Featured Stories
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Fashion Matters In Tough Times, Says Top Designer
11 November 2011 4:59 PM | No Commentsby NPR STAFF
If you pay attention to the Emmys and Academy Awards, then you’ve probably seen those glamorous, haute couture gowns made by Kevan Hall. He’s known for dressing A-listers like Vanessa Williams, Salma Hayek, Celine Dion — even first lady Michelle Obama.
His work has earned him multiple awards. After studying fashion design at Cass Technical High School in Detroit, he won a scholarship sponsored by the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising. After graduating, he won the Peacock Award for Outstanding Fashion Design. In 1989, the NAACP named him the Great American Designer, and in 2005, Life & Style Magazine named him Stylemaker of the Year.
Among the handful of top African-American designers in the country, Hall centers his work in Los Angeles. He’ll be showing off his 2012 bridal and ready-to-wear collections Friday at the Washington Club in the nation’s capital.
More here.
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African designers steal the show
11 November 2011 4:50 PM | No CommentsBy WANGUI MAINAWalking tall at 1.78 metres, Kenyan model Ajuma Nasenyana,, walked to the front to be crowned Model of the Year at this year’s Africa Fashion Week held in Johannesburg, South Africa two weeks ago.
An international model, Ajuma was one of the models who took to the catwalk to showcase some of the continents leading talent. In its eighth year, Africa Fashion week brought together 30 designers, based on the continent and beyond, to showcase their designs at the Sandton Convention Centre for three days last month.
More here.
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Assistant Professor, Graphic Design at California College of the Arts (CCA)
12 October 2011 8:03 PM | No CommentsASSISTANT PROFESSOR, GRAPHIC DESIGN, SAN FRANCISCO CAMPUS, FULL-TIME, TENURE-TRACK, EXEMPT, JOB # 2069
October 2011
Founded in 1907, California College of the Arts (CCA) is an independent art college with undergraduate programs in architecture, design, fine arts, visual studies, and writing. The college also has graduate programs in architecture, curatorial practice, design, design strategy, fine arts, visual and critical studies and writing. Through these programs, the college has created a dynamic and interdisciplinary environment. Diverse cultural perspectives enrich the CCA community and the college believes that continuing to expand the horizons of the students and faculty is essential to achieving its educational objectives. With campuses in Oakland and San Francisco, CCA currently enrolls 1,930 full-time students.
DEPARTMENT SUMMARY:
The Graphic Design Program at CCA offers a fully accredited four-year undergraduate Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Graphic Design. The program is dedicated to conceptual and skill-based problem-solving grounded in practical knowledge, critical awareness, and social and cultural engagement. Guided by an active and accomplished faculty, students are exposed to diverse design perspectives and practices and encouraged to develop a culturally competent and personally committed point of view. CCA’s Interaction Design Program takes a studio-based, collaborative, and playful approach to training future interaction designers, equipping them with a unique mix of skills to shape their field. The Graduate Program in Design prepares its graduates for careers in innovative design practice, including design direction, strategy, and leadership. Situated at the heart of the Bay’s Area’s vibrant design culture, these programs benefit from a rich community of practitioners and a compelling context for projects.
POSITION SUMMARY:
CCA seeks candidates for a full-time, tenure-track position of assistant professor of graphic design, beginning fall 2012. This position has been created to support the development of the program’s 4D curriculum. The successful candidate will demonstrate an active interest in the evolving relationship between graphic design and screen-based media and a capacity to steer curricular and pedagogical change in this area.
In keeping with the college’s commitment to diversity, community engagement, and social justice, we seek candidates who will cultivate an equitable studio environment and a diverse curriculum. In addition to teaching (a full-time load is five lines per year) and participating in the undergraduate Graphic Design program, the position requires a readiness to teach in the Interaction Design, Graduate Design, and First Year Programs, mentor students in the major, and serve on college-wide committees. It also entails a commitment to continued professional work.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
A BFA degree in Graphic Design (or equivalent professional degree and/or experience) with a minimum of one year of teaching experience at the college level or two years of professional experience in the field. Applicants should present evidence of leadership ability and the potential to make significant contributions in their field of practice. They should have a strong commitment to design education and a keen interest in design-related technologies. Specifically, CCA seeks candidates who demonstrate conceptual agility and practical aptitude with respect to the dynamics linking graphic design and screen-based media. Please submit at least five projects that provide evidence of front- and/or back-end skills and practice in one or more of the following areas: interface, interaction, video, motion graphics, or mobile/other platforms. Professional and/or educational experience in collaborative interdisciplinary contexts, project-based community engagement, and design writing and research are also desirable.
