Design and the American Vote

Design and the American Vote will take place during the month of February and showcase a series of 24 posters that were designed by AIGA members from around the country. This series of posters is part of the 2008 “Get Out the Vote” campaign initiated by AIGA Design for Democracy to enable designers to engage in the public arena by contributing to a coordinated voter mobilization campaign. In addition to showcasing these posters, there will also add be a display presenting how each candidate's graphic design appealed to their core voter.

Also to be included in the exhibition, will be highlights from other initiatives from AIGA Design for Democracy such as the Top 10 election design guidelines, previous ballot design samples and proposed changes.

Established in 1998, AIGA Design for Democracy applies design tools and thinking to increase civic participation by making interactions between the U.S. government and its citizens more understandable, efficient and trustworthy. Independent, pragmatic and committed to the public good, Design for Democracy collaborates with researchers, designers and policy-makers in service of public sector clients and AIGA’s goal of “demonstrating the value of design by doing valuable things.”

The Polling Place Photo Project is a collaborative effort between AIGA Design for Democracy and NYTimes.com. It is a nationwide experiment that encourages voters to submit photographs of every polling location in America during the 2008 primaries and general election. By documenting local voting experiences, online users can contribute to an archive of photographs that captures the richness and complexity of voting in America. A select group of photographs from the central Virginia region will also be included in this exhibition.

AIGA Design for Democracy also collaborated with the NYTimes.com to create an interactive work on the NY Times site entitled, “How Design Can Save Democracy.” Khoi Vinh, Design Director for NYTimes.com and AIGA national board member, will be coming to AIGA Richmond to speak in the month of February (an exact date is still being determined) at art6.

This exhibition is meant to educate the general public on the value of design and highlight the outstanding efforts of dedicated designers throughout the country and our community.