is a blog about design, technology and culture written by Khoi Vinh, and has been more or less continuously published since December 2000 in New York City. Khoi is currently Principal Designer at Adobe. Previously, Khoi was co-founder and CEO of Mixel (acquired in 2013), Design Director of The New York Times Online, and co-founder of the design studio Behavior, LLC. He is the author of “How They Got There: Interviews with Digital Designers About Their Careers”and “Ordering Disorder: Grid Principles for Web Design,” and was named one of Fast Company’s “fifty most influential designers in America.” Khoi lives in Crown Heights, Brooklyn with his wife and three children.
Time for a quick round-up of matters relating to AIGA New York, of which I am a board member. When last we left our story, I had endeavored to bring more digital design into the fold when it comes to programming the New York chapter’s events. We started last fall with a Jeffrey Zeldman Small Talk which was quite successful, I think.
Things have been a little quiet since, but only because it’s taken some time to cook up some more interesting things. First off, we’re nearing the final stages of a new redesign of the AIGANY.org Web site. You may recall that I sent out an open call for New York-based design studios interested in helping us with this project last August. I got disappointingly few replies to that call, but as it turns out, one of the respondents — a terrific shop called Kind Company — was the perfect fit. Look for a brand new site from them soon.
Signal Language
Second, digital design is in fact having some continuing effect on the nature of our event programming. Most prominently, we have the inimitable Jason Fried of 37signals scheduled for a Small Talk on 15 May. I had intended to promote his appearance here today, but even now, with over a month to go before the event, all of the tickets are sold out. It’s going to be a great show, too, where Jason will be taking questions from the audience for the majority of the hour, so here’s your chance to get it straight from the horse’s mouth — if you got a ticket.
In Bed with Apple
If you didn’t, well you’ll have a chance to see more AIGA speakers this spring as we kick off a series of Apple-sponsored Pro Sessions, to be held at the Apple Store in SoHo. These will be presentations on design open to the public, so all are welcome. We’re starting off in a few weeks with the hotly-tipped design studio Giampietro + Smith on 18 Apr, followed by the motion design studio Digital Kitchen on 16 May, and then John Gruber of Daring Fireball fame on 20 Jun. We’re hoping to move the crowd from the Apple Store over to a local watering hole for mingling and drinks after at least a few of these events, so come to listen, then to hang out. More details to come.
Helvetica: The Hype
On a less digital design-centric note, we’ll be screening Gary Hustwit’s marvelous “Helvetica: A Documentary Film” this coming Fri 06 Apr at The New School’s Tishman Auditorium. I was lucky enough to see a private screening at MoMA several weeks ago, and this film is the real deal — any designer will have a fantastic time. (I’ll try and write up some kind of review later.) Unfortunately, this event too is sold out — tickets went in a matter days. If there’s one thing that Gary’s film has made clear: people go crazy for this typeface.
Finally, I’m sorry to keep bringing up sold out events like this, but if anything, I’m hoping it will encourage those of you in the New York area to join the chapter to get a leg up on future events. We’re doing some fun stuff, I like to think, with more to come, and slowly, we’re getting strong digital representation within one of the most prominent chapters in the whole organization. Plus, I need all the help I can get!
Khoi, sounds like things are going so well with the NY chapter. Great to hear it. It’s still a challenge for us here in LA to get any sort of programming of this nature implemented. Perhaps we’ll fly you out for a “board member in residence” program?
Khoi, I wanted to thank you again for inviting me to be part of the Small Talk Series. I’m doing a few talks this year and this is the one I’m most looking forward to.
Jason: it’s our pleasure; the whole chapter is really looking forward to having you. In some ways, I wish we’d booked a bigger event for you, but this is still going to be a tremendous amount of fun.
Time for a quick round-up of matters relating to
Khoi, sounds like things are going so well with the NY chapter. Great to hear it. It’s still a challenge for us here in LA to get any sort of programming of this nature implemented. Perhaps we’ll fly you out for a “board member in residence” program?
Oh, by the way, can we make our site look like your new one?
when i move back, i’ll gladly have all hands on deck to help.
which, of course, is of no help.
Khoi, I wanted to thank you again for inviting me to be part of the Small Talk Series. I’m doing a few talks this year and this is the one I’m most looking forward to.
Jason: it’s our pleasure; the whole chapter is really looking forward to having you. In some ways, I wish we’d booked a bigger event for you, but this is still going to be a tremendous amount of fun.