Solari Cifra3 clock, graphics by Massimo Vignelli with Gino Valle, circa 1964, 35mm slide, Unimark International records

Editors Note

Welcome to the sixth issue of Acid Free, a quarterly online publication of the Los Angeles Archivists Collective. 

As part of LAAC, and the team behind Acid Free, we are very proud of our web presence and design. So much of this is due to the expertise, vision, and hard work of our Press & Publications co-chair, Grace Danico. I thought a great way to kick off this issue would be to ask Grace a bit more about her work and the ways she sees design and archives working together.

Why should organizations like LAAC consider design in what they do, and why is it important?

The work we do has the ability to inform and influence people through interaction. It’s important for organizations like LAAC to design these interactions to be clear and uncomplicated, informative, and most of all enjoyable. Visual design is part of this, and that’s where creating a brand identity comes in. Establishing this identity informs others of who we are and what we’re about, and the way people interact with this identity creates an emotional connection between us.

Tell us more about your designs for LAAC.

My goal with LAAC was to bring a modern, fresh approach to the way archivists represent themselves that was lacking in the field. LAAC is a local organization that’s non-traditional, smart, and welcoming, which I kept in mind when designing its identity. This is seen through our logo — a series of file folders represents our work, and the open edges are an invitation to all people to be a part of the organization, whether they work in archives or not. I created a series of icons that represent archival materials we work with, which include film, audio, paper, photographs. There are also icons that represent where we’re from, such as the palm tree, sun, and LA book.

With Acid Free, I felt that creating a quarterly magazine would be more impactful than daily blogging as it would make a thematic body of work that people could look forward to during one calendar year. In designing the magazine, I wanted it to be fun, yet informative. One of my favorite parts of working on Acid Free is collaborating with the Press & Publications subcommittee on our editorial calendar and establishing the look and feel of each issue. I also enjoy reaching out to illustrators and contributors as it helps shape each issue, too. It’s one place where both of my careers can meld into one!

Designing products is an extension to all of this; it’s one way for people to feel connected to the organization through a tangible physical object. In designing our enamel pin, I noticed archivists didn’t have an enamel pin that identified their profession. I used the same series of folders from our logo, and used “ARCHIVIST” instead of our group’s name. The reason the letters are in a wonky position is because we’re always trying to organize!

How do you see design pertaining to archives more generally?

Design is the organization of information. Archivists are knowledge professionals that specialize in this type of organization, so they should consider their work as design!

How do you balance these aspects of your professional lives: archivist and illustrator/designer?

The time management can be tough! I work my job as an archivist for a private collection during the day, make a cross-town commute home, have dinner, and work on freelance on nights and weekends. I feel so passionately about both of my professions because they provide the ultimate reward: helping people. Working as an archivist provides me with structure that influences my practice as an illustrator and designer. Illustration and design are creative activities that help bring a different approach when working in archives. For me, they go hand in hand, so in that regard it doesn’t seem too hard to balance.

What kinds of places or things do you get visual inspiration from?

I get visual inspiration everywhere. I read the news and see how illustrations are used within publications. I walk around different neighborhoods and look at plants, architecture, signage, and color. I see what other illustrator and designers are working on through blogs and instagram. Travel is my favorite way of getting visual inspiration because I get to do most of the activities I do at home somewhere different (like grocery shopping).

Do you have any recommendations for archivists, or anyone, wanting to pick up some design skills? Or even just in curating a social media page for their archives or other work?

This depends on the type of design skills one wants to learn. I find that it’s always useful to learn programs like those in Adobe Creative Cloud, such as Photoshop and InDesign. These skills can be applied in so many ways, especially through social media! Having an eye-catching design can be a powerful way to communicate an idea or identity. As far as curation for social media, I love seeing what other archives have in their collections. One person that does a great job of this is Amy Auscherman, Corporate Archivist at Herman Miller. Her instagram, @acid_free, does a great job of sharing items from the collection that design lovers (like myself) can enjoy while promoting the archive as well.

Thanks, Grace!

We have also found the archives, people, and stories featured in this issue to offer up insight and inspiration relating to various aspects of design--whether it’s design of a website, physical archive space, course instruction, or working with designers and their archives.

I'm Interested in Those Moments of Change

LAAC's Jennie Freeburg has a conversation with Dr. Kathy Carbone, Institute Archivist, Performing Arts Librarian, and Lecturer at California Institute of the Arts.

Interview · Amy Auscherman
 

Amy Auscherman, Corporate Archivist at Herman Miller, discusses her work as a lone archivist and shares some of her favorite items from the archives

Textile Hive · An interview with Caleb Sayan

Caleb Sayan, creator of Visual Archiving and founder of the Textile Hive platform, answers questions about the Andrea Aranow Textile Collection as well as the state of digitization and digital platforms.

Auburn Avenue Research Library Renovations

Derek Mosley discusses the major renovations undertaken at the Auburn Avenue Research Library on African American Culture and History, and how the renovations have impacted collections, staff and users.

All Archives are Design Archives

Jennifer Whitlock, Archivist at the Vignelli Center for Design Studies at the Rochester Institute of Technology, contends that ALL archives are design archives.

Sneak Peek: Eiko Ishioka Papers 

The archivist currently processing the Eiko Ishioka papers at UCLA Library Special Collections gives a preview of the collection, which documents the multi-talented and prolific designer's long career.

Fashion & Costume Archives

Some musings on fashion and costume archives as well as a roundup of interesting blogs, collections, archives and websites related to them.