Old Arizona Events that sound awesome!

April 9 - Wine Tasting
$20 pre sale $25 at the door
Sample and learn about a variety of fine wines, Imported and domestic cheese and small plates will be served.

April 10 - Spaghetti Western
$10
All you can eat spaghetti (watch out world! here i come!)
Clint Eastwood movies

PROJECT M: MIDWEST JULY 5-18

Please circulate this to all young designers that you know. The structure will be that MCAD students will be accepted to PROJECT M through tuition cost, and another 8-10 PROJECT M'ers will apply through John and PROJECT M. I am going to post on AIGA sites as well as academic centers in Minneapolis, Wisconsin, Illinois etc. I will also send to the MCAD Alumnus and local design studios. Let's get the word out to make sure young designers are aware.

Minnesota Facts

Courtesy of me gramps. Dudes crazy.

fits in with Tansoso's project pretty well.
check out the link. a good way of waste time.


http://drop.io/ol8cqqd#

SAC Money

Would anyone be interested in donating their alloted SAC $$ for a pair of goats or a cow for ARAHA? Also does anyone know if that's even allowed?

BIKE+COMMUNITY

http://bikepluscommunity.tumblr.com/


Take a look at our photos from B-Roll footage day for the Bike+Community documentary.

DA BOMB GROUP

What differentiates the MCAD educational design experience from other schools?

What differentiates Minneapolis design from other regions/cities?

If the umbrella for your bomb is US+THEM (may be also include the DVD) and you include many of the projects being produced in this class along with some other examples would this project the image that defines what you are doing? To call other schools out to engage with real projects and to get serious about design.

 

I like the Ice Cooler Box, but I am concerned that it is going to be too large and bulky. It is going to take a lot of stuff to fill it and then it might be problematic mailing the sucker. Are there smaller coolers available? Can you make a smaller cooler?

 

I would like to see a prototype this week

 

Hello everyone!

In response to our meeting for US+THEM this week, I decided to spend a
little time on mapping and getting out some ideas so that we can create an
outline to start putting up on the blog and sending out to people.

I know we can start sending out US+THEM to people and it can be a fun
thing. Lets forget move past whatever has made this not enjoyable for us
and take it into our own hands do something. We already know people we can
send this to.

-Dancin' Clair

Worldstudio/SVA: Social Change

This is another reason why what we are doing is relevant and needed. This type of work needs to be owned by MCAD–send the DESIGN BOMBS

http://www.sva.edu/impact/

I HAVE SEEN THE ENEMY: DESIGN BOMB

This is a MICA student portfolio site:

http://www.sincerelymichael.com

This is not a cardboard tube

Design Indaba

US+THEM: blog

Here is the link to the Us+THEM blog. I posted the rules and mission statement that I had at this point prepared.


http://usplsthem.blogspot.com/

I do not know how to add people on to the blog yet, so we can go over that in class so that everyone has access.
Also- A few questions that we need to discuss.
1. Should we instead have an abstract mark that would be shared and passed on too?
(Thank you Annie)
2. The concern with the use of iconography within the development of "US" and "THEM"?
(Thank you Ted)
3. Lastly, what is the meaning of the "+" sign?(Thank you Dylan and Dan)

I thought it was pretty decided upon in our discussion last week that any response in regards to the idea of US + THEM could be whatever is needed to be, so long as it's relatively positive and defined within the communities that the interpretation is effecting. The "+" sign reads as "and" or "plus", but what it means is any form of "action". What brings the individual, or group of individuals to react with communities and vice versa. What is that relationship? Does there need to be a better connection? ect.
What do you guys think?

Thanks!
-kasia

Park Nicollet Typographical Advertisement

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=294140773952&ref=m

BIKE + COMMUNITY

Hey Everyone,

It has been decided that the Bike+Community group will be putting together a small documentary about some individuals who are stepping up and doing extraordinary things just for the good of it all.

The focus right now is the North Minneapolis Neighborhood, and here is some "b-roll" footage we collected yesterday:

http://vimeo.com/10227261

We are scheduled to start conducting interviews this Friday.

