Southern Girl in Minneapolis

Hey y'all! Your 2010 president is back from January weather in December in Minneapolis. I was certain it would kill me but I managed to survive. I wasn't sure as we walked around in -3 degree weather, but it got positively balmy after that. It was even 28 degrees outside, briefly!

Anyway, I tell all of you this to say that if this southern gal can survive that, everyone can do it in October. It'll be worth it. From Target to Legos to the Walker Museum and the great Swedish and German heritage (you might be able to hang around for an Oktoberfest, perhaps), there will be so much to be inspired by. It's the 40th year of your organization, so come for the big kickoff party before we sink our teeth into the issues we'll face in the next 40.

We've got a great team together and I know Penny and Winston are going to do a bang up job planning this event. They need your help, so get in touch with them with your ideas, connections and thoughts. This conference and organization belongs to you, so help us out!

And, it's totally worth going up there for the breakfasts. Holy cow, do they do breakfast up there in style. The shot I've attached is from Hell's Kitchen, a great little spot easily hit from the hotel, 2 blocks away past the Mary Tyler Moore statue. And, for those that are fans of Ralph Steadman, the entire place is decorated with his artwork.

Silent Auction Reminder

Josh Berger, this year closing session speaker has generously offered a 6-month subscription (a $99 value) to plazmthread.com for inclusion in this year silent auction. Remember to bring your goodies to include in the auction and bid often. The proceeds go to a great cause, helping the UCDA Foundation fund conference scholarships.

Urban Eats

Throughout October, "Urban Eats" offers you 3-course dinners (appetizer, entrée and dessert) for only $30 at 39 of the Seattle's most esteemed eateries. A good deal for a great meal. Available Sunday-Thursday nights.

Check out the list of participating restaurants:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/urbaneats/

Welcome to Seattle

Opening night!

Am drooling over the opening night caterer's site, so I thought I would share. Expect heavy hors d'oeuvres along with drinks for our always awesome opening night. What a wonderful opportunity to meet others in a very unique space, while noshing on delicious finger food. As great as the carnival in the square was last year, enjoy the upscale tone of this event. And, bring a pen! You'll want to participate in our icebreaker game, so be looking to find 12 people who match the Seattle-themed criteria we've created.

We'll see everyone next week! Can't wait!

Thinking about next year!

So excited to see everyone in Seattle next week, wow! I need to devour these great blog entries about what to do and see in Seattle. In the interim, I've gotten this email from Tasting Table about Minneapolis. And if you can't make it to Seattle, or you know you're going to be in Minneapolis next year, start dreaming about enjoying this food next year.

In the mood for french food?

Just had the most amazing brunch at Cafe Campagne in the Pike Place Market. This place was voted best breakfast brunch in Seattle for 2009 by Zagat.

The picture is their signature dish. Oeufs en meurette.

Two poached eggs served on garlic croutons with pearl onions, bacon and champignons in a red wine and foie gras sauce served with pommes frîtes.

Does not look like much, but tastes amazing.

The cafe is a 10 minute walk from the conference hotel and serves brunch on Saturday and Sunday until 4:00 PM.

Help Josh Help You

Joshua Berger is the principal of Plazm, an innovative and influential Portland, Oregon based design firm. Josh is deeply concerned with the culture and environment in which we live and work and wants our help in understanding what we as institutional designers do to find meaning in our worlds. Here's the question:

Every day we make decisions and take actions, large and small, that influence our lives and the world around us. What do you do, personally, that helps create meaning in your life and your work? What everyday habits do you cultivate?

Post your responses here or feel free to email them directly to Josh at josh@plazm.com. Please let Josh know if he can use your name in the presentation or if you'd prefer to remain anonymous. (Thanks Josh for going the extra mile to make your topic connect. Can't wait to hear the results.)

UW Recommendations

Thanks to Laury Phillips and her colleagues at University of Washington for the latest batch of hot Seattle tips, most within walking distance from the Marriott Waterfront.

Great place for a late night beer with friends:
Virginia Inn
Corner of Virginia and 1st (3 blocks)

Amazing pastries and bread (I can vouch for this one):
Macrina Bakery
1st between Battery and Wall (5 blocks)

Cozy french restaurant (this has now shown up on a couple of lists so draw your own conclusion):
Le Pichet
1st between Virginia and Stewart (3.5 blocks)

Cute jewelry shop:
Fancy
2nd near Stewart (5 blocks)

Great sushi:
Saito's
2nd near Lenora (3 blocks)

Out of the way cocktail lounge:
Alibi Room (how can you not resist that name)
Post Alley near Pike (about 5 blocks)
...across from the gum wall??? don't ask me.

