Where does one begin when attempting to put into words “Where would we be today without the vision of Steve Jobs?” And by “we” I mean more than graphic and communication designers, I mean everyone: designers, clients, students, teachers, grandparents, children...

From the GDC Listserv threads “InDesign Tutorials and books” and “Paragraph Composer”- a great discussion full of useful tips for refining your typography skills in InDesign.

This is a slightly edited version of what I had written in response to a post titled Thinking Out Loud About Pro Bono, posted by Marie-Aline Oliver on the GDC listserv, on November 11, 2010. To my surprise, and judging by the on and off-line responses it generated, it appears this is a very important issue for designers everywhere, especially younger designers.

Calgary's Foundry Creative is working on a sustainability-themed annual report for the GDC and we want to include words from our members on how they view the topic.

Graphic vs. communication design. Will changing our profession's name solve the issues of misperceptions in the marketplace?

There has been a great deal of discussion in our community regarding ‘design thinking’ and design’s relevance and value to the business community and other buyers of design. I have long been an advocate of a stronger business focus in design – but the closer our profession has aligned itself to these ideals, the more I have felt that something has gone astray. It’s not easy to say, but I think I got it wrong; I’m not happy simply being a tool of business.

Today is not only the birthday of Icograda, AND the first day of Design Week: Design Currency in Vancouver, but also World Graphics Day around the globe.

We're in Vancouver at the GDC AGM for 2010. This year's AGM has a fairly familiar structure compared to last year's event in Winnipeg - so if you were there, you know the kind of things we are talking about. This year, Sunday's hot topics include Sustainability, Sponsorship, Branding, and Membership as well as associated Membership Processes.

All too often we designers can get caught up in a battle of egos with our clients. Raise your hand if you've ever said the following, "but the client hired US because WE'RE the experts! They should listen to us!" Yeah, me too. But here's something we can stand to be reminded of: our clients are the experts in THEIR field, and part of our job should be using that to our mutual advantage. They know their audience better than we do, and while we shouldn't allow ourselves to be made into pixel-pushers, we often have to learn how to better collaborate.

Say what you will about the value of design, but one thing is clear: no two people think exactly alike when it comes to defining the value of design itself. And if the question of defining the value of design sounds like a simple one, let me assure you - you're dead wrong. It's not just about dollars and cents..