• Great Response!
• ID News
  • recruitID is just three weeks away!
  • insideID: Lecturette on Effective Teambuilding
  • socialID: "Press Your Luck Potluck" Party and End of the Year Show
• Recent events
  • insideID Lecturette: Internship Panel
• Showcase
  • Designing A Difference. Design for Social Need (DSN)
  • Winter internship at Samsung
  • Rough Cuts: The Future of reference books?
• IDers
  • new IDer: Sukjun "Jun" Lim . M.Des.
  • Laate's party: "IDers Hang Ten"
• Of interest
  • Restaurants. "Geja's Cafe "
  • Notable and Observed

The semester is already in full swing, projects are well under way, and the snow is starting to fall again outside. None of this seems to have slowed down the ID student body. With only one issue under our belts after resurrecting, we are already amazed. The response has been incredible. So many people have already contributed. We love it, and we already want more. We want every ID student to take part and bring her unique perspective to the larger community. To paraphrase Eric Raymond, we want this newsletter to be a swarming bazaar of words and ideas that will allow us to grow as a collective. So keep sending us your thoughts and if you haven't done it yet, don't walk, run to your email, and write us.

On that note, the newsletter now has its own email address. So, send all of your ideas, thoughts, submissions, praise and complaints to newsletter@id.iit.edu. We look forward to them all.

Your editors,

Alex Cheek
Enric Gili Fort


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An orientation session for recruitID will be held next Monday, February 13, from 12:15 to 1:30 pm, in Nathan. If this will be your first recruitID, you are strongly urged to come--and every student is welcome to join us. You will find out what to expect at recruitID: how it all works, how to prepare, and some sensible ways to focus your mental energy over the next three weeks. You'll also find out what is expected of you as we all represent ID to the top design professionals who are dedicating two days to meeting with us.

In other news:

* Plans are forming for informal workshops to help you brush up on interviewing skills. If you have never interviewed for a job before, consider asking a fellow student to do a mock interview. A number of current students come from professional backgrounds where they interviewed designers, and they can probably give you some helpful feedback.

* Company representatives are responding enthusiastically to our invitations. Check the recruitID website (http://www.id.iit.edu/recruitID/) in coming days to see who has confirmed they will be coming.

* The Spring 2006 Resum Book has been distributed to the entire invitation list, and is also available for download from the recruitID website ( http://www.id.iit.edu/recruitID/ ). Now is the time to make sure your personal profile on the ID website (or your own website) is up-to-date.

Please let any of us know if you have questions about recruitID. We're looking forward to a fantastic couple of days, February 27 & 28.

Your recruitID co-chairs,

Jereme Dumm | David McGaw | Kristy Scovel

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WHAT: Lecturette on Effective Teambuilding
WHEN: Thursday, Feb 16
WHERE: 6th Floor Nathan Room
WHY: Because it's good for you and everyone else

Ever worked on a team? Ever been forced to work with ineffectual leader? Ever had a stubborn team member and not known how to deal with him? Teamwork is a complex issue in general and a huge concern here at ID, where most of our work is done in teams.

To help address this issue, next Thursday, Feb 16, Larry Keeley will be presenting a lunchtime lecturette on Effective Teambuilding. Whether you think you're a teamworking superstar or think your team skills might need some work, this will be a great presentation to attend.

And just to sweeten the deal, InsideID will provide Potbelly's sandwiches accompanied by pretzels and chex-mix donated by Rachel.

I hope everyone will show up!

See you then,

Eric Niu




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-"Press Your Luck Potluck" Party

This spring's combination Valentine's Day/Singles Awareness Day/International Dinner will take place on Feb. 17, 2005, at 7pm. It's a "Press Your Luck Potluck!" Bring your favorite food [of love] and a guest, if you'd like. Drinks will be provided.


-End of the Year Show / Party Preparation


The end of the semester is closer than you think!

We need to start planning a PHAT end-of-year party and show to celebrate all of the FRESH work we've been doing. For those of you new to the tradition, the end-of-year show is a time for ID's WICKED students to share their DECK projects with the greater ID community (friends, family, local companies, etc.). After the show, you'll be treated to a CRUNK party to ring in the summer. It's all going down on Friday, May 12, 2006.