Out,

Bike+Community

US+THEM : Discussion on Rules

US+THEM

Hi guys,
> This is the email that is going to start our decision making in regards to
> the Rules of US+THEM.
> From what we discussed last Thursday, we decided that:
>
> 1. If the phrase "US+THEM” is used, the "+" symbol needs to be somewhere
> within the design/message. So long as “us” and “them” is used within a
> language, that is universal.
> 2. It is important to just respond.
> 3. The "US+THEM" blog will be a center for all internet communication and
> display.
> All individuals must contribute something first before joining the blog.
> 4.This is a question; a discourse. Not complete control. Let it be.
>
>
> Any concerns should be brought to light immediately. Bernard asked whether
> it would still be under the spirit of "US+THEM" if someone decided to
> make a smiley face+ butt as a representation of US+THEM. Myself and the
> rest of the group responded by deciding that there can be a positive
> intention, however if this is to go global, the representation will take
> on many forms.
>
> By Wednesday we need to accomplish this:
> The logo rules: come up with limitations of the identity
> and--
> Setting up the blog for US+THEM
>
>
> Thanks guys:)
> -kasia
>


Also-- please those who respond, declare whether you are going to join this group so that I can keep track on who to email and keep in touch with.

Also--There is a sweet t-shirt design competition that Bernard posted earlier this week, which could be a good vehicle to start making designs and thinking of ways to spread the message.

any and all ideas are welcome-- please respond by Wednesday

<3

Design Thinking for Social Innovation

Read Article

Design Ignites Change: Create Don't Hate

Propelling Ideas into Action

Ted Commented about the Create Don't Hate billboard project he is involved in at a local school and I thought I'd connect this project to the larger context of Design Ignites Change, which founded this, and many other, social initiatives.

Design Ignites Change, a collaboration between Adobe Youth Voices and Worldstudio, engages high school and college students in multidisciplinary design and architecture projects that address pressing social issues. Participants are encouraged to apply design thinking—the combination of unleashed creativity and executable actions—to problems that exist in their own communities.

Supporting Educators

Design Ignites Change enables high school and college educators to involve their students in projects that have positive social impact. The program offers guidance on running social-change projects and visibility for participating schools on the Design Ignites Change website.

Promoting Student Work

Student projects—in the form of case studies—are showcased on the Design Ignites Change website, a public exchange of ideas that gives visibility to the participants. Projects of note are promoted through the program’s public relations campaign to the business and creative communities, as well as the general public. View projects

Funding Innovation

Participating students and educators gain the entrepreneurial skills to secure funding for their projects. Using open-source documents and resources, the Design Ignites Change program provides a structure for students and educators to learn about various funding models that can help them carry out their projects.

Honoring Great Projects

Projects are eligible for a Design Ignites Change Award in one of two categories. The Idea Award will be given to a promising and innovate social change concept and the Implementation Award will offer grants for the real-world execution of a promising community project. In both categories, a jury of creative, business and civic leaders will select the project or projects they feel have the greatest ability to impact positive change on a local level.

Mentoring

Mentoring initiatives bring together college students and professional designers to collaborate with underserved high school students to execute a project around a compelling social theme.
Initiatives are supported by a robust set of open-source guidebooks and documents that give even the inexperienced mentor the tools they need to successfully complete the project while providing a rewarding experience for the student and themselves. Currently Design Ignites Change has two mentoring initiatives underway: Create! Don’t Hate. and School: by Design

Join Us!

To learn more about how your school or organization can participate in Design Ignites Change, visit the Join Us! section of the website.

For more information about becoming a partner or sponsor, visit the Partners section of the website or contact Andréa Pellegrino.

PROJECT M: Blitz

http://themegryan.com/blitz/

Design with little Means

Afrigadget





AfriGadget is a website dedicated to showcasing African ingenuity. A team of bloggers and readers contribute their pictures, videos and stories from around the continent. The stories of innovation are inspiring. It is a testament to Africans bending the little they have to their will, using creativity to overcome life’s challenges.

US + THEM: MIA TEE SHIRT

GET ON IT: This project is taylor-made for all the projects being produced in class.

