Vote For Me (please)

A few weeks ago I met with Tiffany from D&AD and we discussed a few things (exciting forthcoming things that you will like!) and she also asked me to put my name forward for the Executive Committee.

I thought about it for a while and spoke to some people who are on the Committee and who have been on it previously. And I decided to stand. Tony Davidson and Matt Dent were kind enough to nominate me.

The Exec Committee is a slightly strange thing, but it would appear that they are after some 'younger' representation and some people who aren't in Tokyo/New York/São Paulo when the meetings take place 6 times a year.

In Design there are 9 other people on the list (which is quite a lot) and we've all had to write a manifesto and include a CV. To save you some time my manifesto is below and my CV is here.

I’m sure you have lots of these to get through and many of them will be sesquipedalian, so I’ll keep mine short.

I’m sure there are many things I have in common other exec members (a passion for creativity and a belief in education, for example) but if elected to the D&AD Committee I hope to specifically add the following attributes.

1. I will turn up.
A friend of mine was kicked off a committee at the RCA once, “I missed two meetings” he said, “and they wrote to me and said if I couldn’t commit to the panel they didn’t want me on it”. I’ve had the luxury of learning from his mistakes and don’t commit to things I’m not passionate about.

2. I don’t mind looking at spreadsheets.
Seriously. I run a small business and I sit in meetings with accountants. I actually enjoy those meetings. I like to think I’m not afraid of an empty A4 sheet or an empty balance sheet.

3. I am your design audience.
95% of the design community is like me. Exactly like me. Did the same stuff at college, scrabble round for the same work, worry about the same things, bookmark the same pictures on Ffffound.

4. I can blog.
I don’t really think this is important, but I know other people do. I would like to use the stuff I’ve learned from blogging (that’s another manifesto) to help the D&AD spread the word to more people in new ways.

I hope you’ll give me the honour of joining you on the committee

The D&AD isn't perfect (nor is my manifesto) but it's our organisation and we'd be a poorer industry without it.

The election is only open to Members, so if you'd be so kind to pop over here and read all the manifestos and if you decide to vote for me that would be grand. Thank you very much.

I suppose this is a virtual hustings so if you'd like to ask me a question, then you can do in the comments below.

Vote early, vote often.

Comments

[Michal Migurski]

What an amazing manifesto. Ffffound!

[Tom]

They'll want to know what you're going to do about keeping in shape Ben - physical shape.

[Ben]

Mike - thanks.

Tom - Paul H Colman has me under an intensive training regime. It's mostly cleans.

[Tom]

Clean jerks ?

[John Dodds]

Will you bring back hanging?

[Caroline]

Interesting Manifesto, is the word sesquipedalian included in it, or is it just here? Id be concerned that its an odd word which, even if you understand the meaning one cant help but also think of sasquatch and then instead of imagining you, witty young thing, one may be in danger of imagining a sasquatch reading the manifesto. Maybe sasquatch is what they need on the panel? Good luck, I cant vote because im not a member, perhaps you should ask people to empathicly vote in this situation by sending you postcards with a big tick on it (or a cross) if they want to, just for your amusement. (and mine).

[alexparrott]

Good for you Ben. I'm in.

[Paul H. Colman]

I'm not sure I agree with point 4, although the 'cleans' will help with this.

[Neil Martin]

Fantastic manifesto. I'm curious though. If you received a similar document from say, a graduate student wanting to work for you, would you think the document was of value, or that they were not following the rules of professionalism by writing something more...sesquipedalian?

[malmo]

"95% of the design community is like me. Exactly like me."

And that's the problem. And the reason why D&AD is increasingly irrelevant.