SALARY: Commensurate with experience, and includes a comprehensive benefits package.
APPLICATION DEADLINE:
Postmark deadline for applications is January 20, 2012.
NOTE: If you wish to be notified of the status of your application for this position, please provide a current email address on your resume or cover letter.
application instructions:
Interested candidates should submit the following in .pdf format:
- A formal letter of application
- A brief statement of teaching philosophy highlighting areas of pedagogic concentration
- A curriculum vitae
- A portfolio of professional work
- Course syllabi and student work
- Student evaluations of recent courses taught at the college level.
- Three names of reference, including contact information
Note: A self-addressed, stamped envelope is required for return of submission materials.
California College of the Arts
Human Resources (Job # 2069)
5212 Broadway
Oakland, CA 94618-1487
Fax (510) 594-3681
employment@cca.edu
We recommend compressing/zipping your files into a zip format file. Documents larger than 10MB, should be submitted on CD and forwarded to CCA as indicated above.
CCA is an equal opportunity employer and encourages applications from individuals who will contribute to its diversity.
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Position: Chair, Industrial Design at California College of the Arts (CCA)
12 October 2011 7:47 PM | No CommentsCHAIR, INDUSTRIAL DESIGN, SAN FRANCISCO CAMPUS, FULL-TIME, EXEMPT, JOB # 1968
October 2011
The CCA Industrial Design program
The Industrial Design program at CCA offers a fully accredited four-year undergraduate Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Industrial Design. Industrial Design is among the fastest growing programs at CCA and reflects the dynamic nature of the field. Specific areas of interest include sustainability, urban mobility, design research, community engagement, and cultural analysis. For more information about the program mission, visithttp://www.cca.edu/academics/industrial-designCalifornia College of the Arts (CCA) invites applications and nominations for the position of Chair of the Industrial Design Program.
The profession of industrial design is expanding to more areas of influence than ever before. Designers have the opportunity to impact social, environmental and political outcomes. Consequently, the way we educate designers matters now more than ever. Merging visionary leadership, curriculum development, and professional and community connections, the Industrial Design Chair plays an essential role in shaping the next generation of industrial designers, who will tackle some of the most pressing concerns of our time.
The Chair of Industrial Design is a key player in the CCA and surrounding communities with access to the Bay Area’s most notable practitioners. The successful candidate will approach the development of a practical and critical design curriculum as a creative and intellectual opportunity and demonstrate a capacity to incorporate diverse cultural and practical perspectives in shaping curriculum, directing pedagogy, and building community.
The chair position is a full-time position throughout the 9.5-month academic year. A program manager provides administrative and organizational support, and faculty coordinators assist with specific aspects of the program, including internships, student reviews, technology support, sustainability and semantics. The director and assistant director of Design provide guidance and oversight for curriculum development, faculty selection, scheduling and accreditation reviews.
Specific Responsibilities of the Chair of Industrial Design
- Lead the program in attracting and retaining the most promising Industrial Design students.
- Design a curriculum that combines skills acquisition, design research, conceptual thinking, and professional preparation.
- Encourage collaboration between Industrial Design and other CCA programs.
- Establish external relationships with the professional design community, including sponsored studio partnerships.
- Promote the visibility of the Industrial Design program locally, nationally and globally.
- Hire and mentor faculty to reflect a wide range of experiences and perspectives.
- Organize subject-specific student workshops throughout the academic year.
- Teach at least one class per semester.
- Direct the academic and administrative operations of the program.