'Otto Neurath: Gypsy Urbanism'

http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/8/view/9410/otto-neurath-gypsy-urbanism.html

The exhibition 'otto neurath. gypsy urbanism' is dedicated to the work of the viennese philosopher and economist otto neurath (1882–1945). this scientist, housing activist and museum director, who constantly worked for the advancement of participative forms of democratic exchange, collaborated with architects, designers and artists of his day – including franz schuster, josef frank, and margarete schütte- lihotzky – and with protagonists of the so-called vienna circle, of which he was a member.

the exhibition concentrates on four essential aspects of neurath’s work. the first part contains artifacts and never-before-seen film sequences showing the viennese 'settlement movement' of the 1920s, a period during which neurath began his career and worked together closely with the architects franz schuster and margarete schütte lihotzky. following the dissolution of the austro-hungarian monarchy, austrian social democrats made housing construction in vienna their top priority. when settlers laid claim to public lands and began building houses and setting up gardens 'like gypsies', neurath recognized the phenomenon as an opportunity to institute housing reform measures that were to be based on grass-roots organization and barter.

the focus of the MAK exhibition is the austrian museum for social and economic affairs, which grew out of a series of touring exhibitions and was officially founded in 1925 as an association for popular education. taking on the role of museum director there, neurath introduced numerous concepts having to do with exhibition presentation, and photographic documentation of these is on display in the works on paper room. together with josef frank, neurath developed associative systems that were mobile and could therefore be shown anywhere. the idea was to portray the world via statistics and historical data – amounted to a political world atlas of civilization for laypeople.this project also thought of as a 'museum without borders' was the starting point for the 'is otype' image documentation system developed by neurath. in light of the political changes that coincided with the first world war, neurath ascertained that there was a deep reaching structural transformation from a society of labor to one of knowledge. the international pictorial language he developed together with the graphic artist gerd arntz can be understood as a reaction to these new conditions. taking pictograms as a basis, neurath and arntz created the 'vienna method of pictorial statistics' also known as 'isotype' (international system of typographic picture education), which facilitated generally comprehensible, precise depictions of complicated material such as numerical data and statistics. this means that complex relationships were portrayed in a simple, understandable way, independent of societal structures and language. neurath viewed social and cultural education as a motor of self-determination for the working class, as well as a catalyst of political change. a further part of the exhibition shows the dissemination of otto neurath’s ideas in england, the USA and what was then the soviet union. the exhibition is on display at the MAK works on paper room until september 5 in vienna, austria.

WHAT WE DO | SPARC Design

WHAT WE DO | SPARC Design

SPARC represents a pioneering experiment to measure the effectiveness of an embedded design group within the institution as agents for change.

— Lorna Ross, Design Manager

The center's research and development origins trace back almost a decade — to Mayo's SPARC Innovation Program (See-Plan-Act-Refine-Communicate). SPARC is now the center's Design Studio and a bridge between the medical practice and human-centered design thinking.

This problem-solving approach is used to improve consumer health care experiences and delivery. SPARC designers use research methods such as observing patients and interviewing families, along with traditional consumer research, including visualization, modeling and rapid prototyping. Design thinking matches people's needs with what is technologically feasible and considers how a viable business strategy converts into consumer value.

This problem-solving approach is used to improve consumer health care experiences and delivery. SPARC designers use research methods such as observing patients and interviewing families, along with traditional consumer research, including visualization, modeling and rapid prototyping. Design thinking matches people's needs with what is

technologically feasible and considers how a viable business strategy converts into consumer value.The Center for Innovation's SPARC Design Studio is the first to be integrated into a medical practice setting. The studio space includes an outpatient lab that allows for the observation of patients while they interact with providers in

the clinical setting.The Center for Innovation's SPARC Design Studio is the first to be integrated into a medical practice setting. The studio space includes an outpatient lab that allows for the observation of patients while they interact with providers in the clinical setting.

HUMAN-CENTERED DESIGN

Leading companies are accelerating innovation through a concept relatively new to business strategy design thinking.SPARC designer/researchers work together from many different backgrounds, but all share a passion for understanding people's needs and then collaborating with others to design solutions that creatively address those needs. Designers marry tried-and-true research methods, such as observing patients, interviewing families and traditional consumer research, with design tools like visualization, modeling and prototyping, an approach not common to the health care setting.

