Contribute to the Equity Issue of Inform

Posted on by cguske

Inform Magazine launched on Earth Day with the Energy Issue and the Wellness Issue premieres soon.

We’re now seeking contributors for our Equity Issue.

Are you an expert in accessibility, universal design, or affordable housing? Do you have insights to share on equity, diversity, and inclusion in the profession or the built environment? What is the architect’s role in advancing social justice? Add to the discourse on these topics by becoming a contributor.

Articles should be between 300-1,000 words (depending on the topic) and may link to outside sources — including your firm or university website. Content may be edited for style and accuracy.

Content Guidelines

Our goal is to help highlight our members’ contributions to the built environment to each other and to the public, so it is ideal to highlight methods, research, and materials that elevate the overall understanding of a particular typology or approach.

We ask our contributors to avoid marketing or sales-oriented language (as well as “archi-speak”) in submitted pieces, however you are welcomed —even encouraged — to credit consultants or products that contributed to the overall success of the project.

We’d ask you to share images of your work or research. We prefer images to be at least 650 pixels wide and ask that you include any necessary image credits.

Let us know if you want to contribute by May 29.  The content deadline is June 15. Questions? Contact Rhea George.   

Inform Magazine celebrates Virginia’s rich culture of design and the diverse individuals who shape it.

Inform Seeks Contributors for Wellness Issue

Posted on by cguske

Inform launches this month with the Energy Issue and we’re excited to profile the incredible work being generated in Virginia.

We’re now seeking contributors for our Wellness Issue.

Articles should be between 300-1,000 words (depending on the topic) and may link to outside sources — including your firm or university website. Content may be edited for style and accuracy.

Content Guidelines

Our goal is to help highlight our members’ contributions to the built environment to each other and to the public, so it is ideal to highlight methods, research, and materials that elevate the overall understanding of a particular typology or approach.

We ask our contributors to avoid marketing or sales-oriented language (as well as “archi-speak”) in submitted pieces, however you are welcomed —even encouraged — to credit consultants or products that contributed to the overall success of the project.

We’d ask you to share images of your work or research. We prefer images to be at least 650 pixels wide and ask that you include any necessary image credits.

Let us know if you want to contribute by April 30.  The content deadline is May 13. Questions? Contact Rhea George.   

Inform celebrates Virginia’s rich culture of design and the diverse individuals who shape it.

Inform is Coming

Posted on by cguske

Over the past several years, we’ve been re-imagining Inform Magazine as a digital publication that celebrates Virginia’s rich culture of design and the diverse individuals who shape it. Inform will live at the intersection of designers and clients, serving as a nexus for idea-exchange and relationship cultivation. We’ll profile projects and designers — as well as the research and products that help them realize their vision.

Want to Contribute?

Do you regularly blog or post to LinkedIn about architecture and design? Are you an authority in your sector or a typology expert? Do you have design research to share? 

As we prepare to launch, we’re seeking content contributors. To express interest, contact Rhea George. Feel free to include any relevant writing examples.

Want to Pitch a Story?

All of our content will be Virginia-based. We’ll feature award-winning design, news from academia, industry best practices, product and designer profiles, key takeaways from signature events, and member-generated content — all with a connection to the Commonwealth. We’ll also highlight pathways into the profession and champion the industry in Virginia. If you’ve got a compelling story idea, send it to Rhea George.

Want to advertise?

If you’re interested in reaching an audience of Virginia-based designers and design-minded members of the public, contact Judy Cheadle to learn more about advertising opportunities and launch rates.

The History of Inform

Inform was launched in January 1990 as a vehicle to promote good design, covering everything “the human hand shapes [in] the visual world.”  It existed as a physical publication — issued up to 6 times a year — until early 2015 when the board made the critical decision to consider a more sustainable mode of operation. Over the next several years, the board and outreach council worked to evaluate Inform’s purpose, scope, and coverage area and envision its future. Below are a few key milestones:

A task force conducted marketplace research and evaluated member communication preferences. This research, coupled with a thorough budgetary analysis, led to the recommendation that we transition to a digital publication.

In partnership with the non-profit US Modernist, a digital archive of the physical publication was created.

An online firm directory was launched to serve as an important public resource. Firms are searchable by name, ZIP code, and areas of practice.  