WE NEED YOU!!

Lots of things need to get done in order for this to be a SICK event. We need manpower/head honchos in the following areas:
- Communications (postcards, invitations, publicity, posters, contacts)
- Representatives from each year, in charge of collecting projects
- Curator(s), a visionary for project presentation
- Catering (head honcho: Joyce)
- Venue search (head honchos: Hyuniee and Mycal)

TAKE CHARGE/SHARE YOUR OPINIONS at a kick-off meeting next TUESDAY, FEB. 14, 2006, 12:15pm in the 3rd floor Workshop.
Treats will be served, in honor of that very JIGGY holiday.

Word.


Joyce, Chelsea, and Mycal
socialID committee



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Thanks to all of the students who participated, last Friday's Internship Discussion went really well. They talked about a range of topics like company culture, applying ID methods, teamwork, challenges for international students, maintaining contacts, networking, and Laate's cheerleading abilities. Some firms like Adaptive Path, Mayo Clinic and Gravity Tank where ID's methods are already accepted and interns are treated like team members. Other places like McDonald's and Yahoo! were introduced to the benefits that ID's students have to offer.

I took a lot away from this discussion. Some of it's obvious, but sometimes it helps to hear it from other people. Cater your resume to a design audience. Find something that interests you. Know your past. Connect the dots to where you are now. Think about where you want to go. Build a network; keep your contacts. The world is not like ID. Even if you don't get paid, internships provide valuable experience and help you prepare for life after school. Many people are resistant to teamwork. But ID's methods work, and with some spirited evangelism, you can show companies the benefits of the ID religion.

Along those lines, I would like to remind people to send me their information on where they have worked. I'm hoping to help students connect with other people who have worked at companies they are interested in. If you are up for sharing pros and cons and other random facts, email me at ericniu[at]id.iit.edu.

Eric Niu, chair insideID


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Last fall, in the wake of hurricane Katrina and the tsunami in South East Asia, it was evident that students at ID were feeling angst of one sort or another be it helplessness, a desire to help, frustration, or inspiration. Knowing this, but also having seen multiple student projects that aimed at the needs of un- or under-served populations, I thought there was reason to start some sort of conversation, completely unsure of where it could lead. What initially started as a collection of students airing their thoughts for an hour over lunch started to become a group that wanted to take some sort of action. One of the defining moments was the decision to do something that revolved around our abilities as designers, rather than, for example, fundraising or volunteer physical labor. It was a chance to put our education to the test. While certainly not the most common route for designers, there were examples of design-based efforts to draw on, such as AIGA's Design for Democracy or Archeworks, a local design school with a focus on social needs. Another defining realization was that we had constraints we needed to acknowledge these included the fact that direct work with regard to Katrina was going to be geographically challenging, efforts to change ID's curriculum were going to be slow to develop, and that as already over-committed full-time students we were going to have to pace ourselves. I'd certainly say that the group remained undaunted.

Late in the Fall the plan came together that we could operate as a non-profit pro-bono volunteer design consultancy for locally-based community non-profit organizations in other words take on projects in our spare time for local organizations that needed help. The group quickly adopted a name, Design for Social Need (DSN)- more so out of a need to have a marketable identity than well planned branding effort. Through connections with ID students we were introduced to three non-profit organizations interested in receiving some sort of help. Recruitment of volunteers started over the holiday break, soliciting involvement from ID students and alumni. This step was the biggest intangible we all realized, but we were pleasantly surprised to have around a dozen volunteers come forward. This meant that we could pursue all three projects. At this point the individual volunteer teams have been briefed and are starting to get in touch with their assigned organization.

The three organizations we are currently working with are (1) Seguin Services, which provides services for people with disabilities that promote community integration and independence, (2) Angelfrog, a web-based charitable donation channel connecting donors to specific projects needing donations, and (3) the Garfield Park Employment One-Stop, a community employment resource providing employment, counseling, and re-training services.