Mayo's decision to fuse design principles and hypothesis-based scientific method is invaluable to uncovering the various human needs involved in the health care environment. This approach contributes to Mayo's ability to understand human needs and create a health care experience unlike any other.

SPARC CAPABILITIES AND SERVICES

Design research and strategy

Service and experience design

Product design

Design thinking education

Environment evaluation and modification

The studio space is located in a patient care corridor and includes exam rooms and a glass-enclosed, reconfigurable space. The space is designed to allow for team collaboration, and is also set in a live clinical area which enables the rapid prototyping of ideas in practice.

OUTPATIENT LAB

Center for Innovation designers also observe patient and provider experiences in the hospital, in patients' homes and in other settings. Before an encounter is observed, patients are asked if they are comfortable with the observation. "Mayo Clinic's culture of teamwork is well-suited for innovation and sets it apart from other health care institutions," says Spurrier. "Our patients have a long history of participating in our research and education endeavors."

http://centerforinnovation.mayo.edu/sparc.html

Do Something: The Half Campaign

GOOD Education > Widgets and Stone on March 10, 2010 at 12:00 pm PST

How designers are helping to turn around struggling schools.

Going to school is a right of passage, a common denominator in the experience of growing up as an American.

But in our schools, only half of a child’s education takes place in the classroom—the rest happens in the lunchroom, on the playground, in the in-between spaces. And only half comes directly from teachers—the rest comes from administrators, coaches, parents, neighbors and volunteers.

Except, of course, for when it doesn’t.

Our city of Chattanooga has some of the lowest performing public schools in Tennessee. In recent years, we have looked to state and foundation-sponsored solutions like magnet schools, infrastructure improvements and teacher development programs. These are important steps forward, but in doing so, we outsource the education of our kids to someone else—be it teachers, administrators, or policymakers.

But education isn’t the only place we do this. We outsource our health to insurance companies, our finances to banks, our neighbors to social services, our elderly to nursing homes. Why should our children be any different?

This is not an indictment of the whole system. We believe that teachers carry the weight of our kids on their shoulders; we should thank them more often. We should thank staff and administrators more, too. Rather, maybe the problem with schools is a problem with those of us who have long since graduated.

What if we were to do something truly revolutionary. What if we were to get involved, right now, for half an hour.

Last year, we called together a group of local architects, designers, community leaders and writers, along with Project M’s John Bielenberg and GOOD’s creative director Casey Caplowe, for a two-day convention called, “The End of Design (is to improve life)." The agenda was to find one great idea and take it beyond ideation—to actually do something.

After agreeing that grade school education is a major concern in Chattanooga, the team met with local administrators and teachers. A plan quickly evolved: The Half Campaign asks parents of students, professionals and retirees to volunteer for half an hour each month, to serve a local school and the children that attend it.

Since that time, we have been working with two of downtown Chattanooga's most challenged schools, Battle Academy and Calvin Donaldson Elementary. The hope of a planning period was to ensure that a great idea did not do more harm than good. Simply having a good idea, or just talking about it, is too often a substitute for sustainable change.

Half is not simply about innovation or a PR-worthy launch. It is about building connective tissue that connects the dots, because half an hour is a commitment, and it can make a real difference.

Patty Streip, a family partnership specialist at Battle Academy, said that the biggest benefit is changing students’ perceptions of themselves.

"Research is clear that parent involvement is one of the biggest factors in whether a child succeeds in school," she told our local news outlet, Chattarati.com. "For the child whose parent can't or doesn't choose to become involved in a hands-on way, having a 'respected adult' who comes to lunch once a month, or who reads for one half hour, the impact can be enormous."

Kim Honeycutt, who developed a writing course for low-scoring students at Calvin Donaldson, is using Half volunteers as coaches for her kindergartners and as tutors for older kids: "The main criteria is asking good questions because you genuinely want to know. Many of these students don’t have anyone telling them that their thoughts matter, that what they have to say matters, that their words are powerful.”

Every time a volunteer steps into a child’s school, into the lunchroom or classroom, the volunteer brings skills, knowledge and experience. But there is something deeper that happens, too, because the volunteer simply brings his or herself. We come into schools because we want to be there; a kid sees that, and can’t help wonder if school has more value than he thought. Even better, he soon comes to realize that it’s not really about the school. He is the reason why we’re there.