In August, a refreshed identity was finalized with our partners at 903 Creative and BCS Website Services began development on a new website shortly afterward.

Work is currently underway to populate content, and the publication is expected to launch in the coming months.

Digital Archives of Virginia Record and Inform Magazine Now Available

Posted on by cguske

AIA Virginia is pleased to announce a partnership with USModernist to offer a digital archive of both Virginia Record and Inform Magazine. Issues dating back to January 1958 are now available online. Access to full editions of the publications are downloadable, searchable, and available at no charge to users.

The USModernist architecture magazine library houses more than 2.6 million pages of nearly every major U.S. architecture magazine since 1891. The library includes Architectural Record, Progressive Architecture, Residential Architect, Architectural Forum, House+Home, AIA New York Oculus, Architectural Index, among many others.

Once complete, the USModernist library will be the largest open digital collection of major US 20th-century architecture magazines with approximately 1.4 million searchable, downloadable pages. USModernist® is part of Modernist Archive, Inc., a North Carolina 501C3 nonprofit educational archive. 

Inform Awards Deadline March 22

Posted on by cguske

The deadline to submit a project for the Inform Awards has been extended to  March 22, 2013. The program recognizes and encourages outstanding landscape architecture, interior design, and object design. The awards are open to anyone in Inform magazine’s primary circulation area—architects, interior designers, landscape architects, furniture designers, industrial designers, students, and faculty. Your business address must be located in Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, the District of Columbia, or North Carolina. All work submitted must have been completed after January 1, 2008.

Award winners in both the Honor and Merit categories will be featured in a special section of Inform magazine and announced to the public.

Find out more or enter>>

Registration for 22nd Annual Inform Awards

Posted on by cguske

Registration is open for the 2013 Inform Awards, which recognize design excellence beyond the more strictly defined realm of whole-building design. Specifically they highlight LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE, INTERIOR DESIGN, and OBJECT DESIGN.

The Inform Awards are open to anyone in the Inform magazine primary circulation area (Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, Maryland, and the District of Columbia). The program recognizes the work of  architects, interior designers, landscape architects, furniture designers, industrial designers, students, faculty, and clients.

Now is the time to position your award-winning talents (and those of colleagues whose work stands apart). Publication in Inform and in news releases to Mid-Atlantic publications will get that work before the eyes of your clients, potential clients, colleagues, and the public.

Entrants must have a business address in Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, the District of Columbia, or North Carolina, and submitted work must have been completed after January 1, 2008. For members of the Virginia Society AIA, there is a special entry-fee discount.

Award winners in both the Honor and Merit categories will be featured in a special section of Inform magazine and announced to the public. The registration deadline is March 15, 2013, and you can enter online or via email, fax, or mail using the PDF registration form.

The Inform Awards fee structure for 2013 is $135 per project for members of the Virginia Society AIA, and $175 per project for entrants who are not members of the Virginia Society AIA. Note that the fees are due upon registration, non-refundable, and non-transferable.

As a clarification, the Object Design category covers furniture, appliances, fixtures, and building components and systems, as opposed to full-building design. For more details, click on one of the registration links above.

Registration Open for 21st Annual Inform Awards

Posted on by cguske

As the markets begin to thaw, now is the time to position your award-winning talents before the eyes of your clients, potential clients, colleagues, and public through the 2012 Inform Awards, which recognize outstanding work in landscape architecture, interior design, and object design. The program is open to anyone in the Inform magazine primary circulation area, including architects, interior designers, landscape architects, furniture designers, industrial designers, students, and faculty.

Entrants must have a business address in Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, the District of Columbia, or North Carolina, and submitted work must have been completed after January 1, 2007. And for members of the Virginia Society AIA, there is a special entry-fee discount.

Award winners in both the Honor and Merit categories will be featured in a special section of Inform magazine and announced to the public. The registration deadline is March 9, 2012, and you can enter online or via email, fax, or mail using the PDF registration form.

The Inform Awards fee structure for 2012 is $135 per project for members of the Virginia Society AIA, and $175 per project for entrants who are not members of the Virginia Society AIA. Note that the fees are due upon registration, non-refundable, and non-transferable.

As a clarification, the Object Design category covers furniture, appliances, fixtures, and building components and systems, as opposed to full-building design. For more details, click on one of the registration links above.