Design Amigos Invitation - Take 2!

(from John Connell)

Greetings, Yestermorrow Designer,

Please forgive my recent foolishness.

Remember this imperious invitation?

IF YOU'RE INTERESTED....

The Design Field Team (aka: The Design Amigos) will meet regularly to discuss planned school projects and other design topics.  The Team will not have authority to block or promote any project, rather it intends to become a respected voice in the broadest conversation possible about design. 

Conventional and online meetings will take place no less than once a month to support ongoing discourse around various design initiatives.  In the spirit of inclusion,  a wiki will be created to give larger numbers access to the design conversations (i.e. Foswiki , Twiki, etc).

Really?  Design Amigos?  Broadest conversation possible?

I mean, who has time for meetings once a month, endless writing and who knows what

else?  Generally, people regularly engaged in design are not looking for ways to normalize

it, right?  We seek opportunities to distinguish our work, not masticate it.  What was I

thinking?

And yet, Yestermorrow desperately needs your help....as a designer.

So, permit me one more request.  

If you have any serious interest in, or experience with, architectural design, please

consider a trial tenure with Yestermorrow's Design Amigos.  We need your voice.  (There

will be few if any requirements; no dues, no funny uniforms.  Just respond to this email

with, "I'm in!" and we'll put you on the Design Amigos list serve.)

The design dialogue at Yestermorrow has grown perilously vague.  Worse, it has become

weak to the point of frailty.  After thirty years of innovation and forward thinking,

Yestermorrow can ill afford to let the design component of what we do languish.  So (Rah!

Rah!) let's pull together a group of design/builders interested in discussing (and publishing)

the design of all things Yestermorrow.  It will help the school and it may just help your

own work at the same time.

Finally, in an honest show of humility, I am attaching my own response to the original call

to arms.  As I addressed those issues I began to realize how difficult it was to put design

criteria into actionable wording.  Writing is tough!  Like design, there's always room for

improvement.   Nevertheless, frustrating as it was, the exercise was gratifying.  Since

there are few subjects that I would rather take a shot at, the effort was rewarding.  

In a similar vein, I look forward to convening the Design Amigos at the earliest possible

date.  So please, just let us know if you're interested by June 15th.