- Oversee ongoing program assessment and prepare for accreditation reviews.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
Professional experience in the field of industrial design and its related practices: research, prototyping, manufacturing, materials, sustainability, human factors, interaction, design history and criticism, etc. Experience in design education, including teaching and a demonstrated capacity for curricular and extracurricular program development. Proven management experience in an academic or professional setting.
The ideal candidate will articulate a vision for the future of the program and the field that merges creativity, curiosity and craft. He/she will demonstrate the ability to lead faculty, students and staff, and address diverse design practices that combine professional development, cultural awareness, and community engagement.
SALARY: Salary is commensurate with experience and includes a comprehensive benefits package.
APPLICATION DEADLINE:
Review of applications will begin January 17th, 2012. Recommended document file formats are Word or PDF. If there are multiple attachments, we recommend compressing/zipping your files into a zip format file. NOTE: If you wish to be notified of the status of your application for this position, please provide a current email address on your resume or cover letter.
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS:
Applicants are invited to submit their CV and a letter of interest that addresses their vision for the future of Industrial Design, in both education and the profession, as well as their philosophy of leadership and pedagogy. Applicants should also submit the names and contact information of three professional and academic references. Submit materials to:
California College of the Arts
Human Resources (Job # 1968)
5212 Broadway
Oakland, CA 94618-1487
Fax (510) 594-3681
Recommended document file formats are Word or PDF. If there are multiple attachments, we recommend compressing/zipping your files into a zip format file. Documents larger than 10MB, should be submitted on CD and forwarded to CCA as indicated above.
CCA is an equal opportunity employer and encourages applications from individuals who will contribute to its diversity.
Founded in 1907, California College of the Arts (CCA) is an independent art college with undergraduate programs in architecture, design, fine arts, visual studies, and writing. The college also has graduate programs in architecture, curatorial practice, design, design strategy, fine arts, visual and critical studies and writing. Through these programs, the college has created a dynamic and interdisciplinary environment. Diverse cultural perspectives enrich the CCA community and the college believes that continuing to expand the horizons of the students and faculty is essential to achieving its educational objectives. With campuses in Oakland and San Francisco, CCA currently enrolls 1,930 full-time students.
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Job Postings on this site with BDNN
12 October 2011 7:36 PM | No CommentsBeginning November 1, BDNN will charge for all job postings on website.
- Please inquire by email at atim@blackdesignnews.com
Until September 30, 2011, all postings at BDNN are free. We have a right to select what we post.
Read More
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Fashion Matters In Tough Times, Says Top Designer
Graphic/Media Design Archive
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Moving on to 2011: Better things and good fortune
Posted on January 4, 2011 | No Commentsby Atim Annette Oton
2010 was a hard year for the design industry. It was even harder on black designers across all the sectors Black Design News Network (BDNN) - Architecture, Fashion Design, Graphic/Media Design, Interior Design, Product Design and Urban/Landscape Design. Most of the news was focused on the closing of firms and surviving the recession. The real major mews was the Haiti Earthquake which captivated the design industry and spurred a few design competitions and a lot of fundraising. After a year, very little has changed in Haiti. As one black designer from New Orleans said, “we are still here trying to get over the New Orleans disaster, how can we real help in Haiti?” It is a good question. Haiti begs a series of questions but it really asks: what is the role of designers before and after disasters? BDNN came to Haiti with that perspective and continues to explore this question.
2011 is the year of the rabbit. The Chinese say it best: “A placid year, very much welcomed and needed after the ferocious year of the Tiger.” For 2011, here are some predicted trends:
- Design – http://www.builderonline.com/design/10-design-trends-for-2011.aspx
- Green Design - http://michellekaufmann.com/2011/01/green-design-predictions-for-2011/
- Technology – http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/352068/5_Trends_to_Watch_in_2011
- Architecture – http://www.builderonline.com/design/10-design-trends-for-2011.aspx
- Interiors – http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/house-and-home/interior-design-trends-of-2011-emotional-austerity-rebalancing-2155207.html
There are good things in store for 2011. 2010 taught us all a few major lessons: Have a Plan A, B, C and even a Plan D. Life can change dramatically. Update your resume monthly and be ready to work globally. 2011 is about what we learnt from 2010 and how we can function better.
