverse perspectives, and complex messages that shape visual communication for a global health crisis. The majority were designed for educational use to debunk misinformation, challenge stigma, encourage empathy, and promote safe sex and responsible drug use.

Poster, Prevent AIDS. Use a Condom. Don’t Depend on Luck!, c. 1993
Canada
The Wolfsonian–Florida International University, Miami Beach, Florida,
Gift of Henry S. Hacker & Family, 2011.14.26
Photo: Lynton Gardiner

Poster, Another Face of HIV/AIDS, 1990
Spain
The Wolfsonian–Florida International University, Miami Beach, Florida,
Gift of Henry S. Hacker & Family, 2011.14.412
Photo: Lynton Gardiner

Poster, Silence = Death, 1987
ACT UP, designer
United States
The Wolfsonian–Florida International University, Miami Beach, Florida,
Gift of Henry S. Hacker & Family, 2012.1.193
Photo: Lynton Gardiner

Poster, Sharing the Needle is Sharing AIDS, c. 1995
Ramesh Sukumar, designer
India
The Wolfsonian–Florida International University, Miami Beach, Florida,
Gift of Henry S. Hacker & Family, 2012.1.432
Photo: Lynton Gardiner

Poster, Use a Condom, 1990
James Victore, designer
United States
The Wolfsonian–Florida International University, Miami Beach, Florida,
Gift of Henry S. Hacker & Family, 2012.1.99
Photo: Lynton Gardiner

Poster, See Dick. Dick Has AIDS, date unknown
Laura Foy, designer
United States
The Wolfsonian–Florida International University, Miami Beach, Florida,
Gift of Henry S. Hacker & Family, 2011.14.888
Photo: Lynton Gardiner

Poster, You Won’t Get AIDS from a Bug Bite, c. 1990
United States
The Wolfsonian–Florida International University, Miami Beach, Florida,
Gift of Henry S. Hacker & Family, 2011.14.924
Photo: Lynton Gardiner

Poster, Ignorance=Fear. Silence = Death. Fight AIDS Act Up, 1989
Keith Haring, designer
United States
The Wolfsonian–Florida International University, Miami Beach, Florida,
Gift of Henry S. Hacker & Family, 2012.1.191
Photo: Lynton Gardiner

Poster, Derechos para todos, responsabilidades de todos [Rights for all, responsibilities of all], 1995
United States
The Wolfsonian–Florida International University, Miami Beach, Florida,
Gift of Henry S. Hacker & Family, 2012.1.1194
Photo: Lynton Gardiner

Poster, He Wouldn’t Give Up Shooting Up…So I Gave Him Up, 1993
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
United States
The Wolfsonian–Florida International University, Miami Beach, Florida, Gift of Henry S. Hacker & Family, 2011.14.933

Images: The Wolfsonian–FIU, Gift of Henry S. Hacker & Family

We had a fantastic time gleaning expert tips from New York-based business consultant Emily Cohen this November! Emily walked us through her whirlwind crash course that left all of us scribbling frantic notes about her no-nonsense tricks for success—from staffing and pricing to billing and prospecting strategies designed to push design firms onto solid ground and toward a bright (and lucrative) future. Her experience-driven guidance proved priceless, and most participants stuck around to get a signed copy of Emily’s beautifully designed book of wisdom, Brutally Honest. Shout-out to WeWork at Brickell City Centre for the space and Emily for her no-BS approach to giving us the jump-start we needed.

Photography by Lilian Santini

Paul Jacober and his branding gurus opened their doors to us in October for the latest iteration of our popular Studio Tour series. Miami-area students had the rare opportunity to take a visual journey through some of Jacober Creative‘s most ambitious campaigns developed for local clients, including Flamingo Park Tennis and the Town of Surfside, plus a few of their favorite company projects. Attendees were pumped to pick the team’s brains about how an agency operates, finds inspiration, and navigates tricky client needs. Many thanks to our gracious hosts for inspiring the next gen of visionaries!

Photography by Lilian Santini and Jennifer Nadal

Every year right before Miami Art Week, so many guides and top 10 lists are tossed around that it can be hard to formulate a clear plan. We totally get it: there’s a lot going on, and a lot of noise about what’s going on. To help our fellow designers, the board of AIGA Miami has crafted this design-minded path through the madness, tailored just for you. Not everything is strictly related to our main squeeze, graphic design, but there are plenty of events and installations that are perfect fodder for inspiration and a conceptual refresh, two ingredients essential to creating successfully.

Without further ado, on to our killer recommendations:

Faena Festival: This is Not America

Faena’s inaugural festival of installations, performances, and remixed art sounds incredible, and best of all, it’s free. Even more impressively, the festival’s theme comes from a 1987 work with graphic design and branding at its heart: Alfredo Jaar’s animation A Logo for America, which originally ran in Times Square and is now getting the VIP treatment on an LED Jumbotron boated up and down the Miami Beach shoreline, Miami-style. Yes, please.

