AIGA Gets a Makeover, but Still Looks the Same
I was surprised today when everyone and their dog announced synchronically a redesign of the AIGA website. I was surprised, because I visited the site before I saw the announcements to look up the cost of annual membership ($295 btw). The thing is, I didn’t even realize that it had been re-designed. I had to think about that today, and take a second look. I’ve never been really happy with the AIGA, I got involved a bit for a couple years, but It has always seemed more like a social club for graphic designers, rather than a serious professional organization. I have found some good content, a few of their books have been great resources for me, and the local chapter in Salt Lake City every once in a while brings in some great talent and speakers. 
“The AIGA: the professional association for design is the place design professionals turn to first to exchange ideas and information.”
In terms of critiquing the new design, I’m not going to be as harsh as Andy, but I can only go as far as to say that it seems to be “just a little bit better.”
Zeldman says:
When AIGA approached Happy Cog to redesign their site, we figured we had no chance at all. With nothing to lose, we spoke bluntly.
We told them they had fifteen years of great content that nobody could find. We suggested that an emerging class of designers who needed what AIGA had to offer did not know AIGA and could not connect with its web presence. The site could do more, and had to do more, to reach these users. We said AIGA’s site above all others should make brilliant use of typography. It should be a joy to read—and it was not
I think that is a great statement, but the site does not do it for me. “Brilliant” use of typography “above all others” is just not happening. The biggest improvement to the typography that I can see was making the article’s text column a little bit wider. I’m sure there are other subtle things, but to think that there’s some kind of awesome ground breaking typographic perfection going on is just not accurate. The site seems readable, and is probably a bit better than the last site. But I’ don’t think this is going into the history books as an example of the end-all be-all example of good web typography. Granted, typography and the web are a difficult problem, but I’m just not seeing anything that innovative here. I had read articles on the AIGA site before, and don’t remember there being that much of a difference. The pages look a bit nicer, they also look a whole lot like the pages of the guys who designed it.
A sample from the new AIGA design that almost everyone is raving about.
As for information architecture and structure, I was able to find what I wanted (membership information), but I think that after looking around later today, I’m finding myself even more confused about what AIGA is supposed to be about. Every link has at least four subcategories without any sense of hierarchy. I can’t tell what they want me to look at. I can’t find any links to the local chapters, and I don’t have any better understanding about their organization or why I would ever want to be a member. I’m just not getting it. The saying “Lipstick on a pig” comes to mind – but I don’t think that would be accurate, because the past rendition just wasn’t that bad. Maybe it would be better to say: “A new brand of lipstick on the same pig, who already had lipstick, but we changed the application of it a bit.”
Maybe it isn’t fair to be so critical of the AIGA, I’m sure there is good content somewhere in there, and maybe this new lipstick job will help someone track it down and allow them to read it a tiny bit better.
good call. i find it hilarious that they all prepare their posts and link to each other in the very same way. maybe they coordinated it all in a conference call on zeldman’s phone.
question: have happycog become so content with their talent that they don’t realize this work isn’t so special? or did AIGA take over the show, lock up the real talent and log into their blogs to simultaneously flood the internet with the news of this sub-par work?
I’m not sure that sub-par is the right way to describe it, because it isn’t horrible in my opinion. It just doesn’t seem to be what you would expect from the AIGA. It seems reserved, boring, and just ok. I guess in this case, that is sub-par.
Thanks for the opinions guys. I do want to chime in here to point out a few things. The site, which I mention in the post of mine you linked above, is a new step for AIGA. It’s not fully fleshed out yet, because this is a stepping stone for them to continue to grow online. As such, it’s a fairly vast improvement from an architecture standpoint, a code standpoint, and yes, even a typographic standpoint; organizing their large amount of information was no small task.
Jason Lynes: Don’t be an ass. Design is more that pixels. We all blog this together so that we can share the responsibility for the work (both when the comments come back good or bad) AND because this is a business. The work we do today helps us get the work we do tomorrow.
Thanks for the points of view, gents.
Thanks for giving your viewpoint Jason. I can only imagine how difficult it would be to take on the AIGA as a client. I think the site is an improvement (from what I can remember of the old one). I find myself being overly critical probably because It is the AIGA and it is Happy Cog. You guys do amazing ground-breaking work for our profession, there is no question to that. I think that because of that, I might somehow subconsciously expect that the pairing of AIGA and Happy Cog would result in a massive transformation of the AIGA into the ultimate design site. My preconceived ideas about the AIGA probably make it hard for me to really give the design an objective review. I should be honest about that upfront and not let my perceived failings of the AIGA reflect on the way that I critique or comment on your work.
No harm no foul, John. I’m not asking people to like anything, I’m only trying to help people understand the project and that it isn’t as cut and dry as what you see in front of your eyes. Thanks for the understanding and follow-up :D
yeah, i do need to stop being an ass.
Eh I like it. I didn’t see the previous design I must admit, but I was impressed with what I saw. I do agree that hearing Happy Cog does raise the bar of what I am expecting, which is a good thing for the crew.