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The BDNN WORD: Weekly News, Chit-Chat, Hot Spots – November 9, 2010
Posted on November 9, 2010 | No CommentsThe BDNN Word is the Daily News, Weekly Briefs and Chit-Chat updates and ongoings in the black design community across the globe. It is conceived, compiled and created by Atim Annette Oton.
November 9 News:
1. BDNN Fashion: Vlisco release New Ankara Lace, see here.
2. BDNN Architecture: Ghana’s Architecture with Mabel Wilson, see here
3. BDNN Architecture: Architects to build skills centres for housing, see here.
4. BDNN Architecture: Exhibition to See, here
5. BDNN Architecture: Haiti Habitat – a Call for Collaborative Design for sustainable home solutions in Haiti. For more information visit: www.Haiti-Habitat.com
6. BDNN Haiti: Japan and Haiti, earthquakes, See details here
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The BDNN WORD: Weekly News, Chit-Chat, Hot Spots – November 5, 2010
Posted on November 5, 2010 | No CommentsThe BDNN Word is the Daily News, Weekly Briefs and Chit-Chat updates and ongoings in the black design community across the globe. It is conceived, compiled and created by Atim Annette Oton.
November 5 News:
1. ART: Xenobia Bailey at the Fuller Museum
2. FASHION: African Inspired Clothing
3. ARCHITECTURE: Haiti and TOMAS
4. FASHION: Patterned fashion
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Rivington Gallery: A Must See in London
Posted on November 4, 2010 | 1 Commentby Michele Washington
Need of a diverse cultural surge in London? Rivington Place is a must see. Located in the Shoreditch section of East London, this exhilarating cultural center is one of the first newly built gallery artist spaces in London since the Hayward Gallery in 1968. It is a public two-story space housing two cultural organizations, Autograph ABP and INVIA (Institute of International Visual Arts). Autograph ABP curates photography exhibits with a focus on cultural identity and human rights while INVIA, provides much needed diverse global educational programs, and research in the visual arts.
Rivington Place is booming with a multitude of dynamic programming from film screenings, lectures, plus the Stuart Hall Library, named after Jamaica born intellect and one of Britain’s leading cultural theorist of the 20th century. The library is a repository of unique holding of cultural and visual materials from British artist of diverse backgrounds to contemporary art from Africa, Asia, and Latin America, along with its expansive collection of monographs, exhibitions catalogs, and various art periodicals. It includes work by such prominent visual artist as filmmaker Isaac Julien, Hew Locke and Chris Ofili whose collaged Madonna piece imbued with dung created a hoopla at the Brooklyn Museum in 1999.
Just as fascinating is the building’s sculptural form designed by Tanzanian born international architect, David Adajye in 2007, with offices in London, Berlin and New York City. Situated on the corner of Rivington Street and Rivington Place, the stoned structure seems much taller than its two stories. Adajye’s exterior facade was inspired by Sowei mask from Sierra Leone; the exterior structure is configured in symmetrical a lattice pattern of gray stone and glass allowing natural light to flow into the interior space. The Facades earthy gray tones are reflected in the lobby, and swanky cafe located in the back on the first floor that offers visitors tasty snacks.
On view in the galleries through 27 November, 2010 at Rivington Place are two magnificent photography exhibits” Ever Young: James Barnor and The Paris Albums 1900 W.E.B Du Bois both curated by Autograph ABP. James Barnor, a prominent Ghanaian photographer began his career in Jamestown, Accra in 1949. In the 1950s, Barnor operated Ever Young studio in Accra, and photographed for the top African lifestyle DRUM magazine.
James Barnor’s showing of a series of lively over-scaled black and white or color photographs depicts everyday life of men; women and children, marks him as a highly skilled portraiture photographer. Barnor knows how to capture the essence of his subjects by placing them in a variety of staged studio settings or campy street scenes. His images span the spectrum from hyper-stylized street fashion photography of a woman in a mini dress standing in sea of pigeons in Trafalgar Square in London. To a hilarious parody by a group of African comedians switching up vaudevilles derogatory blackface to mocking whiteface.