Of designer interest:
http://paperhaus.com
1st and Virginia (3 blocks)

Pike Place Market highlights:
• DeLaurenti Specialty Food (great dolmas)
1st near Pike (about 5 blocks)
• Market Spice (green seafood herb)
1st and Pike (about 5 blocks)
• Beecher's Handmade Cheese (I'm afraid I can attest to this one as well--dangerously good mac 'n cheese)
Pike Pl. and Pine (4 blocks)
• Le Panier Very French Bakery
Pike Pl. and Stewart (3 blocks)
• Piroshky Piroshky Russian bakery (apple tarts)
Pike Pl. near Stewart (3 blocks)

More later. Gotta go find something to nosh.

80 degrees in September

We are experiencing some very warm weather for this time of year. Usually we are in the rainy season. Keep your fingers crossed that this trend continues into October.

Photo taken from I-5 heading north to downtown Seattle at 12:00 PM 9/12/09.

Sponsors, Exhibitors and Goody Bag Participants

Special thanks to all our sponsors, exhibitors and Goody Bag participants that will be taking part in the upcoming conference. Be sure to mark your calendar for Monday, October 5 and make your way to the Resource Center to load up on all sorts of goodies!

Get Schmancy

UCDA member Tom Rask (designer at Case Western Reserve University) contacted us about a fascinating little store not far from the conference site and Pike Place. The name of the store is Schmancy. The owner Kristen Rask, who by coincidence is Tom's daughter, carries a line of quirky toys, collectibles and original art that should get any designers heart racing with excitement.

A great place to visit during free time, and a local Seattle toy shop owner would love for any designers to stop by.

UCDA mourns tragic loss

Leo Obstbaum
1969-2009

UCDA was deeply saddened to hear the recent news of the tragic passing of Leo Obstbaum. Our hearts are with the family he leaves behind and all those who called him friend and colleague over the years. As Design Director for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver the creative legacy Leo leaves behind will soon be witnessed by millions as the world turns its attention to Vancouver.

Leo's presence will surely be missed at the 2009 UCDA Design Conference. Plans remain in place for Derek Baxter to present the work of hte Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games (VANOC) but Leo's absence will weigh heavy even as we are inspired by his work. The full affect of this untimely passing are undoubtedly not yet fully realized by all those that worked alongside Leo and we will post updates if there are any subsequent changes to the conference schedule.

Student Rate for the Conference!

The 2009 Annual UCDA Design Conference has a unique opportunity for design students in the Pacific Northwest!

Full Conference (Opening keynote plus three full days of program)
$400 Student Rate ($850 Full Rate)

Single Conference Days
$200 Student Rate ($350 Full Rate)

Keynote and Reception Only
$40 Student Rate ($60 Full Rate)

We're excited about our 39th annual design conference in Seattle. Our theme of Navigate acknowledges the challenges facing designers in today's complex organizational landscapes, the confusing maze of media options, sustainability choices, and budgetary pressures.

To address these concerns, we've brought together more than 20 experts and offer five general sessions, 24 breakout sessions, and many additional workshops, reviews, tours, and discussions. Speakers include Anne Traver and Dale Hart from Methodologie; Joshua Berger from Plazm; and several prominent design education panelists. Other offerings include photographers, marketing and communication agencies, university designers, and award-winning magazine art directors, as well as speakers from Adobe, Quark, iStockphoto, and Campaign Monitor.

Call 615-459-4559 to register or for complete speaker and schedule information visit http://ucda.com

Brand Champion of the Day

From conference speaker Rex Whisman's Brand Champions Blog:

"Every Monday and Friday I feature people and organizations who understand what it means to be a brand champion. Today I am pleased to highlight David Dryden and Tadson Bussey from UCDA."

"I was first introduced to UCDA several years ago when I was working in a communications and marketing department at a private university. Several of my staff were members. I become more familiar with the organization when I had the opportunity to facilitate a pre-conference workshop two years ago in Toronto. That experience led me to become a champion of their brand. I am honored to have the privilege to present at their upcoming conference in Seattle this October. Today David and Tadson share their views on what they think it means to be a brand champion for UCDA."

