In addition to getting a chance to get to know other chapter board members, the retreat is a great place to learn about AIGA’s direction and new initiatives. Here’s what AIGA is working on:

• Design for Social Change: designers are increasingly being brought into problem-solving sessions for their design thinking and facilitation skills. Example: Aspen Design Summit
• Design ProBono: AIGA is encouraging designers to give back to their communities by donating 5% of their time to pro bono projects. AIGA provides listings of pro bono projects seeking designers on its website.
• Living Principles: the inward-focused Center for Sustainable Design has been replaced with the outward-facing Living Principles and a new Living Principles website has launched. The new approach is to invite dialogue across businesses and industries instead of a focus strictly on designers.
• Documentary about AIGA: Lynda.com created a documentary video about the history of AIGA and the benefits of membership.
• AIGA Make/Think design conference videos are now online.

Highlights of the conference included hearing design legend Clement Mok talk about the evolution of his career. Clement is a pioneer in New Media and got his start at Apple back in the early 80s, the same time that I was introduced to Macs in college. From there, his career paralleled what I was learning at the time, so his presentation was a great reminder of how much things have changed in the time that I’ve been a graphic designer. Additional highlights included a panel discussion on sustainability and a presentation on the “Secrets of Typographic Success”. I’m proud to be a member of a professional organization like AIGA and look forward to attending the next design conference in 2011.