Truthfully, the effort is a prototype that will certainly be refined. We aren't sure what type of meaningful outcomes to expect from our teams who are already saddled with full-time academic or professional responsibilities. There may be certain types of projects or interactions that lend themselves to this model or ideal arrangements of skill sets and background. But I'm really proud to say we've got a great group of committed individuals moving forward with this effort.

I should mention that DSN is actually not an official part of ID, but certainly owes much to it. Rather its affiliation is simply defined through those who participate in it, rather than as part of the institution. I'm happy to say that to-date over 30 students and alumni have had some hand in making DSN what it is and driving where it could go.

For more information or ways to participate please write to: designforsocialneed@gmail.com

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Q: Could you tell us about your recent internship at Samsung, South Korea this winter?
I worked at the Interaction Lab at Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology, Samsung for 4 weeks this winter. It's located about 1 hour south of Seoul. I worked mainly with the other designers in the lab and one other intern from ID, Yong Gyun Ghim. We developed a concept using the new technology that the lab focuses on for a cell phone.

Q: Now that you are back in school how do you evaluate the experience, overall?

It was definately worthwhile. 4 weeks is too short a time to really get into anything meaty, but it was nice to see how Samsung is run and the design philosophy of the Interaction Lab.

Q: What is the most valuable thing you got from it? And what could have gone better?

We would have liked to prototype our concept, but we ran out of time near the end. It was refreshing to work with new technology and to think about it in a practical situation.

Q: How different do you think korean design methods are from the ones that we learn here at ID?

Most of the designers were graduates from KAIST, a school in Korea, where they had run-ins with ID's methods since a professor there graduated from ID. While they were somewhat familiar with ID, they did not welcome the user research. The Koreans designers in my lab usually brainstormed many ideas, selected the best out of those, made rough prototypes, tested them, and developed the concepts further.

Q: How did you get this internship? Were you looking for other companies either in the US or in Korea? Did you have any preference?

I had already planned on going to Korea for Winter break, when a bunch of Samsung recruiters came to Chicago to visit with ID students. I then contacted the Interaction Lab since I am interested in interaction and technology and I got the job. I would like to work in the States next, because I already have a taste of working in Korea.

Q: What are the advantages and disadvantages of making a 1 month internship in the winter break? Would you recommend it to other IDers?

A 1 month internship really isn't enough time to make anything substantial, but I would recommend it to get to know the philosophy of the company.

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This January publisher O'Reilly, famous for its beautifully branded collection of computer-related reference books, launched a new series of books tagged 'Rough Cuts'. This launch would not be news if it were not for the fact that the books they are trying to sell are unfinished! From their perspective, the whole thing is very simple: when a customer needs knowledge that is critical time wise, why force customers to wait until the content is compiled completely and can be published as a book to have access to it?

Their offer is based on giving access to on-line versions of books that are being written at the moment and won't be published anywhere from two to six months. Thus potential readers not only can read the content as soon as new chapters are pre-published but also can participate in the co-creation of the book by sending suggestions, reporting bugs or comments to either the authors or the editors.

This initiative presently is in its beta version and has only 4 titles available on its on-line catalog but whether it ends up working or not, it certainly has opened a new innovative path for content generation and publication.

O'Reilly Rough Cuts Catalog
http://www.oreilly.com/roughcuts/faq.csp

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new IDer: Sukjun Lim "Jun"
M.Des. Design planning candidate, spring 2008.

-How did you end up at ID? what were your motivations for coming? where were you working/studying?

I was in the department of architecture for one year, then I heard about ID. I liked ID's design method. It is focused on the user, not the designer.

-What are your first impressions of ID (people, faculty, the space, the city..)?

WOW school in downtown (you know that main campus is in the south side) and all of my classmates are cool have very different backgrounds. It is helpful for me to see the different types of thought. And I like that I have my own desk. The city? I love Chicago. This is my first city outside of my country. I like the loop. hotdogs, pizza, and especially the White-sox. The world champs!

-Is there anything amazing from your culture or where you come from that you think people should not miss? (music, culture,design, food, cities, beliefs...)