Interesting camera gear?

Small world. Apparently conference presenter Max S. Gerber works maybe three blocks from my home here in sunny Pasadena, but I came across his name through referrals by Pam Fogg at Middlebury College in Vermont. Max just sent me his latest email promo, "(the latest shot)," featuring photos of speedcubers capable of solving a rubik's cube in something like 12 seconds, and I see that the genesis of these images goes back to an assignment done for Pam. Now he carries a "cube" with him everywhere in his camera bag and when he's not loosening up subjects with it he solves it himself in about a minute. Someone's goin' to have to test this in Seattle.

IE demonstrates power in words

Among the recognitions IE Design + Communication recently received from the 24th Annual Admissions Advertising Awards was a gold honor for their USC Viterbi School of Engineering Graduate Program direct mail design.

IE's work for USC beautifully demonstrates their dedication to smart solutions that integrate visual and verbal narrative. Marcie Carson and Corey Baim, IE principals, will be presenting a pair of sessions not only highlighting the role of words in their design, but are planning a collaborative workshop where participants can explore for themselves the power of words in overcoming visual hurdles.

Foodie friend recommends...

Just got a list of Seattle recommendations from a politico friend that travels quite a bit and always eats very well...

Macrina Bakery and Cafe, 2408 1st Avenue, for coffee and pastries, sanwiches, soup, etc. Only a few blocks from the hotel, and for those that do the walk, talk and shoot to the Olympic Sculpture Garden this is my recommended lunch stop right on the way back.

Etta's, 2020 Western Avenue, one of famed Seattle restaurateur Tom Douglas's locations, conveniently located between the hotel and Pike Place Market.

Gelatiamo, 1400 Third Avenue, downtown--always something new and unusual to taste ("try the rice")

Matt's in the Market, Pike Place Market, hard to find but cheap eats--try the hot albacore tuna sandwich.

A couple of other nicer Belltown recommendations I know nothing about but will pass along, Mistral at 113 Blanchard and Lampreia at 2400 First Avenue.

Enjoy!

Oregon State "powered by orange"

In March of this year Oregon State University launched a new social media campaign, Powered by Orange, offering a network of alumni, students, faculty, staff, friends and fans a place "to tell your story and connect with the other practical idealists who are Powered by Orange."

In their June 25 blog mStoner featured the site calling it the "most comprehensive university social marketing campaign that we’ve seen to date" and eduStyle awarded the site the Jadu Best Integration of Social/Networking award. Mashable featured the site in their must-see article 10 Ways Universities Are Engaging Alumni Using Social Media.

Amy Charron will be representing Oregon State as this year's "featured school." I'm sure I'm not the only one in UCDA that often feels overwhelmed trying to figure out how these new tools fit into our patterns of work and strategies for marketing. Can't wait to see what Amy has to share with us.

On the right track

Looking for another way into Seattle when you arrive?
Give our new light rail system a try.

The main terminal from the airport won't be complete until December. You can, however, take a free shuttle bus or walk to the terminal and from there it's a short 34-minute ride to downtown Seattle.

From the Westlake Mall Downtown Seattle station, you can take a 10-minute cab ride or a 15-minute walk to the conference hotel. This will drop you right into the heart of the shopping district.

During your 34-minute ride into the city you will pass through the historic neighborhoods of Rainier Valley, Beacon Hill, Columbia City, SODO (home to the Seattle Seahawks and the Seattle Mariners), the International District (Chinatown) and Pioneer Square.

If the weather isn't too cloudy, you will also see some amazing vistas of Mount Rainier.

Healthcare and Cupcakes?

Seattle cupcake maven Jody Hall, owner of Cupcake Royale, was featured this past Friday in a Morning Edition story on healthcare. Who am I to question NPR?

Okay, I probably can't buy into health benefits from cupcakes, but my mind is open...however, can't wait to make a trek to one of Cupcake Royale's four locations to do my part "to support healthcare benefits."

Conference registration deadline extended.

We know budgets are tight. So we're extending the early-bird registration and hotel deadline to August 15 in order to save you a few bucks.

Get to it!

Are you a runner? Seattle is for you!