“The community member benefits by getting an inside look at something they otherwise might just read about,” said Streip. “The benefit of that is huge, because there is a lot more good happening in public schools than there is bad. She might well become an advocate for public education, and they can speak not from ignorance but from first-hand experience.”

There is, of course, something unapolgetically disingenuous about asking for half an hour. The hope is that, over time, people will be drawn in and give even more. But even if that remains the exception rather than the rule, as more and more people give half an hour, a lot of kids’ lives will be touched.

Change needs to start somewhere. A half an hour is a great place to start. And lot of half-hours add up—helping kids to grow whole.

Graphics via.

Widgets & Stone is a design studio that connects business with creativity. They design tools and strategies that benefit economy, communication, innovation and brand.

Read more: http://www.good.is/post/do-something-the-half-campaign/#ixzz0hsUbImPU

US+THEM

In regards to US+THEM:
I sent an email to John which presented our mission statement, asking him to perhaps pick this message up and spread it to his colleagues. It wasn't decided upon exactly what he would or would want to do with it- so in order to keep the ball rolling on this project, I thought we should do another blitz perhaps this week, or we could decide upon a way to throw the message of US+THEM out to the public in a different format.
Any ideas?
Also- I wasn't aware of being project leader; and otherwise felt that this was a class effort in regards to most of our declared group projects. There is a meeting for US+THEM with Bernard tomorrow at 5:15. Is there anyone who would like to join we with this project? Please let me know.
Also:
Here is john's response:
Thanks for keeping me in the loop!

Also, spread the word about Project M in Maine this May.
http://www.projectmlab.com/downloads/ProjectM10MEpost.pdf

Best,
John

John Bielenberg

C2 and Project M
25 Congress Street / Belfast / Maine / 04915
207.338.0101 studio / 207.323.0792 cell

www.c2llc.com
www.projectmlab.com

Blind of Minnesota

National Federation of the Blind for Minnesota:

TEAM:
Dan
Alex
Emily

Group Leaders:
Dan + Alex

We have met with Shawn who is the director of Blind Inc. and one of the directors at the NFB Minnesota chapter. We have learned many things about the NFB by meeting with Shawn. The organizations motto and goals are to equip the visually impaired with many skills as well as the confidence in life to carry out daily life and pursuing dreams.

The NFB has many programs for their members and students to take part in. Enabling students goes along with every activity and program in some way or another. We have taken interest in these activities and programs and discussed with Shawn today about some ideas of our relationship as design students with the NFB.

POSSIBLE STEPS/MOVING FORWARD
Possible outcomes we have begun to talk more about is to enable artists and anyone who wants to pursue creative endeavours. This might be a packet or survival kit for a blind artist, which is stemming from the idea of MCAD's use of the learning center and to do/survival forms for artists. JUST AN IDEA THOUGH.

CONTACTS SO FAR:

Shawn May0

Paul Wharton
Vice President - Creative at Larson Design

MSP Flag Meeting

Hi!

The flag group met up last night-- here's a quick recap for anyone who was unable to come:

+ FINAL DESIGN DECIDED:
Minneapolis Flag on one side, St. Paul on the other. 100% True to original design (This means for screen prints that the St. Paul flag will be three Layers and the Minneapolis flag will be two)

+ MATERIALS & SIZE FINALIZED:
We will use both fabric and paper. Whatever white or off-white fabric we can get will be used for medium-large flags. Possibly one very large flag will be made using nylon flag material. Paper can be used for smaller sized flags such as business cards.
Also suggested was the idea of a poster of business cards that would be perforated so you could take them!

+ FUN STUFF ADDED:
The flags given out (not the smaller ones we will place & put up on our own) will be nicely packaged with a pamphlet explaining the flag, it's history & symbolism, how to hang it, etc.

+ START!
Paper is easy enough to get but we need to wait to get our fabric before we can screen print. We should have be able ot pick up some fabric this weekend, so the following weekend we will begin printing & manufacturing!

