March 24, 2011 (Philadelphia, PA) – Philadelphia-based nonprofit, The Association for the Advancement and Integration of Design (AAID), is hosting COLabORate: Color & Design Collaboration on May 20, 2011 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Moore College of Art and Design in Philadelphia, PA.

The theme of the conference is “Unintentional Consequences” and, through a series of lectures, attendees will be guided through the various ways color and design [WC] transcend the various design-related disciplines and act as a catalyst for major trend movements seen in everything from product lines and home goods to fashion and architecture.

The lectures will be lead by luminaries in the design industry like Tim Luscher (Natuzzi), Karolyn Spagnolo (PPG), Amy Marks-McGee (Trendincite, LLC), Anna Losev (artanddesignstudios.com), Craig A. Barbieri (KlingStubbins), and Rob Fleming (Philadelphia University).

The goal of the conference is to educate attendees on the cyclical nature of color, design, and culture. Trends, ideals, and practices like collaboration, pattern recognition, evolution, and forecasting will be addressed. Additionally, speakers will delve into the progression and integration of design while expounding upon the discipline’s overall relevance beyond the expertise of industry insiders; COLabORate gives audience members a chance to see how and why these factors largely influence their day-to-day choices when it comes to anything from purchasing a sneaker to painting a room.

“With this conference, I hope to inspire the community with insightful and information-rich symposia,” says Monique Curry, Founder and President of AAID. “Seemingly innocuous things like color and the design of a product go far beyond aesthetics and lead to major evolution in the end user’s thought and practice about a specific product or item. For the most part, this evolution goes largely unnoticed by the public – or users – and with COLabORate, I aim to increase the awareness of the impact design has on our everyday lives.”

Tickets are available online now and all proceeds go to benefit Artistry, a year-round arts in education program benefiting local middle and high school students. Through Artistry and its curriculum, students gain practical experience in a creative, progressive curriculum that emphasizes critical thinking, interdisciplinary and multicultural learning, genuine skills application, and leadership through the arts.

For more information or to purchase tickets, go to colaborateconference.com or call 315.254.7104.

About AAID: The Association for the Advancement and Integration of Design is a burgeoning nonprofit incorporated in 2008 whose mission it is to foster partnerships and community awareness of the creative fields. AAID promotes collaboration and dialogue between the novice, professional, and ultimately the public, through their events and various design-focused initiatives

Read more at Core77

Through their mission, AAID is implementing ARTISTRY – a year-round arts in education program benefiting local middle and high school students. Through ARTISTRY, students will gain practical experience in a creative, progressive curriculum emphasizing critical thinking, interdisciplinary and multicultural learning, genuine application and leadership skills through art.

Art is an amazing and versatile medium which provides us with the means to communicate, express and experience not only the world around us but also the possibilities of our imagination. Art allows children to learn life skills such as developing a well-versed perception; articulating a vision; problem solving and making decisions; building self-confidence and self-discipline; developing the ability to imagine what might be; and taking accountability – skills needed to succeed not only in the classroom, but also in society.

On February 5th 2010, The Association for the Advancement and Integration of Design (AAID) will be hosting their inaugural fundraiser, An Artistic Affair.

All proceeds of An Artistic Affair will benefit ARTISTRY and its students. This event will be held at TRUST (249 Arch Street) from 7pm to 10pm. The evening will consists of live performances from various artists;
singer/songwriter/choreographer Gab Guma, Artist Joe Barker, R&B/Soul Duo UCity and FunProductions and auctions and raffles of services and goods from Totally Posh Boutique, Maxamillion’s Gentlemen’s Quarters Barber Parlor, Ethos Grooming Station for Men, Steelcase, Philadelphia Diamond Company, and R. Alexander Trejo.

AAID develops the process of design and its applications through the integration of community connections. Our goal is to evolve the capabilities of design and its application through “awareness” and collaboration. Let’s work together to “AAID” Philadelphia’s Youth.

A few more presenters articulated their works and findings, such as Monique Curry, president of the Association for the Advancement and Integration of Design (AAID). Her thoughts on the generational divide of Designers were interesting, and certainly raised a brow or two. She expressed a great need for the integration of design in all mediums–from the university level, to top designers. She mentioned a disconnect in collaborative projects–a contractor may disregard a principle, for example, based on cost-effectiveness. Thus integration and communication become key in this waterfall ideology.

Philadelphia, April 23, 2009 at Bresslergroup. More