Another mention of Seattle for you! Check out Chris Guillebeau's list of best cities for running ... Seattle is one of the few American cities listed. My director Dave is a runner and he has started a runner's group that gets a little exercise in before everyone starts to exercise their minds in our sessions. Get in touch with him if you're interested! You can find his contact info on the Board of Directors page.

And if you don't know who Chris Guillebeau is, he's a very interesting person who writes the "Art of Nonconformity" blog. I'm sure he'd find me utterly boring, but he's an interesting read nonetheless.

Registration has been extended! With that and the lower hotel rates, get signed up now. We've got a terrific lineup for you, so you want to take advantage of learning about the latest and greatest in our changing landscape.

A reason to travel!

Hey folks! Just read this really interesting article about creativity from Scientific American and it turns out that traveling is an excellent way to develop creativity. I quote: "It suggests that there are several simple steps we can all take to increase creativity, such as traveling to faraway places (or even just thinking about such places), thinking about the distant future, communicating with people who are dissimilar to us, and considering unlikely alternatives to reality." Leave out the "thinking about such places" and tell your manager that coming to the conference is an excellent way to build your creativity!

A link between UCDA and literacy?

A study by Central Connecticut State University ranked Seattle as America's Most Literate City in 2005 and 2006. In 2007 Minneapolis claimed the top spot and 2008 saw the two cities tied for the honor....hmmm....UCDA conference in Seattle this year, and in Minneapolis next year. Coincidence?

Less really is more

At a recent marketing summit one of Fuller's trustees, a former executive with Johnson & Johnson and Bristol-Myers Squibb, repeatedly touted the website of Oregon State University as a benchmark for both brand consistency and usability.

I don't know how involved Amy Charron is in the design of the website, but in representing OSU as this year's featured school at the UCDA conference I believe she's going to be focusing on how different entities at Oregon State, including print and web designers, share resources to build a stronger more cohesive brand and save money at the same time.

In education where there's always pressure to differentiate units and do something different it's great to see someone get recognition for doing something less--but doing it consistently and really well...and who among us isn't being asked to save money.

Best Local Food

Just in on the Huffington Post is a list of best cities for local food and Seattle is #4! Now of course we will all come to the conference for the terrific and inspiring programming but a designer's gotta eat, right? So we have some excellent choices as well. Yeah!

Conference hotel lowers rate

The hotel has recently lowered their already discounted rates for UCDA Design Conference attendees to $185, but these rooms will go fast. If you have already booked your room, don't worry. The hotel will be honoring this rate for you too!

This year's conference will be held at the Marriott Seattle Waterfront. Located in the heart of downtown Seattle's most popular waterfront district, Marriott Seattle Waterfront offers an ideal place for both business and pleasure. Many of the guestrooms feature private balconies offering breathtaking views ranging from Mt. Rainier, Elliott Bay to the Olympic Mountain range. The hotel is just steps to the famous Pike Place Market.

Seattle Marriott Waterfront
2100 Alaskan Way
Seattle, Washington 98121 USA
206-443-5000
1-800-228-9290 (toll free)

Contact the hotel directly at 206-443-5000 or toll free at 1-800-228-9290 to make your reservations. Mention you are attending the UCDA Design Conference to receive the discounted rate. Deadline to receive this rate is August 1. Consider taking advantage of these great rates and stay a few extra days before or after the conference to explore the Seattle area.

The hotel stay is not included in the conference registration fees. You are responsible for making your own hotel reservations. Room blocks may fill before the hotel deadline and have sold out twice in the past three years, so please make your reservation immediately to ensure the discounted rate and availability.

Survey says...

Special thanks go out to Karin Mellskog at University of Washington who was the first to respond to a recent Seattle destination information query. And the recommendations are:

EATS
Top Pot donuts, 2124 5th Ave—great sweets/great ambience (okay, donut confession #2--at the conference site visit last year Top Pot was the destination of a short morning walk and it's easy to see why their donuts have become so popular throughout Seattle)
Le Pichet, 1933 1st Avenue—very cozy, comfortable

SHOPPING
REI flagship store, 222 Yale Ave N—65-foot climbing wall is legendary

TOURS/SIGHTS
Pioneer Square Underground, 608 1st Ave # 200—In the south end of downtown, but accessible by free busses, and very popular
Washington Park Arboretum, 2300 Arboretum Dr E —A little farther from downtown, but still bus-accessible and well worth the visit for nature lovers; also has a Japanese garden

Thanks Karin! If you have favorite places you'd like to recommend in and around Seattle I'd love to hear from you too...any favorite books set in Seattle? favorite Seattle bands? Look forward to sharing these destinations with you in October.

