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Marcia Lausen, Principal, Studio/lab & Director, School of Art and Design, UIC
In November 2000, when the now-infamous butterfly ballot caused confusion in the
state of Florida during a hotly contested presidential election, the importance
of well-designed ballots to a functioning democracy caught the nation's attention. Recognizing that our entire voting process—from registering to vote to following instructions at the polling place—was in need of design reform, a multidisciplinary team of design professionals, educators, and enthusiastic students set about investigating
the transformative effects that good design can bring to civic experience. Lausen
tells the story of a grass roots effort, which became a strategic initiative of AIGA, which developed into federally endorsed guidelines, which resulted in a solid foundation
for improved design—just in time for the 2008 presidential election.
Biography: Marcia Lausen
Marcia Lausen is a principal of Studio/lab and director of the School of Art and Design at the University of Illinois at Chicago. At UIC, in addition to providing visionary and administrative leadership, Marcia teaches graduate and undergraduate students preparing for professional careers in design education, research, and practice. Marcia has served on the local and national boards of AIGA and is active in the election design initiative of AIGA Design for Democracy. Her book “Design for Democracy: Ballot + Election Design” was published in 2007 by the University of Chicago Press. Marcia received her MFA in graphic design from Yale University. She was named a 2004 Fast Company Master of Design for her work in election design.
Organization Profile: Studio/lab
Studio/lab works with design-driven organizations to realize business strategies through communication systems. Integrating three areas of practice—identity, information, and environment—the outcomes of Studio/lab projects are designed to
tell compelling stories, clarify information, build brand identity, and drive innovation. Clients include: ACCO, Mattel, Motorola, SRI International, Steelcase, Target, and Whirlpool Global Consumer Design.
Organization Profile: UIC School of Art and Design
The University of Illinois at Chicago is a leading research institution in one of the world’s great cities. The UIC School of Art and Design offers 13 degree programs in seven disciplines: Graphic Design, Industrial Design, Electronic Visualization, Studio Arts, Photography, and Art Education. All programs place emphasis on contemporary and emerging forms of interdisciplinary practice.
Be sure to see Marcia Lausen's page on the REMIX conference site where you will find content, discussion, news, networking, and groups tackling important issues with the power of collaborative design.
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