Pro tip: While the festival is free, reservations are required for the performances and events. Some of the site-specific installations require some strategizing, like Tavares Strachan’s Deco-Drive-neon homage We Belong Here, which will light up Faena Beach only on certain days and times. Plan ahead and go discover it after dark.

The Museums

We know, we know; we’re cheating by bundling these into one. It’s easy to overlook our city’s storied cultural institutions in a week dominated by the dazzle of Basel, but they can be welcome havens from the frenetic energy of the Convention Center and satellite tents—perfect to catch your breath between fairs.

Over at PAMM, revel in nostalgia with the fabulous (and very Florida) pink of Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s famous Surrounded Islands—a color choice that feels just as fresh 35 years later—and if you’re a super fan, try to squeeze into Christo’s sold-out talk on December 4 (standby seating only). Then ‘gram yourself silly among the Bass Museum of Art’s social media-friendly rainbow of polar bears by artist Paola Pivi, or head over to ICA Miami for their major survey of work by feminist icon Judy Chicago. Also, MDC’s Museum of Art and Design has a provocative installation on view by the Danish collective Superflex: We Are All in the Same Boat, which nods to a bunch of subjects very topical to Miami such as sea-level rise and refugees. Last but never least,  if you’re looking for an old-school-meets-new-school vibe, visit The Wolfsonian–FIU to see Enter the Design Age, a graphic installation by the Academy Award-winning masters of typography, H5.

Pro tip: While you’re at ICA Miami in the Design District, look across the street and pause to admire the seven-story Museum Garage, new this year and featuring facades by five different architectural firms. It’s a bizarre mash-up inspired by the surrealists’ famous drawing game, the exquisite corpse. Move over, 1111 Lincoln Road—Museum Garage has got your number.  

Design Miami/

Always top of our “don’t miss” list! This year we’re especially pumped for a retrospective of work by the husband-and-wife dream team Pedro Reyes and Carla Fernández, winners of the 2018 Design Miami/ Visionary Awards and the minds behind the fair’s graphic identity, which was inspired by handmade protest signs from the ‘60s. Reyes, a contemporary artist, and Fernández, a fashion designer, have constructed an immersive space enclosed in curved steel walls, and will be discussing their collaboration at a December 5 talk. Consider us intrigued.

P.S. Design Miami/ is hosting a ton of other amazing talks, too, including a couple focused on engaging next-gen designers through higher ed—notably this panel and this conversation between SCAD president Paula Wallace and Google design leader Michael Buzzard.

Pro tip: Look out for Curio, the series of “cabinets of curiosity” compiled by designers, curators, innovators, and gallerists. You’ll spot them between the booths.

Superfine!

As designers we love to surround ourselves with visual inspiration 24/7, not just admire it sometimes on somebody else’s walls—so we’re quite smitten with the idea of an affordable art fair. When you tire of swooning over the blue-chip stuff, take a peek at Superfine! to peruse some fantastic pieces by local artists that are a little friendlier on the wallet. You just might head home with the beginnings of a new art collection.

Pro tip: With preview tickets at only $50, Superfine! has one of the cheapest Vernissage experiences of Miami Art Week. So why not feel like a VIP at a fraction of the cost?

SCOPE

SCOPE has always been a beachy mecca for fans of urban art, and a breath of fresh air with its roster of emerging artists. We’re excited to see SCOPE double down on its dedication to street art and new contemporary through a partnership with Hi-Fructose Magazine and a slew of crazy-cool projects. One in particular that’s generating buzz: Okuda San Miguel’s sculpture installation and live mural painting, which just might cast you as a character in the work. Okuda is known for his kaleidoscopic palette, geometric forms, and infusion of pop, so if you’re looking to spark your imagination, look no further.

Pro tip: Uber XL not quite luxe enough for your Art Week needs? If you’re lucky enough to be a Scope VIP member, try out their VIP Car Service, powered by Porsche. We’re not sure if you’ll make it to that super secret afterparty on time, but hey—at least you’ll feel fancy while you sit in traffic with the rest of us.

Satellite

There’s really no telling what you’ll see at this artist-organized, unorthodox fair previously housed in the abandoned Ocean Terrace Hotel in North Beach. This year, it has taken up residence in shipping containers in the Arts & Entertainment District in a stripped-down, unusual experience compared with those of its neighboring fairs. Satellite places you in close proximity to artists, performers, and musicians, so opportunity for conversation and discovery abound!

Pro tip: This fair is open in the evening, so you can hang out at Satellite once most of the others have closed. Be sure to check the lineup of music and art performances happening into the wee hours—we like the sound of “10pm til late.”

The Art of Banksy Miami

When the “largest exhibit of Banksy art ever assembled” is happening in your backyard, you simply need to go. It’s explicitly “not authorized by Banksy and not curated in collaboration with the artist” (naturally), but authorized or not, we expect it’s well worth the price of admission.

Pro tip: It’s cool that this is presented in a former factory and all, but the website takes care to note “uneven floors and potential tripping hazards.” Ladies, it might be best to leave the heels behind and bust out the flats for this one.

Thank you to Elina Diaz for the graphics for our Miami Art Week guide.