Looking back at the future

In April, 1962, the Seattle World's Fair opened with the promise of a look at "Century 21" and the vision of "better living through modern science." By its late October closing nearly 10 million people had visited and to many it was a fair beyond compare. Fortunately for us the 74-acre Seattle Center has maintained much of this iconic past so visitors of Century 21 can compare vision and reality. (Seattle Center is just one mile from the Marriott Waterfront and after the first couple of blocks up the hill behind the hotel the rest is a piece of cake.)

If you're interested in more background on Seattle historylink.org provides an amazing array of information and resources including cybertours of local neighborhoods and a concise history of Seattle.

Looking for Starbucks?

The search for your favorite coffee in Seattle just got a little bit more complicated.

Speaker News: Lime Twig Honored

Lori Schmidt, principal at Lime Twig, was happy to share with me this week that they recently won a Best of Show award in the 24th Annual Admissions Advertising Awards competition. "Immersive Reality: The Future of Human Interaction" is a remarkable book designed for the University of Southern California Viterbi School of Engineering. The challenge: how do you represent 3D and 4D immersive environments in a 2D print piece? Lime Twig's solution: the extensive use of transparencies conveys the vision of the Integrated Media Systems Center at USC beautifully and effectively.

We'll hope to prevail on Lori to have samples for us to see when she presents her sessions on undergraduate recruitment in October.

The Art of Recycling

"Turning useless into useful." That's the mission at Alchemy Goods. Located about two and a half miles south of the conference hotel, Alchemy invites you to come see how they are making bags and accessories out of recycled bicycle inner tubes and seat belts. Factory store hours are limited so you'll want to check with them ahead of time but if you can plan your visit right you might even catch their weekly factory tour.

SAM remembers Wyeth

The Seattle Art Museum, or simply SAM, is currently paying tribute to Andrew Wyeth with a special exhibition of seven paintings from private collections, not otherwise on public view. The exhibit runs through mid-October and SAM is a short walk--less than a mile--from the conference hotel. (It's also right on the way and only three blocks before the Seattle Central Library where the opening night session and reception will be.)

Donut confession #1

A few days in Seattle shared with designer foodie friends is not a good formula for dietary restraint. Thanks a lot Tadson for introducing me to the Daily Dozen...no, honestly if you're looking for a sweet indulgence to jump-start your day you've got to take the short walk up the hill to Pike Place Market and the Daily Dozen Doughnut Company. A bag of bite-sized, hot cinnamon-sugar-donuts shared with a friend and colleague must fit into your conference agenda somehow. Now, this is Seattle--there must be some coffee around here somewhere.

Olympic National Park getaway

We just finished booking a few days of August family vacation in one of our very favorite destinations, Lake Quinault Lodge. 150 miles by car from downtown Seattle, Lake Quinault in the southwest corner of the Olympic National Forest. If you're willing to take a chance on the October weather this could be a perfect spot to experience the Pacific Northwest with a few days of hiking the rainforest, fishing and kayaking on the lake, or simply relaxing by the fireplace and recovering from an action packed conference.

Monday studio tours set

I'm very excited about the Monday evening studio tours and how they tie into the programming. We got the final clearance last week and we're now set to visit Methodologie, Fitch, and Starbucks. The tours immediately follow the presentation by Methodolgie partners Anne Traver and Dale Hart, and will provide a wonderful opportunity to continue that conversation. Fumi Watanabe from Starbucks is an alum of the design program at Western Washington University and will be participating in Kent Smith's design education panel Sunday afternoon if you want to get sneak peak at her work.

Space for the studio tours is limited so if you're interested make sure you get your registrations in early.

Only in Seattle

Here is a short list of some hidden treasures found only in Seattle.

Unique toys
http://www.schmancytoys.com/index.php

The original Seattle fish and chips
http://www.ivars.net/

Uwajimaya Japanese market and bookstore
http://www.uwajimaya.com/index.html

Breakfast floss and a bacon watch (New location by Greenlake)
http://www.mcphee.com/

Picture postcard
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerry_Park_(Seattle)

Look for the pink door
http://www.thepinkdoor.net/index.html

Skip Barnes & Noble
http://www.elliottbaybook.com/index.jsp

KAPOW! BLAM! ZOWIE!
http://www.goldenagecollectables.com/

With the exception of Archee McPhee, all are within walking distance or a short bus ride away from the conference hotel.

