Notre Dame is one of only 115 institutions of higher education recognized by the Carnegie Foundation as a leader in community engagement. Worldstudio is working with Notre Dame to strategize, coordinate and communicate its robust outreach efforts which, over many years, have grown organically from its Catholic identity and generate from many areas of the University.

Worldstudio launched the project by reviewing past research, current activities and messaging, followed by a series of focus groups and interviews with external and internal stakeholders. This led to a series of conclusions and recommendations that are currently under consideration by the University.

Worldstudio partner, Andréa Pellegrino, recently accepted an invitation to join Icograda’s Executive Board (International Council of Graphic Design Associations) as a co-opted board member. Andrea’s experience in building strategic alliances, association marketing and developing socially responsible strategies and programming are of particular relevance to Icograda future direction and projects.

President Russell Kennedy welcomed her and observed that, “Andréa brings a wealth of experience in fostering strategic alliances and demonstrating the value of design, skills we anticipate will enable new initiatives and growth for Icograda.”

Mark Randall has joined the advisory board of desigNYC, whose mission is to improve the lives of New Yorkers by connecting nonprofits and civic groups serving the public good with passionate, professional pro bono design services.

desigNYC projects focus on a range of social and environmental issues impacting the city, including: affordable housing, sustainable development, social justice, human health, green space, urban farming, local food systems, youth leadership and more. desigNYC is currently holding it’s second call for project ideas from non-profits, along with a request for designers interested in volunteering their services. The deadline for entry is November 5th, 2010. Those interested can visit the website to learn more: www.designyc.org

Andréa was eager to work with Akin Afolayan, Executive Director of Hope Floats, after he participated in a recent Worldstudio Funding Social Change Workshop. The workshop also brought together a team of communication designers, led by Frank Rauss and Jenn Graham, who are now working with Hope Floats to execute a brand strategy. To learn more, visit the HFI interim site: www.hopefloatsinitiative.org

Jason McDaniel is used to printing killer letterpress invitations and cards. And it’s not that he doesn’t love his work at Dallas’ trendy Miss Q Press, but when McDaniel was invited to participate in The Feedback Loop project, he thought it would be fun to challenge himself to do something outside of his normal routine.

So he letterpress-printed a journal, something he’d never before tried, the sales of which will benefit kids all over the country.

Mohawk Fine Papers and Design Ignites Change teamed up recently to create The Feedback Loop, a project using the new Mohawk Loop grade as a catalyst for change. In exchange for free Loop paper from Mohawk, twenty-five leading letterpress printers, including Missing Q, were asked to create fifty unique notebooks. These limited editions books are now being sold in a special storefront on the Felt & Wire Shop. 100% of the proceeds will go to Design Ignites Change to support the youth mentorship program School: By Design.

McDaniel says the printing part of the project was easy (he printed the covers by hand on his Vandercook #4). It was the bindery that was new for him. His journal was inspired by a vintage french botanical fieldbook he stumbled upon at an antique shop this summer. “I was really inspired by the fact that someone carried this little journal around studying plants, and so the fieldbook became the inspiration for my notebooks.” Plus, the word “letterpress” looks really awesome in French (Impression Typographique!).  ”I have never done any bookbinding professionally, so I wasn’t sure how to go about this in terms of a finished notebook,” he says. But you’d never know it from the finished result.

Project leader Laura Shore is impressed by the work of all of the participants, now on sale at Felt & Wire Shop. “Some of the best letterpress printers in the country are involved in the project, so I knew they’d be good. But I didn’t know they’d be this good. It all started with the simple idea that Mohawk wanted to be a positive catalyst for social change, and, we wanted to get printers to try our new paper, Loop.”

She says she thinks they’ll sell out quickly. “We set a low fixed price on all the notebooks: $15.00, which includes shipping and handling. Our goal was to raise money quickly and test this as a model for future social ventures.”

That would make Design Ignites Change founders and Worldstudio partners, Mark Randall and Andréa Pellegrino, happy. All proceeds for The Feedback Loop go directly to School: by Design – a Design Ignites Change and Designers Accord youth mentoring initiative.  ”We’re challenging high school students – in collaboration with their college or professional design mentors – to ‘redesign their school.’ A $10,000 award will be granted to the high school with the most innovative project to implement their idea,” says Pellegrino.

McDaniel adds, “I hope every single notebook sells so there is a generous donation made.”

Sixteen students from around the world are converging on New York City to explore how to apply design thinking – the combination of unleashed creativity and executable actions – to pressing social problems. The participants, from as far away as Brazil, Australia and Portugal represent a variety of disciplines and range in experience from graduate level students to seasoned professionals.

