It’s not really fair to call the process of evaluating work “judging.” Yes, we are discerning, but it’s not a contest and we’re not weighing the merits of one submission against another. Rather, we are seeking a diverse collection of projects that help describe a greater narrative. This is how we went about it:
This is a quick interstitial dispatch ahead of our regular Friday update.
Yesterday we received an interesting and somewhat sobering email from an Iranian designer. She wants to submit work to the book but is afraid her government may open and search a package destined for the United States. She writes: “I’m afraid I might put myself and my family in danger by sending my design.” That’s a chilling thought.
We’re setting up an anonymous FTP transfer for her so she can share her work and her views without fear of repercussion. Sounds like something that may make it into our reacting section. Regardless, we’re looking forward to seeing it, and of course we wish her well.
It’s only been about five days since we sent out our official request for submissions and already the interest is high. We’ve had a number of emails and twitter messages from designers, students and even some writers, looking for ways to contribute to the book. Today the first official submission arrived in the mail. Actually, it arrived over the weekend while we weren’t here, so all we have is this little pink slip from the post office. Something to look forward to tomorrow I guess.
The advance check arrived from F&W today as well — not nearly as exciting since I already know what’s inside — but still very much appreciated.
The rest of our book-related mail was all of the e-variety, including one from Emily Pilloton about her Learning Landscapes project. While this is primarily a graphic design book, we’re also including examples of product and experience design, of which this is a prime example. I first met Emily earlier this year at AIGA San Francisco’s do-gooder design conference, Compostmodern. It’s nice to find our paths crossing again so soon.
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