Untitled #8, 1972 captures a woman sporting an Afro hairstyle, as a perfect example of transferences borrowing from the 1960s Black Arts Movement in the United States. In another photograph a striking pose of preteen-girl leaning on an upright white wooden pedestal, creates a compelling visual narrative by the contrasting placement of a tattered ceramic mascot of a young white girl, originally designed for the family run umbrella shop James and Sons. Does this image imply the black girls achievement of power?
Barnor’s body of work offer the viewer a unique chance to visually experience the transatlantic transferences of everyday life through portraitures of Ghanaians after they migrated to London during the 1960s and 1970s.
The Paris Albums 1900: WEB DuBois featuring a unique historical collection of photography was previously shown at the 1900 Paris Exposition. DuBois showed his entire 363 photographs in the American Negro Exhibit section; this has only 200 photos of Negroe types from Georgia and they represent a visual construction of the New African American identity. They show an insight into the conditions of black culture at the end of the 19th century, just 35 years after the abolition of slavery.
None of the sitters are identified. Simply posed, the sitters are stylishly dressed, the women in high collared laced Victorian dresses, and the men in dapper suits with crisp white buttoned collared shirts and thin bow ties. Look for the sitters’ Eurocentric facial traits with characteristically thinner noses and lips, and wavy or naturally straight hair texture; and the sequential arrangement of the photos mimicking the repetitive flow of filmstrip projected on a wall. While the images are impressive, it is the quotations aligning the outer walls above the photos that provide a context of the cultural significance of the Negroes lifestyle and DuBois’ political theory.
Both shows run until 27 November 2010 at Rivington Place, located at Rivington Pace, in London.
Rivington Place, London EC2A 3BA, Tel: +44 (0)20 7749 1240, info@rivingtonplace.org, web: http://www.rivingtonplace.org/
Autograph ABP: +44 (0)20 7729 9200, www.autograph-abp.co.uk, info@autograph-abp.co.uk
Iniva: +44 (0)20 7729 9616; www.iniva.org; iniva@iniva.org
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Inside African Design World by Nii Commey Botchway: November 3, 2010
Posted on November 4, 2010 | No Commentsby Nii Commey Botchway
Each day, I send out a series of vital bits of information to my contacts and one day Atim Annette Oton suggested we chronicle my list of insights and websites I find into a series for Black Design News Network. Inside African Design World is BDNN’s way of collecting my insights. This is the journey where I will post 5-10 items every two weeks. Collect, Share and Re-distribute. It’s Africa’s Design time.
1. Good Resource FYI: http://www.africandigitalart.com/
2. Interesting Article: http://www.fastcompany.com/1596460/kenyas-first-viral-music-video-an-autotuned-blaxploitation-epic
3. African youth and the African brand- interesting: http://annansi.com/blog/2010/04/african-youth-and-the-african-brand-presentation/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+annansi%2FFgtA+%28Annansi+Chronicles%29
4. New modes in design education: http://johnnyholland.org/2010/04/12/the-strange-connection-between-entitlement-social-innovation-and-interaction-design/
5. This is why I teach. Portfolio of one of my ex-students who graduated just in Feb. Enjoy: http://somethingclairva.blogspot.com/
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Nii Commey (Nii K) Botchway - Trained at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (formally the Port Elizabeth Technikon), in South Africa, Nii is a graphic designer and educator. After serving as an art director in the advertising industry for several years, he shifted his focus towards academia. Nii’s most recent posts were at Vega the Brand Communication School Johannesburg, heading up the 2nd year B.A. programme, and a part-time lectureship at NEMISA (National Electronic Media Institute of South Africa). As a participant in the ICSID Interdesign Citymove Gellivare Sweden, he worked in an internationl, multidisciplinary team of designers to develop sustainable solutions for relocating a city adversely affected by mining. This was a rewarding experience that significantly influenced his approach to design education. Nii relocated to Accra in early 2010 and worked for Ogilvy. He just returned to South Africa. Be sure to check out Ab-Strackt, Nii’s online T-Shirt company.
