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Boston in the Fall
By Ella Rue
UCDA Designer Magazine (Vol. 28, No. 4)

This was our first UCDA conference. My colleague, Allison, and I had a magnificent time. We learned a lot, we met some really wonderful people, and had some terrific experiences together. Here, I offer you a travel diary from the excitement of leaving to the end of the conference.


FRIDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2003

Early morning. About 6 a.m.
I drove from Califon to Jersey City to pick up Allison. Once I got to Jersey City and met up with Ally, I had the opportunity to meet her sister, Michelle. She smiled and said "Oh so you're the crazy one!" OK the swords have been drawn. This will be a fun trip. Allison was worried this would be an all work, no play trip. Not with me Evidently I'm the crazy one! We finally hit the turnpike and headed toward Connecticut, and ultimately to Cambridge. Connecticut was the first stop. We were staying with my uncle, a retired college president. He had ample to say, and as expected, he and his wife were the paradigm of hosting. They love to give, and show off their lovely area, and make their guests feel at home and at ease.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2003

Not so early morning. About 9 a.m.
French toast made by a doting uncle, eager to please.
Shopping in New London. The Heavenly Grocery Store. A store that stocks the overstock, fire sale and dented merchandise. Twelve escargot for a dollar. A large box of tea for fifty cents. Who can beat these prices in today's economy? A nice leisurely walk through a local gallery. In the back, there was a gorgeous garden that was no bigger than an inner-city back yard. Filled with sculpture, color, shadow, and the warm sunlight subtly suggesting we begin to remove our autumnal layers of clothes. What a perfect way to start nearly a week in New England!

Late afternoon. Maybe 3 p.m. or so.
Driving north. Heading up Route 95 into Massachusetts. Please come to Boston in the springtime Clearly, Kenny Loggins must not have ever had the opportunity to drive north on a gorgeous fall day during peak leaf season, otherwise his song would reflect that accordingly. The further north we drove, the brighter and more magnificent the leaves, the view, and the hillsides became. It was a kaleidoscope of glorious color.

We approached The Massachusetts Turnpike and evidence of the Boston Red Sox/New York Yankee rivalry became more and more apparent. Approaching the Cambridge tollbooth we slowed to pay the requisite fee and asked the toll-taker what the hand-written sign underneath his window meant: "Cowboy Up Red Sox!" The exhausted toll-taker answered us abruptly, "I dunno, it was here when I got here." At this point our curiosity had been piqued. We drove a little further and exited the highway making our way towards the Cambridge Sonesta Hotel.

We talked and laughed anticipating meeting those whom we had only read their words from the UCDA list-serve; Winston Vanderhoof, Tadson Bussey, Kirsten Ruby, Cheryl DeSellier, Richard Jividan, and many more. We talked about how we imagined each to be. With only the UCDA list serve posts to serve as our guides, we looked at strangers and attached familiar names to them. How would a Winston Vanderhoof look? The name sounds as if it is steeped in tradition. Seems as if there should be a Roman numeral planted after his name: at least Winston Vanderhoof the third. It was just Allison and I at this point. Neither of us had met anyone else yet. We settled into our room, unpacked and relaxed for a while. Later that evening, we had gone down for a drink at the hotel bar, the bartender threatened to cut Allison off when she made it clear she was a Yankee fan. It was then we realized these Red Sox fans meant business. They had every intention of "Cowboy-ing up"!

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2003

Very early. 7 a.m.
Bus ride from Cambridge to East Greenwich Rhode Island to visit Meridian Printing. The pre-conference tour of a local print shop had begun. Two busloads of designers driving in the rain to Meridian is an interesting way to mix it up and meet people. Ally and I sat up front (as I have a penchant towards motion sickness) First we went for a tour of the print house. Meridian was extraordinarily gracious; touring us, guiding us, answering any questions we had. Manodnack was on hand to explain the merits of quality paper, and the importance of using a light box. Lunch was served, replete with Coffee Milk, Rhode Island's 'secret state beverage'. After lunch we all re-boarded the buses and headed over the Newport Mansions. The rain was pelting the exterior of the bus, but inside we were warm and dry with snacks, and drinks from Meridian, all that was missing was maybe a sing-a-long. The Breakers Mansion, built in 1895, was absolutely extraordinary. The "summer cottage" built for Cornelius Vanderbilt is an awe-inspiring 70-room palace that can entertain 3,000 guests. In the wild and extravagant heyday of the Gilded Age, Newport, Rhode Island was the summer retreat for America's social elite. In this quaint coastal town, high society built their most magnificent estates and 'summer palaces' filled with rare marble and glass, woodwork, art, and even solid gold taps running both salt and fresh water. UCDA was offered a glimpse of the magnificent because of the generosity of Meridian Printing.
We were divided into smaller touring groups. Our tour guide made it clear she was there for a reason, to educate and elucidate, and to do it in the most time efficient manner possible. When she deemed it time to move on, we were to move on accordingly. She went over her rules stating them clearly and concisely: do not wander from the group, do not linger when the group has moved on, and do not touch anything. She hadn't realized the creative spirit that flowed through UCDA designers. It wasn't long when the tour guide's scolding voice rose above the din of conversation startling everyone: "WHO OPENED THAT DOOR!?" One more rule she had neglected to mention "Don't open any doors!" One of our members sheepishly admitted to opening a door. It seems curiosity had gotten the better of her and her surrounding colleagues. It's a good thing UCDA fosters good will, and good sports.