Enjoy!

Most Creative City of 2009

Who knew? Seattle is the most creative city of 2009. How exciting that we get to visit in October! Great slideshow of some places to see or visit while in the great Northwest, as recommended by designers and thinkers of the area.

Guest on Your Brand Radio

I thought you might be interested in knowing that tomorrow Rex Whisman, one of the conference presenters, will be interviewed on Your Brand Radio, a weekly Internet radio show. The hosts and Rex will talk about several topics related to brand. Joining him a bit later in the show will be one of his clients, John Dolan, Vice President for Enrollment at La Salle University. They will be discussing the brand initiative that they are working on at La Salle University. If your schedule allows, I hope you will listen. The show takes place live Thursday, June 11 at 4-5 p.m. Mountain Daylight Time in the United States. You can go to http://www.blogtalkradio.com/YourBrandRadio and click on the arrow at the top of the center column of the page to play. If you are unable to listen in tomorrow, the show will be archived and appear on the same page.

Forecast is for showers and lots of coffee.

Greetings from one of the local boys and a first time blogger.

I'm Simon, the Art Director for Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Washington. Tacoma is a small city 30 miles south of Seattle. Yes, the very same Seattle where I live and commute from each day.

Todays topic...

Weather and lattes
Okay, so Seattle is famous for rain. During the conference you can expect temperatures in the 60's with off and on showers. Don't worry, it rarely rains hard. We get what you'd call "annoying" rain - the kind that's like a sprinkler that hits you from the neighbor's yard. Dress in layers for the weather. Heavy rain gear won't be necessary, but a light waterproof outer shell with a warm inner layer will be more comfortable.

On the upside... rain gives us locals all the more reason to partake in the numerous coffee venues we have around town. The original Starbucks store is located in Pike Place Market, a few blocks from the conference hotel. Back in the 90's, you could catch the original spoonman playing outside.

Welcome to the original home of grunge!

I filled out my calendar for the summer and fall the other day. I know that the summer will fly by and the annual conference will be here in no time. One of the things I need to prepare for is public speaking! As president of UCDA this year, I'll have to get up on that stage often. Designers by nature tend to be introverted personalities, and I am definitely in that group. Many surveys reveal that the number one fear people have is public speaking. Number three on that list is death. Well I think my number one fear is death by public speaking! Come October, you'll be the judge of how well I do, but forgive me if I seem to be drinking a lot of Merlot that week.

I'm not totally obsessed with the stage-fright thing. Breakfast food has been on my mind too. When we went to scope out Seattle for the conference last year, Tadson and I went for a morning meeting at The Crumpet Shop. It's on 1st avenue up above the fish market, and you must check it out. When Tadson suggested it, I initially thought..."a restaurant selling nothing but english muffins?... are you kidding me?...  OMG. An english "crumpet" is sort of like an english muffin, but these are made fresh—you can see the crumpet guy pouring batter on a steaming griddle through the window. I had one topped with butter and pure maple syrup. It was so good I dream of it still. Go early in the morning and sit outside, where you'll hear fog horns in the bay and seagulls calling. They serve great latte too. 

Seattle Named City of the Year

Fast Company magazine has named Seattle its 2009 City of the Year in recognition of the city's creativity. Seattle has ranked America's most literate city three of the last five years and in the economic downturn of 2008 it took the unusual step of boosting its municipal art budget. The city has long been center for technological innovation and as an eco-leader its municipal utility, City Light, was the first carbon-neutral utility in the nation.

Man versus Food

The rest of my family has gotten addicted to the show Man v. Food, which is basically a show that celebrates gluttony. (Obviously, I'm a bit more leery of it all.) It is a pretty funny show and he does visit some interesting restaurants. This weekend, lo and behold, he went to SEATTLE! That one I watched a bit more carefully than the others. I probably want to visit the Crab Pot. I'll pass on the burgers at Red Mill (even if it's one of the 20 burgers I should eat before I die) and I definitely will pass on the 12 egg omelet at Beth's Cafe! Even Adam couldn't finish that monstrosity of an omelet, packed with chili, sour cream, salsa and cheese. It was at least 5 pounds! See all the places he showed on the episode.

