Last night I attended the annual meeting for the members of the Chicago Chapter of the American Institute for Graphic Arts. I have been going every year since 2003 except for one. The event is always fun and reinvigorating, challenging me to new heights and offering me insight into the design community here in Chicago. More after the jump.

This year the keynote speaker was Zöe Ryan, Neville Bryan Curator of Design at the Art Institute of Chicago. Her challenges are the same as all designers, a world where digital reigns. It seems that sometime between 2007 and today the shift between digital and print became measurable and significant. To quote a colleague, we will come out of this period fundamentally changed. It was all over the meeting this year.

For the first time, the Chicago chapter recognized a corporate design leader. Crate & Barrel‘s sleek and timeless aesthetic has been part of Chicago for more than 45 years when they opened their first store in Old Town. Since then they’ve gone global and expanded far beyond their original dream. Their secret? Good design and good change takes time, preferring evolution over revolution. Seems to work for them.

The Fellow Award went posthumously to Morton Goldshall, a very little-known designer who did amazing work, including the logo for Motorola.

And it shows in their annual report booklet. It’s gorgeous and was printed in a suede-finish similar to Touché. Gorgeous.

I challenge anyone reading this to attend at least one event hosted by the AIGA. It’s a plug, for sure. But, for me, these events remind me and recharge me for another year. I will be finding new ways to make my work as a designer insightful and not commoditized.

If you went, share your thoughts here or hit us up on Twitter (@slackbarshinger). If you didn’t, check out the AIGA’s website or keep a look out here for any event I will attend.