6 p.m. (First General Session)
Leesa LeClaire of LeClaire Training and Consulting led the first General Session "FISH! Philosophy." This set the tone for the conference. She was welcoming, encouraging, and filled with a contagious passion and excitement. Her years of managerial experience coupled with the subject matter of explaining the success behind the Seattle Pike Place Fish Market made for an interactive presentation that got a room full of artists, copy writers and designers juices and ideas flowing. The Pike Place Fish Market's philosophy was created a couple of years ago when they committed themselves to becoming "world famous". They've accomplished this goal, not by spending any money on advertising (they never spent a dime), but by being truly great with people. They interact with people with a strong desire to make a difference for them. They want to give each person the experience of having been served and appreciated, whether they buy fish or not. They profess to truly love what they do, and the people they serve. As so much else in life, it's all in the attitude. Leesa LeClair shared that attitude with UCDA, and it was clearly a great beginning for a great conference.

7:45-10 p.m.
It was now time to meet some new people, and hopefully make some new friends. We strolled through the Boston Science Center talking and laughing. Here we met LaDonna Cherry, the conference chair. Her warmth and welcoming spirit was apparent, and immediately made us feel at home. We talked and walked and laughed and ate. We mingled and networked, meeting UCDA members from all corners of the country.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2003

Very early (way too early, if you ask Ally). 7 a.m.
Somehow I was successful in getting Allison to rise with the sun and walk with me in the "Walk and Talk networking". Allison is not a morning person, and I was greatly impressed with her restraint regarding my morning cheerfulness. It was clear by her mumbled, garbled speech and her facial expression, which was nearly comatose, that her first choice would be to pull the covers up tight to her chin, and remain in bed with the curtains tightly drawn. But rise she did, and we headed down to the hotel lobby. LaDonna, who traveled here from her hometown in Georgia, was dressed for a typical New England autumn crisp morning, replete with scarf and gloves, was again there ready to welcome us. There were a few brave souls willing to leave behind their warm beds, and go out and brave the cool Cambridge air. I brought my camera, and because of my desire to snap the shutter, we seemed to lag behind quite a bit. Richard Jividen, past UCDA President was kind enough to ensure we didn't get lost, or lag too far behind and chose to walk with us. He immediately made us feel at ease and welcomed within the group.

9-10:30 a.m. (Second General Session)
Tim Moore and Jan Moskowitz shared with the group how they successfully collaborated with their client to produce provocative, creative and award-winning materials despite the budgetary constraints of a small college.

10:45 a.m.-12 noon (Concurrent Breakouts)
Here I will only mention those break-outs that Ally and I attended

Maintaining Your Creative Self
Dave Dryden, director of Publications and Promotion at Clemson University, led this breakout. He facilitated a standing room only group on "How to stay creative when the environment you work in does nothing to support your creative-self? Designing in an academic setting can be a frustrating endeavor. Small budgets, know-it-all clients, unreasonable job loads and administrators who often don't understand what a designer is supposed to do are just some of the daily challenges encountered. Being creative when the deck is stacked against you is a problem many designers working in academic settings face. Ideas were presented on how to navigate the rocky road to creative nirvana without losing your sanity." The group was very receptive and offered a good deal of insight and examples of their daily life, that at times can be laborious, while other times can be innovative and exciting the part that keeps us coming back for more.

2:15-3:30 p.m. Maintaining Self and Meeting Clients Needs --or as the hip-hop group Public Enemy once said, 'who stole the soul.' How do you remain fresh, better question, how do you maintain self-trust in design and illustration? Charly Palmer showed his professional and fine artwork to a group hungry for beauty and design. His portfolio includes clients like Coke-a-Cola, his philosophy and ethics are apparent, and his fine art was inspiring. He told us how he created an alter ego of Carlos. Carlos is the artist who creates the magnificent paintings, and intimate illustrations. Charly is the skilled designer whose professional demeanor magnetizes clients. Charly's company, T.P. Design has been featured in such trade magazines as How, Print, Step-By-Step and CA, as well as various books on contemporary design and illustration techniques.