BIKE + COMMUNITY

BIKE + COMMUNITY IS:

Mitch

Sonkaraly

Kasia

Dan

Tousue

Old Arizona

Here's the nitty gritty:
Team: Alex, Alexa, Annie, Emily, Katie
Team Leader: Annie

Update: As of 3/6/2010

We met with Darcy from Old Arizona on Saturday to learn even more about Old Arizona. Some salient observations/questions raised by both our team and Darcy include:

+ Increase government and corporate funding "How can Old Arizona possibly compete with The Boys and Girls Club?"
+ How to educate off the street patrons about the Arizona Bridge Project while utilizing the retail space
+ Increase awareness and exposure to the community (they're very well known in the theater community, how to expand into main stream?)

Striking information:
+ Costs $40,000 to incarcerate a female inmate, the same amount to provide after school programs to 15 girls at Old Arizona.

Moving forward:

Old Arizona needs a vehicle that is able to provide a comprehensive overview of the history of OA, where they come from, what they do now, whose lives they've changed, and how potential funders can help. The newsprint publication seems to be the best option as it serves a variety of purposes: it filters & simplifies the Old Arizona story, it speaks to both potential funders and off the street patrons, it can be both educational and promotional material. We also foresee a possible web component, possibly just a web-location of the publication scanned so it can be easily passed around electronically.


Possible next steps:
Discuss budget from Darcy, Request newsprint quotes, consider content

PIE LAB Jobs

This email came my way from Megan at PIE LAB. Please pass on to any MCAD Alumni who do not have a job or you feel might be interested in this kind of work.

Hey Bern, not sure if you received this email already from John..if so ignore this one. But..we're trying to recruit 4 new Vistas to replace Ryan and myself. Do you have any students who you think would be suited for the 1-year position? Please forward the below message onto them so they can fill out an application. Thanks Bern..and see you in a few weeks!

-megan

...

Hello and Great News!

We are currently accepting applications for the position(s) of Design Director(s) at the Project M Lab in Greensboro, Alabama for the 2010-2011 year. Are you a recent graduate who's interested in challenging the conventions of design? Are you a current student who'd like to put your skills to use in a real, live community? Are you an educator who may be able to identify the perfect candidate for this position? In any case, please visit our website and follow the instructions to submit an application. Click anywhere on this entire paragraph to be re-directed to said application website.

Care to view a sampling of the sort of shenanigans you might be involved with, should you assume the position? Look here. And here. Andhere. Oh and here.

If you're still confused, perhaps this position isn't for you...but do contact us first before withdrawing your consideration entirely. We will begin reviewing applications after the March 15th deadline.

Best of luck,
Megan and Ryan
on view here.

and sorta represented here.

Battle Sharks?

The group using Battle Sharks as a temporary (possibly permanent) moniker, is

Lindsey
Eric
Ted
Michael

As we mentioned in class we have a few things in the works.

One of the projects that is in the works is dealing directly with the Minneapolis Police Department.

Project Leader: Michael

Project Status:
Sgt. Jesse Garcia has returned from bike week (he had a blast but the weather wasn't great). I talked with him this morning and he said he was willing to meet with us on Wednesday at 8:30 am (early bird). He had expressed interest in coming to MCAD to meet. I emailed him my contact info and he said he would call me. I am a little unsure of where that leaves us but am planning on having materials prepared to meet with him on Wednesday.

I am a Minnesotan

My project’s test run at the lightrail wasn’t as successful as I planned. Upon entering the lightrail, I initially felt very hesitant to approach people and ask them to fill out the sheets. Luckily I was able to take a few risks and approach three people to participate in the survey. One of the guys I met on the lightrail, named Eric, was especially interested by the intentions of our advanced graphic design class. So far my list of adjectives are:

Reluctant
Happy
Norwegian
Native
Urban
Outdoorsy

Even though I received three filled out sheets, I feel a lot more confident to engage with the public.

If the class is still interested or would like to help out in some way, minor or major, download the jpg of the sheet, print as many as you want, go out into the community and engage with the people, stop by my studio and drop off the filled out surveys, or you can drop them off in my mailbox, #385.

Also, just a side note, a blog will be up and about for I AM A MINNESOTAN.

MSP Flag Project Group Info +UPDATE

HI!

Here's the info Bern requested in Thursday's class.

