Rough #2

TODA design firm in New York City is a multidisciplinary design firm that strives to “strip down everything to its essence” (toda.com). They take a hands-on, group approach to solving problems and enjoy creating new opportunities.

The design firm recently collaborated with the non-profit AIGA, a professional association for designers, to create a pro bono project. AIGA demonstrates the value of design and empowers the success of designers at each stage of their careers.

Together, the design firm and non-profit created an exhibit at AIGA’s national gallery called, “Design Journeys: You Are Here”. The goal in this exhibit was to bring awareness of the need to increase diversity within the graphic design profession.

To do this, AIGA sought to create awareness of outstanding designers from culturally and racially diverse backgrounds by creating a show of the work of diverse designers.

Marcos Chavez, the creative director of visual communication at TODA design firm, explained that “ the “Design Journeys” project seeks to achieve both - by not only celebrating the lives and achievements of 25 selected practitioners, but also encouraging aspiring designers from all backgrounds to consider design as a viable and rewarding career”. The resulting show was an interactive exhibition open to the public that was on display at the AIGA National Design Center from May 20 through August 6, 2010.

TODA used step two - envisioning the desired state, step nine - choosing the best solution then activating it and step eleven - selling the solution, in the process of creating the “Design Journeys: You Are Here” exhibit. The design firm specifically worked on creating an overall concept, designing all aspects of the exhibit’s visual identity and promotional material.

The first phase of the project (step two), consisted of focusing on finding a way to create an exhibit that both showcased the work of 25 designers, while also creating a secondary level of experience that involved asking participants to examine their own point of view and experience on the topic of diversity.

The second phase (step nine), was to work on creating design installations for a number of exhibit pieces while working within a limited budget. Designs then needed to be translated to finished pieces which required working with a number of vendor specialists in order to bring the designs to like and allow them to work at a large scale.

Step eleven was then implemented when the exhibit opened on May 20, 2010. This specific exhibit platform “allowed TODA to create an exhibit that broke out of the typical format of showcasing design work and instead supplemented the traditional exhibit format with a series of interactive installations” (Marcos Chavez).

The installations were all “based on ‘big questions’ that allowed viewers to think about diversity in their own life and career. The questions; “Where are you from?”, “Why are you here?”, and “Where are you going?” were connected to interactive installations that allowed the viewers to contribute to the exhibit” (Marcos Chavez). This interactive platform actually helped TODA and AIGA sell their unique solution.

Marcos Chavez explained that everyone involved in the creation of the “You are Here” pro bono project felt that it was a fun and unique experience that brought a positive awareness to diversity as well as the design profession. And to be able to bring the two together in a successful exhibit was more rewarding than ever.