Friday, May 18, 2012

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.

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