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Steven D. Joureau, an Emerging Graphic Designer in Guadeloupe
Posted on November 4, 2010 | No CommentsAs told to Atim Annette Oton
Steven D. Joureau, who I first met at Parsons School of Design, is today, an illustrator and an art director. He was born in Basse-Terrre Guadeloupe (the French island in the West Indies). He grew up with his two sisters and parents in Bouillante, a very calm town that was close to nature. In Bouillante, where he was raised, Steven learnt his father job: plumbing and entrepreneur.
Later on, Steven came to understand that drawing and computer was something he loved passionately. The Guadeloupean boy would draw from the comics he saw on television or comic books. He invented characters for school assignements or for personal use and got better at drawing things he would saw.
When he was 15, he attented Technology of Automatised System – Géni-civil (engineering school) and learnt it was the wrong place for him. At 16, Steven entered the Lycée de Rivière des Pères in Basse-Terre to study Arts Appliqués (Applied Arts) where stayed for 4 years. In his last year, he took a photography course which opened his world, and he graduated with a Bachelors of Applied Arts and received a scholarship to the School of Design at Altos de Chavon, La Romana in the Dominican Republic where he ended up with an Associates Degree in Graphic Design and excelled in two-dimensional and three-dimensional drawing.
Altos de Chavon provided him with a chance to study Animation and English at Parsons School of Design in New York City. Steven got very impressed by the work and talent of graphic design artists in New York and this made him decide to do graphic design instead of illustration. And when he graduated from Altos, he won another scholarship to pursue Communication Design at Parsons where he took design classes in print design, package design, advertising for print and TV, web design, html and flash, motion graphics and art history. As a student, he did an internship at Indika Advertising Entertainment and worked on ads for film.
Steven came back in Guadeloupe in August 2006 after an unsuccesful job search in New York City. He recalls, ‘It was not easy because of the lifestyle difference and I got so used to New York’. And it was also not easy when he returned home. First, it was difficult to find agencies in Guadeloupe. And most of the studios where he applied for would not employ him because they felts was too inexperienced for the position they were offering. His option was to freelance from creating carnival hats for kids or proposing and designing costume for a carnival group. He worked where he could. He did some graphic design but it was not that simple because the value of graphic design in New York City versus Guadeloupe is not the same. In Guadelope, people do not really want to pay for a graphic design job and the profession is not as important as it is New York. He remembers ‘People would rather pay very little even though they admit that the work is good. In Guadeloupe, it is not a logic to pay for art’. And ‘we are accustomed to graphic design or advertising’ like New York or France.
Since February 2007, Steven has worked at Publicis Caribe as an Art Director. His experience here has taught him alot and has given him the opportunity to work with large, medium and small companies. He smiles as he says, ‘most of the time you have to ‘redo yourself’ – redo or rethink the way you work is vital even when most of the time your client does not want to take your advice and they prefer doing what they think is the best whether it is more creative or aesthetic’. It is a challenge and he is learning to deal with it.
What Steven has come to understand, Guadeloupe is beginning to understand graphic design. An example he shares, ‘A client will contact you to develop a promotional event for them at the last minute and you have just 2 to 3 days to do the job. You agree on the design and it will be change even with a short deadline’. It makes you think that even when you are offering the best of your work, you end up doing work that is not always coherent in itself and for the brand.
At Publicis Caribe Ad, his wwork has been for clients like Orange, BMW, Mazda, Honda, Electric Plus, Blandin, la Créole Beach, DSDS, and La Région Guadeloupe to name a few. One of his latest work is the website of the agency www.caribead-agency.com.
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Sustainable Design Shoots in the Diaspora at NEOCON Baltimore, 2010
Posted on October 26, 2010 | No Comments
Date: Thursday, October 28 Time: 1-2:30 p.m.
Black Design News Network (BDNN) presents a panel discussion showcasing what some black designers are working on in the diaspora – Africa, Caribbean and the US – from the development of sustainable products, to projects and interventions. It will look at the processes, challenges and issues of developing ecological products in communities of color and in the developing world.
