Alison Iven 8/1/22 Alison Iven 8/1/22

What I read today July 28

Best of Columbus 2022: Hanif Abdurraqib’s Capacity to Love is a Hallmark of His Writing, Columbus Monthly
I follow Hanif on instagram and am always impressed about how passionate he is about his interests and how he can make his interests interesting to me, who doesn’t naturally hold those same interests (re: sports, shoes)
Scott Woods: Bringing Back the Christopher Columbus Statue is an Offense, Columbus Monthly

Alison Iven 7/28/22 Alison Iven 7/28/22

What I read today June 16

I discovered this neat Detroit-based design firm, Civilla, that works with public institutions. Then I read this NY Times article, “How Tech Is Helping Poor People Get Government Aid.” Which is great that tech is finally diversifying their audience. BUT. It reminds me of when I worked in tech and we brought a team to a Women in Tech Hackathon and created a functional product that helps people on WIC to tell if a product is available for them through WIC and how we didn’t win becuase we didn’t have the flashiest presentation but the product that DID win was a rehash of Blue Apron, meal kits for poorer folks funded through donations. Poor folks are just like us y’all! And it was incredibly disappointing becuase we developed the product prior to these companies and it worked!

Alison Iven 6/16/22 Alison Iven 6/16/22

What I read today June 14

MoMA PS1 Director Kate Fowle Resigns Unexpectedly, hyperallergic
New MoMA PS1 Director Leans Into Social Justice and Reaches Out to Long Island City, NY Times
New MoMA PS1 Director Resigns, NY Times
Life Between Buildings, PS1 Exhibit through Jan 16

Alison Iven 6/13/22 Alison Iven 6/13/22

What I read today June 13

From Kindergarten Through High School, This Family Has Been Making a Magazine Together for Ten Years, AIGA Eye on Design
Inside the Beijing Silvermine: A unique archive of everyday China captured through discarded photography, It’s Nice That
Letter of Recommendation: Do Away with Letters of Recommendations, Gawker
Letters of recommendation were first introduced by universities in the 1920s to keep Jewish people out of Ivy League schools, and currently they perpetuate the exclusion of applicants with fewer connections, especially those from marginalized backgrounds. How does your organization square this history and these ongoing effects with your stated commitment to diversity initiatives as spelled out on your program’s website?
Top Gun: Maverick Is Another Military Recruitment Video Disguised as a Movie, Jacobian
The Daily Heller: Art Chantry Reconsidered in His Own Words, Print Mag
The Daily Heller: Art Chantry Barks Back, Print Mag
To understand what I’m doing with the imagery that I encounter in my world, you have to realize that I really consider graphic design as a language—and it’s almost a universal language (despite some cultural differences).

Alison Iven 6/13/22 Alison Iven 6/13/22

What I read today June 2

This Critic and Anxiety-Sufferer Finds Peace, Relaxation at Used Book Stores, Columbus Monthly

Alison Iven 5/25/22 Alison Iven 5/25/22

What I read today May 25

Hiring for 'Culture Add' Vs. 'Culture Fit', Architect Mag
I’ve been working on SWOT analyses with the whole office and one thing that has come up repeatedly, but notably not with the firm’s owner, is diversity and wanting more of it. In one conversation we also discussed how as an office we haven’t even mentioned Black Lives Matter which has rocked the nation in the past few years. Yesterday, a bunch of school children were in a mass shooting and died. How do we incorporate the need/desire to discuss these issues as a company?

Alison Iven 5/23/22 Alison Iven 5/23/22

What I read today May 21

Modern Period Brands Used to Blend In. Now, Like Everything Else, They’re All About Standing Out, AIGA Eye on Design
A Broad View: Married, technically, but not for love, Print Magazine

Alison Iven 5/21/22 Alison Iven 5/21/22

What I read today May 20

Elevated Downtown walkway to feature plants, benches, Columbus Dispatch
Mixed feelings… What makes the Highline magical is the plantings. These renderings are rather ho hum, so hopefully Edwards puts some $$ into a good horticulturist. What is frusterating about the Highline is the rampant gentrification of the area and wildly expensive housing in the area. While this is good business for a developer, not great for a community.

Alison Iven 5/18/22 Alison Iven 5/18/22

What I read today May 11

Rethinking Architectural History, Architect Magazine

Labor Parti, Arch Paper
Ohhhhh bad write up on Moody Nolan’s employee practices
Architecture Firm Moody Nolan Celebrates 40 Years, Columbus Underground
Oh hey, but heres MN doing super awesome Columbus stuff!

Alison Iven 5/11/22 Alison Iven 5/11/22

What I read today May 6

The Daily Heller: Before Obama’s HOPE, There Was Shirley Chisholm, Pring Mag

Alison Iven 5/6/22 Alison Iven 5/6/22

What I read today May 4

My Frenetic, Messy, Exhausting, Neurodivergent Mind: TikTok Told Me I Have ADHD, Columbus Monthly
I GET THESE TIKTOKS IN MY FEED TOO. But it never occured to me that it could be correct, I mean, doesn’t everyone experience things and interact with the world differently? Do I want to me typical? tbd
Visual arts: Neglected folk artist Nellie Mae Rowe displayed 'explosion of creativity', The Columbus Dispatch
Columbus architecture firm Moody Nolan plots its future 40 years in, Columbus Business First
(1) Damn, does MN get a lot of press (2) a good quote about pandemic-specific design needs: “the pandemic didn't change any specific design techniques because flexibility, safety, security and health were always considered. But it did inspire the firm to evolve broader conversations with clients and within about spacial needs, occupancy and brand culture to retain employees.”
Franklin County land bank to restore historic Edna building in King-Lincoln-Bronzeville, Columbus Dispatch