So in addition to the great programming, you have plenty of spots to go out and network with other UCDAers.

Competition!

Think you did some work worthy of showing off this year? Enter the competition! I'm proud to say that I've won two in the past and what a thrill that was. Plus, if you enter and win, it's just one more reason as to why you simply must attend such a great program in Seattle. Anything you win reflects well on your institution AND on you as well. Think of it as a professional development expense, right? Your winning entry becomes part of the UCDA archive and history. Believe me, what a thrill it was to be a winner in San Diego. I know how hard it can be to win one of those things, but they are won by UCDA members just like you. And if you don't win, you can still show off those publications that you think SHOULD deserve a little attention. Bring them to our swap shop event! Think green and reuse those publications ... as inspiration to all your fellow UCDA conference attendees.

Mohawk Receives (another) Green Award

Last week Computerworld announced their second annual Top Green-IT Organizations for IT departments that are using technology to create energy efficiencies. At the top of this year's list: Mohawk Fine Papers. Keep up the good work!

Take advantage of this year's pre-conference workshop opportunity to hear more from Mohawk about how paper is made, tips for making paper choices, and a little more about what Mohawk is doing to to be environmentally responsible. Kelly Chrey and Joel Theisen from Mohawk will provide attendees a set of paper refernce tools and will even guide you through making your own sheet of paper.

A Tradition of Great Design

David Eliason, creative director of Brigham Young University Publications and Graphics for 13 years, was responsible for many of the seven awards BYU won in the UCDA Competition last year, building on an already rich history of design accolades for the institution. David has agreed to share some of his secrets for great publication design at this year's conference and sent this new layout as a teaser.

Photographer Interviewed on Charlie Rose

Last year photographer, Max S. Gerber, was interviewed by Charlie Rose on the subject of Max's 2008 book, My Heart vs. The Real World. Max, a congenital heart disease patient since childhood, spent years documenting and photographing children with heart defects... Touching stories! See more about this project on Max's website.

Rex Whisman

Hey all! Perusing the schedule now up on the web site, I caught Rex Whisman's name on the list. So I thought I'd brag about what a great guy Rex is. Rex did a terrific marketing session for us in Toronto as a pre-conference workshop. He had a ton of great information on what marketing and branding really is and some steps our individual institutions can use to get deeper into our stories. We used our own publications as resources, so it was truly a session about ourselves, and not a show and tell. And, since we couldn't cover all the publications in one session, Rex offered to take a look at anyone else's and give it a critique. I took him up on this. He gave me some terrific feedback well worth the cost of attending the conference. Rex is not only really knowledgable, but very approachable and helpful. So I hope some of you get the same opportunity I had in Toronto.

eBlasts

One thing that's coming up a lot at my institution is those blasted eBlasts. Suddenly, everyone wants to do one. If you're like us, there's really no set procedure or protocol to doing one. And, if you're like me, your background is in print and sure would be good to have some guidelines on what works. So, if you are like me, then you'll be sitting next to me at the session in Seattle about "Best Practices in Designing for Email." Diana Potter will talk about designs that work and don't work, an introduction to CSS and laws about spamming. Sounds like a great way to start!

Mariners

So I'm thinking about how little I really do know about Seattle beyond my quick two-day trip to the city. I've found a few links.

First, there's Wikipedia, in which I learn that the area has been inhabited for 4,000 years, but only by white settlers for 160 years. I'm also reminded of all the great music that's come out of the area and that the EMP museum is there. I missed that last time and hope to make it. I did see the building and it's an early Frank Gehry project and totally worth seeing. How many purple metal buildings are in the world anyway?

Found this little site that is much more nicely designed than the official government site. That site has restaurant and entertainment suggestions.

And hey! Great news if you like baseball! The Mariners are in town the weekend of the conference. So, think about coming in a day or two early and catching a game. I've been and it really is a nice stadium. Anyone game? Let me know! At this point, you'd think we can get good seats. As of today, they're 6-2!

Brand Beyond Rand

It's been more than 50 years since Paul Rand designed the IBM logo and changed forever how we would learn and practice graphic design. Anne Traver and Dale Hart of Seattle firm, Methodologie, recently prepared a class for the University of Washington exploring the legacy of Rand and how brand identity has evolved in the last half-century. Now Anne and Dale will share their research with UCDA and explain how designers can increase their relevance and value to their organization, and add to their own satisfaction in the process.