3:45-5:15 p.m. (Third General Session)
Chris Pullman from WGBH Boston presented "A Little From A Lot." This presentation, sponsored by Stora Enso papers, was truly magnificent, hands down, the best presentation, in my humble opinion. Chris Pullman's genius as a designer is his flexibility and crystal-ball insight into the evolution of design trends. In the 1970s he defined the WGBH identity around an intelligent dry wit. He embraced popular culture and then tamed it with highly structured layouts and meticulous typography, while the ultimate effect appeared to be unprompted, unscripted and spontaneous. Defining and then redefining both humor and wit, Mr. Pullman brought the UCDA designers into his world and gave a glimpse of what designing for non-profit TV is like. He was so well received that the first question during the Q&A time was someone offering her services in the hopes of leaving academia for work with this master of design, in an entertaining atmosphere, while also contributing to something undoubtedly significant and clearly consequential. This general session, in my opinion, was by far the most captivating, enjoyable and innovative of all. Mr. Pullman had a way of drawing us in, as if we had entered his living room. His talent as a host seemed only second to his aptitude for design and creative skills.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2003

11:15 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Designing Websites that Look Good to You and the User Cheri Cross from Slate Roof Studios led this session. Often we as designers feel that we must sacrifice good design for good usability. This session featured guidelines for how to achieve both goals in website design, particularly on the home page. Ms. Cross reviewed numerous samples from education websites from around the country.

12:30-3:30 p.m. Lunch on your own or Duck Water Tour and Lunch
Instead of the Duck Tours we chose to spend our free time with an hour and a half massage within the hotel spa. Throughout the years, one thing I have learned by attending conventions and conferences is, whenever possible, during any available downtime, I am always sure to incorporate a professional massage. It is always well worth the money!

5:15-6:45 p.m. (Fourth General Session)
"PDF: Reaching the Next Level"-What is Cross Platform, Navigational, Ultra-Printable, Ultra-Viewable and Smaller than other conventional document formats? Why it's PDF, of course, and those are just some of the important reasons PDF is rapidly becoming the preferred format for today's digital workflows PDF is here to stay. Shawn Meyer David Dietz and Tim Plumer, Jr. spoke of tricks of PDF and showed where the technology is going. David Dietz and Shawn Meyer showed us how to set preferences for print and web; produce, edit, and re-purpose PDF files; software and plug-ins for editing; and security and collaboration issues.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2003

8:30-9:45 a.m. (Fifth General Session)
Patti Crane, president and CEO of Crane MetaMarketing presented "Turing Straw into Gold: From Institutional Research to Ingenious Design." Ms. Crane showed us how to get beyond graphically representing our institutions with nothing to back up the concepts but our own inspiration. She shared, via a multi-media presentation dozens of examples of research-inspired creative higher education websites. She showed how to tap insights from your institutions market research to achieve profound, purposeful, and defensible designs.

1-2:15 p.m. Crossing the Digital Photography Divide: Transitioning Film to Digital Bob Handleman, of Bob Handleman Images, spoke to a jam-packed room of designers about taking publications and print across the digital divide. He illustrated the new digital workflow, and showed us why it is imperative to take the leap into new media as soon as we have all of the elements to do so. Topics included: digital capture, onsite data backup, editing, archiving, time and cost trade-offs, pros and cons.

2:15-2:45 p.m. Pie Break sponsored by Stora Enso Papers Boston Crème, Pumpkin, Apple Cinnamon, Pecan. You name it, we had it! Stora Enso offered a taste of everything to rejuvenate us

2:45-4 p.m. (Sixth General Session)
Domenique Sillett of JWT Specialized Communications presented the final general session of the conference "Creative Web Design." Web designers use a wide variety of tools to draw the design of a web page together. In this seminar Ms Sillett covered processes that assist us in becoming more creative when approaching "web work:" topics included were mood boards, information design, color and typography, web do's and don'ts, knowing your audience, and dealing with clients, from a designer's perspective.

Awarding of Silent Auction Items
Allison and I both walked away with some wonderful items from the UCDA Silent Auction. I spent about 75.00 and I went home with two paintings, one matted, and one framed, as well as a book. How's that for stretching the dollar? Ally got a little caught up into the spirit of things. Things nearly came to blows, as she wrestled away a wonderfully unique bag created of juice boxes. All of the items were donated and all money raised (which came to in excess of $800.00) was donated to Dorchester Community Center for the Visual Arts, which provides art programs to children, teens, and adults, to unite the community, and to make meaningful connections with major cultural institutions. The simple act of giving always has a lasting effect, for both the giver and the recipient.

This UCDA Annual Conference was a magnificent experience. It offered knowledge, networking, and new experiences. Ally and I are both looking forward to the breathtaking Rocky Mountains, and the thin air in Vail next year!