The sold out, six week program at the School of Visual Arts will run on two parallel tracks: the first will educate students on how to conceive and execute their own projects for social change with a  focus on funding projects that are not client-based. Along with a personal project, students will participate in the development of a team project that addresses a pressing need for a local non-profit organization. On this track, participants will roll up their sleeves to take the program out of the realm of theoretical thinking and extend it into the real world.

The program was co-founded by Steven Heller, design historian, author and critic and Mark Randall, Principal of Worldstudio. Randall serves as the program chair, noted faculty includes: Chad Boettcher, Weber Shandwick Worldwide, Martin Kace, Empax; Bob McKinnon, YellowBrickRoad; Michelle Mullineaux, ESI Design; and Andréa Pellegrino, Worldstudio.

Over the course of the six weeks students will participate in a series of lectures and field trips with eighteen leaders in the areas of design and social change.

Through a partnership with desigNYC the participants will be collaborating with a variety of New York City non-profit organizations: Healthy Bodegas, IOBY, Democracy Now!, The Blk Projek and Enterprise.

To learn more about Impact! visit: www.sva.edu/impact

The Impact! students begin their first day at SVA

Worldstudio recently rolled out the first in a series of workshops for creative professionals that teach funding strategies for socially responsible projects. The initial beginner’s level workshop – which has now taken place in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, New York and San Francisco – provides an overview of various funding models and addresses how to include corporate sponsorship in social change initiatives. By creating a project budget and marketing plan, attendees get the opportunity to apply new skills to an actual project during the one-day workshop.

Andréa Pellegrino, who delivers the workshop, is also in the process of developing a Funding Social Change blog – stay tuned for information about the launch of this valuable tool!

If you are interested in hosting/sponsoring future workshops, please contact Andréa Pellegrino at apellegrino (at) worldstudioinc.com.

Worldstudio and the School of Visual Arts in New York City are launching an exciting six week summer intensive called Impact! Design for Social Change.

To remain competitive, corporations are looking for innovation and impact in the area of social change as it relates to their business. The non-profit world is seeking new ways to support their constituencies through design strategy. This six-week summer intensive will introduce participants to the growing field of design for social advocacy.

The program – co-founded by Steven Heller, Co-chair, SVA MFA Design and Mark Randall, Worldstudio – will run on two parallel tracks; the first will educate students on how to conceive and execute their own projects for social change with a focus on funding projects that are not client-based. For the second track students will participate in the development and full execution of a team project that addresses a pressing need within a predetermined community. The team projects for the program are being selected in partnership with desigNYC – a group of leading designers and design advocates with a mission of improving life in New York City by helping connect the nonprofit and professional design communities.

The faculty – in formation – is composed of leaders in the area of design for social change:
Chad Boettcher, Senior Vice President, Social Innovation, Weber Shandwick
Martin Kace, founder, Empax
Bob McKinnon founder, Yellow Brick Road
Mark Randall and Andréa Pellegrino, partners, Worldstudio

A series of ten lectures featuring leaders in the areas of design and social change will be presented. The speaker list to date includes:
Scott Harrison, founder, charity: water
David Gibson, partner, Two Twelve Associates
Milton Glaser, principal, Milton Glaser, Inc.
Jason Rzepka, Vice President, Public Affairs, MTV
Edwin Schlossberg, founder, ESI Design

To learn more about this program visit:  http://www.sva.edu/impact

Topics covered will include:
• Funding models; corporate sponsorship, grants, partnerships
• Identifying and forming collaborative relationships
• How to get your ideas in front of appropriate funding sources
• Writing a project/funding plan

To learn more about how to bring a workshop to your group or school, contact Andréa Pellegrino.

Worldstudio is delighted to announce that the 2010 Design Ignites Change mentoring initiative will be developed and implemented in partnership with The Designers Accord, a global coalition of designers, educators and business leaders working together to create positive environmental and social impact.

The brief or challenge will be created to address the project theme of sustainability and be multidisciplinary and multicultural, engaging a wide variety of design disciplines from around the world. This initiative is the first of its kind, unique in scope and scale around the issue of sustainability.

The project will tap into an army of creatives ready to actively focus on the complex environmental and social issues facing our world today while mentoring undeserved high school students through the design process.

To learn more about involving your school or students in Design Ignites Change, contact Mark Randall. For more information on program sponsorship, contact Andréa Pellegrino.

Core77, has tapped into a diverse group of contributors to publish Hack2Work, a collection of essential advice and tips for design professionals. With articles on topics ranging from process to staffing to client relationships, Hack2Work offers something for everyone – including a piece outlining tips for funding social change projects from Worldstudio’s Andréa Pellegrino.