To see and read more on Paul Rand, including the 1953 article from American Artist pictured above, visit www.paul-rand.com.

Speaker Surprise

Corey Baim and Marcie Carson are the husband and wife principals of IE Design + Communications in Southern California. Corey and Marcie have done work for many higher education clients and will be sharing some of what they've learned from those relationships about the power of the written word in the creative process. In their second session they will be leading a hands-on flexible and interactive exploration of real-life situations and solutions and are planning to surprise attendees by bringing in one of their higher ed clients to help inform the process. Bring your questions and your challenges...the session will be fun but is also sure to connect with your individual experiences.

Seattle

As I sit here watching yet another rainy, gray day (which we're happy for, having had several years of drought), I can't help but think of Seattle. I love most cities and I've been to Seattle once. My dad and I went to see a Mariner's game and see the city a bit before I headed to Victoria for the 2001 conference. What a fascinating part of the world, certainly different from what I experience down here in South Carolina. I remember flying over the mountains, completely different from the mountains of the Appalachians. We went up the Space Needle for an amazing view. We saw the Mariners and enjoyed the view from the deck. We went to the market, of course. I don't remember the fish flying so much, but I do remember the stunning and beautiful colors of the flowers. And I remember being so inspired by a city built by grass roots movements.

Budgets are tough all over right now, so I encourage all of you to go look at the schedule and see what Randall Cole has put together for us. For those of you that though Savannah was a shift towards our different roles and different ways to communicate, Seattle will continue that conversation. I think he's still putting the finishing touches on some programming, but look for everything from email marketing ideas to the Vancouver Olympic design team. Learn about experience design to strategies for inhouse design groups to sustainable design practices. We've even got a panel discussion with panelists you'd like to see do their own individual talks. And of course, we've got some great opportunities for all of you to network and find that great support community that UCDA offers.

So start working on your boss now, as it's going to be a great conference. I think Randall's outdoing me with the conference planning! Going to be hard to choose what sessions to see.

Speaker News: Plazm at Pratt

Josh Berger, managing partner and creative director at Plazm in Portland, Oregon, recently spoke at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York. In Seattle Josh will present the closing session on design habits for the future.

Want to know more about Joshua Berger and Plazm? Read Steven Heller's 2007 interview with Josh.

Different Perspectives

The writer, after hours of interviews, has their idea for the photography. The editor wants to nudge the piece in a little different direction. The subject really wants to be portrayed in a particular way. The art director sees what will work on the page and suggests another possibility. The photographer shows up and the situation dictates going in yet a different direction.

How does a photographer navigate the challenges of applying their own creative vision and expertise and satisfy the divergent interests and visions of everyone involved in the project? After a fascinating conversation recently with photographer, Max S. Gerber, he's working on developing a session for UCDA exploring some of these complexities and how the designer and photographer can collaborate for the best results. Not sure how Max is going to pull this together visually but knowing him, it's going to be worth seeing.

Speaker News: Lesa Snider

Lesa Snider, aka The Graphic Reporter, has added another to her long list of publications, Photoshop CS4—The Missing Manual. You won't want to miss Lesa's latest Photoshop tips at this year's UCDA Design Conference. (Thanks to iStockphoto for making Lesa's participation possible.)

All you ever wanted to know about Lesa—and then some—is available at graphicreporter.com, along with a slew of tips and tutorials.

Go West Young (at heart) Designers!

Hi everyone! Heading back from Phoenix after a site visit. I didn't think I'd like Phoenix that much but there is a very interesting place behind the golf, the retirees and the tourist traps. Taliesen West is totally worth visiting. Downtown is extremely interesting with a great bar scene and a neat arts center. And the hotel we're negotiating with is completely amazing. But that's enough about Phoenix ... we need to talk about SEATTLE!

Randy submitted his report to the board today and WOW he has some incredible programming coming up. He's tapped many cool and relevant sources to present to us. If you liked the discussion of how our roles and media are shifting, learn how to navigate the crazy world we've entered.

Once I get home and take care of the 215 boxes of girl scout cookies, I'll blog a bit more about what we have coming up.

Oh, and btw, I'll post pix soon of the silly hat I've knitted for this year's auction.