This session is sponsored by The Black Design News Network, (BDNN) is the premier black design content website and voice of black designers world-wide features four key service components: a news bureau, online publication, digital library and ‘workspace’ hub for designers. It is also sponsored by FocusOnDesign and Designers421
Speakers:
- Florine Demonsthene – product designer Chale, Ghana
- Trudy Miller, Trudy Miller Layers, Eco fashion
- Aurora Robinson – architectural designer, Green Design Links
- Atim Annette Oton, ZimaZee Crafts, Nigeria and Co-Founder Black Design News Network, moderator
Credits: .15 CEU
Fee: $15; Free to Students
Level: IntermediateLocation: The Baltimore Convention Center, 1 W Pratt St Baltimore, Maryland 21201
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BDNN Reading List: Our Selected List for Fall 2010
Posted on October 21, 2010 | No CommentsEvery quarter, Black Design News Network (BDNN) will release a select list of books to read:
1. Design in a Global Context: Envisioning Postcolonial and Transnational Possibilities by Karen Fiss; http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/desi.2009.25.3.3
2. The Inmates Are Running the Asylum – Why High Tech Products Drive Us Crazy and How To Restore The Sanity
by Alan Cooper, Paul Saffo -
After Catastrophe, Before Design: Rebuilding Haiti after the Earthquake.
Posted on October 15, 2010 | No Comments6:30 Monday October 18th
at Avery Hall
Please join the Latin Lab Debate at Columbia University
Speakers: Dowoti Desir; Charles Marks, architect; Marc Andre Franche, UNDP Haiti; and Jesse M. Keenan, University of Miami will be speaking at a forum moderated by Clara Irazabal for what should be a robust discussion.
Details:
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BDNN presents Marketing and Branding for Fashion Designers
Posted on October 14, 2010 | 1 CommentBlack Design News Network (BDNN) presents Marketing and Branding for Fashion Designers at Brooklyn Fashion Week BKstyle!™
Date: Sunday October 24
Time: 11am – 1pm
Where: Studio 964, 964 Dean Street, Brooklyn, NY (between Franklin and Classon Avenue)
Cost: $30 for 2 hour seminar, Please pay here http://bkfwworkshops.eventbrite.com/
The goal of this workshop is to provide and suggest out-of the-box marketing, communication and branding ideas to Brooklyn fashion designers and others who are marketing and selling their products. The workshop will also discuss what it takes to do the “leg work” to communicate, market and brand your products and self in a tough economy.
Speakers:
TRUE, Artist/Designer, NY: marketing and branding
Michele Washington, Graphic Designer, NY: marketing and branding
Kissa Thompson, Fashion Designer, NY: fashion design, marketing her brand, buttafly unlimited
Javaka Steptoe, Illustrator, NY: illustration and marketing his book
Manreet Deol, Product Designer, India (via Skype): marketing productsModerated by Atim Annette Oton, designer/co-founder, BDNN: the right products, social media and packaging your work
RSVP: atim@blackdesignnews.com
Bios of speakers:
TRUE is an artist / designer / resident of Brooklyn. He is an alum of Sarah Lawrence College and The Cooper Union Art School (where he got his BFA in 1996), and has been described by International Design Magazine as among the world’s “leading design innovators [whose work] offers a glimpse into the future of design.”
