Antonio Garcia, Art Director, AIGA Center for Cross-Cultural Design
Because design is not defined by national borders or cultural differences, it's imperative designers think beyond the familiar in order to create compelling, engaging and relevant work responsive to today's diverse audiences. Connecting the dots between ethnography, authenticity and forward thinking design, Antonio Garcia uses real world projects to illustrate the importance of cultural understanding and underscore the incredible potential waiting at the intersection of design and culture. Sharing a best practice framework of immersive study, nontraditional research and ethnographic exploration, Antonio defines the emerging role of designer as observer/explorer/researcher/ethnographer.
As a strategist, writer and designer, Antonio Garcia leads business development, planning and concepting for broadscope branding initiatives and marketing campaigns. Through his experience designing for corporate giants, he has leaned a valuable lesson: hyper can never substitute for authenticity. So in an industry that measures success in dollar signs and popular trends, he is determined to prove sustainability, transparency, ethics and ethnography create meaningful experiences, engaging interactions and powerful business innovation.
This video was taped during the Access-Ability Conference, Jan. 28, 2010. Conference organized by RGD Ontario. Taping by RGD Ontario with speaker's permission. Copyright RGD Ontario.