Project: Minneapolis & Saint Paul Flag Project
Leaders: Alex & Michael co-leading
Participants: I didn't see everyone who raised their hands in class, so if you could comment on this post to let everyone know you're in that would be lovely, Thanks!

So far....
I think there was pretty much a consensus for using the flags that already exists. A few people suggested the idea that the flag would have the Minneapolis flag on one side and on the back would be the Saint Paul flag. I think that's kind of brilliant! We can talk about it here on the blog to come to a consensus if this is what we really want to do.

Also:
Michael has vectorized the MPLS Flag, so that's ready for printing! Thanks Michael!
We still need to vectorize the St. Paul flag.
Plus, Katie has a possible lead on some fabric we could use, thanks Katie!

Maybe we should also discuss materials-- do we want whatever fabric we can get? Should it be consistent (should we bleach everything??) Do we want to use paper as well, etc.

As soon as we get this nailed down we can start printing! Yayyyyyy! So let's figure it out!


~*~*~UPDATE~*~*~
The St Paul flag was vectorized by Ted, thanks thanks!

SO Here are the vectors of both flags for you to download!
DROP.IO/MSP_FLAG_VECTOR

So what day works best for everyone to meet so we can officially decide on stuff and start printing??

Identity System for the Flag Group

While I was on my way to the lightrail, I stumbled upon this sticker on the side of an electric generator, on Hennepin Avenue. Personally, this simple, yet effective mark immediately made me feel something that I had never felt before, a sense of pride, a sense of belonging, and sense that I could immediately recognize the connotation it was referencing. So for the flag group, I hope this will help you in your endeavors. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I’m sure this wasn’t commissioned by the city to be made, but it’s definitely a possibility worth looking into. This mark, as simple as it is, makes a direct reference to the state being know for the "Land of 10,000 Lakes."

Events

Here are some upcoming events at Old Arizona, I think the Beer Tasting might be awesome but I know a little pricier than what everyone would like to spend for more quality time with each other. Another event on that Saturday is Empty Bowls which sounds like a great way to spend a Saturday. EATING.

EMPTY BOWLS
Saturday, March 13th • 11AM- 7PM

A benefit to fight childhood hunger in our community.

Here's how it works… for $10 you get to choose a bowl created by a local potter, a community member, or a participant of Old Arizona youth programs; we fill your bowl with soup… you enjoy the soup and the company of friends and neighbors. When you are finished you may take your new bowl home and keep it as a reminder of the hungry youth in our community and that you personally did something to make a difference.

Proceeds from this event will go towards providing a healthy after school snack for Old Arizona’s youth program.

BEER TASTING OLD ARIZONA

I lied guys, no movie, just 6 varieties of beer, cheese, and apps

$20 in advance Friday March 12

http://www.oldarizona.com/theater.php

U.S. Loses Innovation Crown to ... Iceland

Posted by: Michael Arndt on March 03, 2010

Once upon a time—actually it was just last year—the U.S. was the world innovation champion, according to an annual report by INSEAD and the Confederation of Indian Industry. In this year’s study, the nation slumps to 11th place. Perhaps even more surprising is the new No. 1: Iceland.

Soumitra Dutta, an INSEAD professor of business and technology, who oversaw the survey, theorizes that the rankings show that, as in so much else, size matters. But in this case it’s the smaller the better.

He tells me that having easy access to a big marketplace still makes it easier for innovators to profit from their inventions. Would the iPod or the iPhone have been such big hits if Apple had been based in, say, Iceland? But the Internet is turning the entire world into one big market, to which everyone everywhere has access, he says. Also, it appears that smaller, homogeneous countries can unite to support policies, institutions, and infrastructure that promote innovation—in the developed world, at least.

Size certainly makes a difference in the 2010 Global Innovation Index report. The most-populous land in the Top 10 is the Netherlands, with 16.4 million people. It finishes in eighth place. Several of the biggest nations in the developed world cluster just below the U.S. Japan is 13, with Britain at 14, and Germany at 16. Of the so-called BRIC giants in emerging markets, China comes out best, at 43. Trailing are India (56), Russia (64), and Brazil (68).

