AMA 2007 Conference: Designature

i was fortunate enough to attend this year's American Marketing Association's annual conference in downtown st. paul today. this year's theme was Designature. basically...design-- how it can evoke an emotion in consumers, how it can build trust in a brand, and how design is evolving in business. i will have to say that i was a little leery about going; i presumed it would be a room full of suits talking about "synergy" and "cross platform who's-a-whats-its." much to my delight, it was really laid back and even better yet: it was inspirational.

the keynote speakers (of which there were three) covered the bases. from hotels to dish soap to computers, they all had really great things to say about their experiences in their respective industries. after all was said and done, i thought to myself: this theme never would have flown five years ago. people are becoming informed about design now. not only are we critical about what a product looks like, but now we want to know how it's made, how it functions, and what (if any) impact it has on our society, environment, family, etc. as a new designer i think it was absolutely phenomenal.

if i understood correctly the AMA was recording all of the speakers and plans to put up podcasts on the website shortly. feel free to check out the conference website or website of Minnesota AMA. i'll update when/if i notice they have been posted.

as a promotion: they always need volunteers for the event. keep your eyes peeled next fall. perks: free admission ($75), free lunch, free drinks, sponsor bag, amazing speakers.