AIGA UPSTNY - President
Jeff Barlow
AIGA Seattle - President
A community of great thinkers.
1
I moved mid-career to a new city where I knew only a small handful of people and hoped to start a freelance practice. One of my first calls was to the current AIGA chapter president, who was happy to meet me for coffee. I signed on as an AIGA committee volunteer, evolved to committee chair, and quickly moved into a chapter board position. By then, I knew about 20 other designers and had begun to build a network in the community. Ten years later, I have a successful design practice, teach design (a position gained through a friendship developed on the AIGA board), have served in a number of chapter board positions that include leadership, and feel an integral part of a strong, vibrant design community that extends beyond my home town, and stretches across the nation.
2
AIGA is like the magic password to an elite group of design professionals. I have found that as a representative of our local AIGA chapter, I can pick up the phone and call almost any design leader across the country, and will either speak to them directly, or receive a prompt reply from an associate. I can’t believe how many brilliant, talented people I have had the pleasure to meet through this association.