First one, you have to try food like kimchi,bulgoki,galbi. Second is Seoul. Seoul is a really amazing city. There are many high-rise buildings, very high density, lots of fun things, and you should go to some of the famous streets (my recommend is kangnam station, apgujeong, hongdae, jong roh) Wow, there are lots of things in my country, and best part is,you don't have to pay tips in the restaurants!

-Which are the designers or thinkers have impressed you the most lately or you are following now?

I like MVRDV and REM KOOLHAS (architecture) and I like droog design group, but actually there is no major designer on my mind.

-What are the websites you could not live without?

Fantasysports.yahoo.com (if you want to be a general manager of real star player? just join)

www.cyworld.com/skbal2 (this is my small homepage, you can see my picture and
some feedback. All of the feedback is in Korean, but you can post on it in english if you want.)

www.mlbbada.com (It's a major-league baseball community in korea)

www.nbamania.com (It's a nba community in korea. both of these sites are all korean. sorry)

-What kind of activities do you do in your free time in case you have any while at ID?

I like go to clubs and dance. For the last 6 months, I have been learning salsa. I like to dance very much.

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Saturday, 28th January 2006

The surf was up at 1511 N. Wood as Demo 2 product designer, Laate "Face" Olukotun, celebrated his big 3-0. Surf documentary, Step Into Liquid, played in the background while the blender mixed up pia coladas.

The Hawaiian luau theme produced some great costumes, most notably Lenka Cechova's handmade grapefruit bikini top. The party was a hit and Laate is now prepared for aging thanks to the Depends and Metamucil given to him by Christine Kim & her husband, Jay.

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Restaurants review: "Geja's Cafe" the most romantic spot in Chicago?
by Zachary Jean Paradis

Located in Chicago's historic Lincoln Park neighborhood, Geja's Cafe seems to have been built for couples in love. Walking down several steps on Armitage Avenue into the restaurant, patrons enter a series of corridors and small dining rooms filled with dark wood, candlelight, couples in conversation and some variation of live guitar. Many have noted Monday and Wednesday's music as the best since flamenco guitarist Ted Richine has been serenading the restaurant's patrons for more than 20 years.

Geja's is a fondue restaurant so interaction with your food and your date is required. A few selections of the menu include a creamy Gruyere fondue with bread and fruit; light salads with mustard vinaigrette; heaping platters beef, chicken or seafood ready to dip in any of eight fabulously flavorful sauces. The basic cheese fondue with salad runs at a reasonable $13.95 per person for a good portion of food made with very high quality ingredients. Add a chocolate dessert fondue served with fruit, pound cake and marshmallows with coffee to the mix and the total comes to $18.95 per person. If you want to really splurge, think about trying the Prince Geja's Combination noted on their website as, "A delicious sampling of our finest... Aged beef tenderloin, delicate lobster tail, jumbo shrimp, plump Atlantic sea scallops and tender boneless chicken breast." Variety like this does come at a price though as the Prince is currently listed as $40.95 per person.

Happy loving...

Geja's Cafe
340 W. Armitage Ave | (773) 281-9101
(take the LaSalle bus North from the ID to Armitage and walk one block West)

http://www.gejascafe.com/

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Notable and Observed

-Dave Gray is the founder and CEO of the company XPLANE, a visual thinking company. His blog, Communication Nation, focuses on showing the world how to think visually. It often features easy exercises that anyone can do, and everyone can benefit from. If you're part of the flickr community, you can even submit pictures of your exercises to his visual thinking school group. I found him and his blog one day browsing flickr. His ideas were very familiar from an ID perspective, he uses visual means to communicate with the rest of the world.

Dave's blog: http://communicationnation.blogspot.com/
XPLANE: http://www.xplane.com/cases/
Dave on flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/davegray/


-Britain's most sarcastic high-tech weekly newsletter.
http://www.ntk.net/

-One of the best websites to follow the newest trends
http://www.trendwatching.com

-Great newsletter about customer experience
http://www.goodexperience.com/


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