He has taught and / or spoken on art, new media, & design at institutions such as The Cooper Union, The New School / Parsons School of Design, The Pratt Institute, Rhode Island School of Design, and Sarah Lawrence College, and has exhibited work in museums in the US and abroad. Visit his website at http://www.TRUEart.biz
Michele Y. Washington is interested in researching the impact of cross-cultural design and users of products, and how designers can best utilize research to more effectively address ethnic communities, as well as the role architecture, urbanism, visual and material culture, and fashion plays in our every day lives. Michele maintains a design consultancy the office of michele washington where she focuses her research on community-based non-profit groups and cultural institutions. Previously she worked as a designer and art director, for such publications as The Chicago Tribune; The New York Times; Business Monthly, Essence, and Self. She also teaches in the Graduate Exhibition Design Program at Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City. She has served on the board of the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA), New York chapter, and currently serves on the advisory board of XCD Cross-Cultural Community, and the AIGA Design Journey. Currently she is pursuing a second Master’s at the School of Visual Arts, in Design Criticism. Michele writes and administers Cultural Boundaries, a blog, http://culturalboundaries.com/wordpress/
Kissa Thompson is a Brooklyn based designer who runs Buttafly Unlimited and creates an eclectic blend of urban fashion accessories, including a stunning crochet ‘Diva Collection’, as well as line of inspirational t-shirts.She is the Founder of ButtaFly Unlimited/Creator of “I Love My Hair” Tees. Kissa Thompson can credit her grandmother for the success of her company.
Visit her website at www.buttaflyunltd.com
Javaka Steptoe, an eclectic young artist, designer, and illustrator, is building a national reputation as an outstanding contributor to the genre of children’s literature. His debut work, In Daddy’s Arms I Am Tall: African Americans Celebrating Fathers, earned him the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award, a nomination for Outstanding Children’s Literature Work at the 1998 NAACP Image Awards, a finalist ranking for the Bluebonnet Award for Excellence in Children’s Books, and countless other honors. His current book is Jimi: Sounds Like a Rainbow. A Story of the Young Jimi Hendrix is published by Clarion Books. Steptoe earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art.Visit his website at www.javaka.com
Manreet Deol is an Indian product designer who was educated in India and at Parsons School of Design in the US. Last year, she returned to work in India and has been working on developing new ideas and products based on Indian culture and crafts.She writes a blog, http://manreetdeol.blogspot.com/
Moderator:
Nigerian-born, U.S. and British educated architectural designer, Atim Annette Oton is a cultural writer/editor/publisher of Calabar Magazine, entrepreneur of Calabar Imports and co-Founder of Black Design News Network. In 2006, she stepped down from her role as the Associate Chair of Product Design at Parsons School of Design to concentrate on a bi-monthly lifestyle publication about black Brooklyn home décor, fashion, culture, and lifestyle, Calabar Magazine and to open ZimaZee, a store in Lagos, Nigeria. She studied architecture at the City College of New York in Harlem under the influential black architect Max Bond (who she later worked for) and has a Masters degree from the Architectural Association Graduate School in London, England. She returned to New York in 1994 to work with the architecture firm, Davis, Brody, Bond Architects and various other firms in New York. In 2000, she was part of the design team that won the African Burial Ground Interpretive Center. She also worked as an executive producer and design consultant on the Underground Railroad Experience, a cultural education website from 2000 – 2004; and won an Independent Grant from the NYSCA on her work, the Black Hair Salon in 2002. In 2002 and 2004, she participated as a designer for the 3rd and 4th Annual Bridge Street Development Corporation’s Bed Stuyvesant Design Showhouses. She has been a consultant to the Bronx Council on the Arts for its Artisan Institute, an innovative idea focused on micro-enterprise for craftspeople in the Bronx. Oton served as the editor-in-chief and executive vice president for Blacklines Magazine, a quarterly magazine publishing features on black designers in architecture, interior design, construction, development and the arts from 2000-2002 and co-organized Blacklines’ Conference and Design Showcase and exhibitions. Her design work has been published in Architecture Record, Design Build magazine, Design Architecture.com, Oculus and Blacklines magazine and exhibited at the Architectural Association, London, and in New York at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, the Institute for the Research on the African Diaspora in the Americas and the Caribbean (IRADAC), the Bronx Museum of Art and the City College of New York. She has been profiled in Office.com and Diversity.com for articles on Blacklines Magazine. She has been featured for Calabar Imports on CNN, MSNBC, The Brian Lehrer Show on WNYC. BCAT’s NeighborhoodBeat and CUNY TV. She is a Board Member of Community Board 8 in Brooklyn, a Vice President and co-Chair of Economic Development Committee, a member of the City College of New York’s Architecture Alumni Group, National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA) and was a member of the National Association of Minorities in Communications (NAMIC).