This year’s report, financed by Canon India and released on March 3, evaluates 132 countries. Researchers used data from a number of sources, including the World Economic Forum, the World Bank, and the UN, to gauge innovation inputs—things such as education and business climate—as well as outputs to quantify scientific and creative advances.

The U.S. drops out of the Top 10 because it isn’t sufficiently providing many of the inputs or what the study calls “pillars of innovation.” It ranks 22 in political environment and 21 in regulatory environment. It ranks 22 in K-12 education, 22 in technology infrastructure, and 24 in exports and employment. “The U.S. is unable to create a coherent public agenda,” Dutta tells me on the phone from India.

So where does the U.S. score best? In market and business sophistication, which includes access to capital and openness to foreign competition and where it rises to second and third.

Iceland, by comparison, falls below the U.S. in market and business sophistication—no surprise, says the report, given the complete collapse of Iceland’s banking industry. But it outshines the U.S. in education and infrastructure. Iceland comes in fourth overall, for instance, in per capita mobile phone subscribers. Its general infrastructure is the world’s best.

Here’s the Top 10, with 2009’s rankings in parentheses:

1. Iceland (20)
2. Sweden (3)
3. Hong Kong (12)
4. Switzerland (7)
5. Denmark (8)
6. Finland (13)
7. Singapore (5)
8. Netherlands (10)
9. New Zealand (27)
10. Norway (14)

FLAG SKETCHES

I thought more about the idea of non-exclusive unification. We have discussed many different cultures and communities existing together in the twin cities. There is a beauty about languages, signifiers, and ethnicity's sharing the greater space of two cities. They overlap, run into eachother, a weaving in and out that form rhythmic surface and structure.

There is something to be said about signs that reference the history of Minnesota and the twin cities. But what about a non-exclusive abstract format that anyone can reflect on?

I thought of those old toys that drew patterns, overlapping different colors and the patterns could be similar to each other but different, still existing on the same surface.

These are just some quick ideas that came up with. Regardless how you might view the appearance I believe there is something here. Let me know what you think.

What are you? What do you consider Minnesotan?

This idea is inspired by Alexandra Roche and Theodore Guerrero. More to be explained in class.

FLAG PRJECT UPDATE

So there were previous posts on the MPLS Flag Project, But Bernard's multiple warnings in all caps has prompted me to go over a few points JUST IN CASE!


The goal or missions is to unite everyone within the city (or twin cities) with the simple graphic statement of the flag. It serves as a point of pride and care that unites and acknowledges all communities existing within it. By acknowledging the flag and making it known, hanging it around the city, hopefully a sense of pride and unity can be brought to a more visible level of the city.

The ideals could be said to be:
Non-exclusive unification.
Positive sense of Pride.
Renewed care and curiosity for you city and thus your city-mates?


I believe this project is sort of falling under the US + THEM banner, a sort of amorphous class project, with anyone allowed to participate as much as they deem appropriate.


A few of us will be going to the city clerk tomorrow to ask a few questions and hopefully get a donation of some flags.
There is of course, still plenty of validity, merit, and beauty in the idea of making these flags ourselves (As Michael very eloquently stated in the comments of a previous post.) It seems like we should go to the city clerk and attempt to get some free flags because why not-- they would be free and help us with this dispersion that we desire. But if we really want a big presence, why not make some as well?

OK YAY!

Old Arizona Update

Hello All,

There is a new post on our MCAD + OLD ARIZONA blog with a brief overview of the meeting we had today with Darcy. If you have a few moments stop by the blog and check it out - we can answer more questions tomorrow if you have any.

GOOD POLICE?

Hello. The topic of Police relations with their community is a very touchy one, so we want to touch it.

The group right now is:

TED
MICHAEL
LINDSEY
ERIC.

We are in the Ideation stages and are mocking up some versions of some undisclosed documents.

There are also a few other veins in which our team has been looking into. We feel that maybe we can have many grand yet small projects flowing all together. Some ideas revolve around: Health Care, Generation Divide, Immigration, and Worker's rights.

We view it as every person having a role in each project, but the size of the role varies from person to person and project to project, this way we can cover more ground. That said, we feel there is always work to be done and the more the merrier. If you would like to be involved with us please speak up and if you have an idea that you would like any of us to be involved in, please speak up.