We have had a redesign in the works for quite a while and this weekend I finally got the nerve to pull the trigger and set it free. If you have any comments on our new look or are interested in the geeky design details then keep reading…

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What do you get when you combine graphic design with 400 free bottles of bubbles, about 1000 people, and New York City’s Union Square? BubbleBath: a scene right out of Willy Wonka’s fizzy-lifting drink testing room – but with snazzier branding.

Held last month on a bright Saturday afternoon, BubbleBath was the brainchild (and part of the senior thesis) of Anthony DeFranco, a student in the BFA design program at the School of Visual Arts (SVA) in New York. The idea came to him when he saw bubbles floating around a Manhattan street corner (thanks to an old man selling toys a few feet away). DeFranco noticed how the bubbles made people smile and brought them together, kind of like great design.

“Design played a major role in the project,‚Äù DeFranco told me. “It was how BubbleBath went from being an idea to a tangible object.‚Äù His BubbleBath brand, in a distinctive hue best described as Mr. Bubble Pink, popped up on his website as well as the event’s press kit, t-shirts, and of course, the bottles of bubbles distributed on the big day.

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I have been doing some upgrades to the site this weekend, and wanted to bring your attention to the fact that the address of our RSS feeds have changed. We will no longer be promoting our feedburner feed, but it will still work if that is what you have been using. All the other feeds are no longer active. I apologize for any inconvenience. If you haven’t used RSS in the past, get on the boat!

Atom
http://www.beadesigngroup.com/atom.php

RSS 2.0
http://www.beadesigngroup.com/rss2.php

Comments RSS Feed
http://www.beadesigngroup.com/comments.php

Podcast RSS Feed
http://www.beadesigngroup.com/podcast.php

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Have you ever had an idea and said to yourself, “This would make a great post on Be A Design Group?” Have you ever wanted to leave a comment, but restrained yourself because you didn’t want everyone to know how you really feel? Have you ever wished you could get instant feedback on your design work from other designers? Do you dream about a place where you can complain about your clients with other sympathetic designers? Maybe you just want to get to know the designers in our group better. Well, I am proud to introduce a new feature to our site that strives to be all those things and more. The feature is called BetA, and it is a private blog that can only be accessed by members of Be A Design Group.

Probably the most exciting part of BetA is that you will be leading the conversation. As a member, you have the ability to make a post and address the group about whatever you feel like. After your first post, you will see your name in the author section along with all the other BetA members. Your name will link to your very own profile page which you will be able to update and manage yourself. You will also be able assign yourself an avatar that will appear next to comments you make anywhere on BetA.

A side benefit to us is that we hope to harvest some of the more fruitful content for use publicly on Be A Design Group. This will be done with your permission, of course, and if we see an especially active member we may ask them to make the jump to BADG as an official author with all the fame, glory and wealth (cough) that goes with that prestigious title.

In addition to giving you a place to share your ideas, and the possibility of super stardom, BetA is also a place where the BADG team can experiment with ideas and get feedback from our most dedicated readers. You will be the first to know about new features that will be added to the site, potential podcast guests, and all kinds of insider knowledge. Heck, we may even have a yearly campout for members so we can get to meet you in person.

Registration will always be free, but membership will be by invitation only. How do you get an invitation? Good news. Until November 15, 2006, membership will be open to anyone and everyone who reads Be A Design Group. After that, simply send us an email and ask for an invitation. If you have left a comment on the site, we will most likely give you a green light.

I would like to thank the following “BetA testers” for their suggestions and involvement! Shout outs to:
GCRaya, Jason, PixelHustler, Simanek, Ben Swift, JonSel, lostbercub, outerwear4, Donovan, Nate, Bennett, and Sam Sampson. You guys rock!

My hope is that BetA lets us to get to know each other better and allows us to help one another grow as designers. Hopefully soon BetA will be filled with conversations and personalities. Sign up, log in, and start kicking the tires. BetA is waiting for you.

You probably caught the term “designism” that has been getting thrown around the design blogs lately (SU, Unbeige, Core 77, DO, and many more) . Before I get to my rant, I would like to introduce the new polling feature of Be A Design Group. Informal survey questions will become a regular addition to our posts and I think this will be a great way to take the pulse of our readers about current design issues. Our first poll has to do with designism. The question is:

What do you think about the attention designism has gotten lately? Pick the answer that best matches your thoughts about designism:
1. I have no idea what they are talking about.
2. I like the idea of using design to promote social change. Where do I sign up?
3. The discussion is interesting, but the left wing politics turned me off to the whole thing.
4. Designism is a waste of time and I don’t think it will ever become a movement.
5. Designism is a monumentally important design movement and it is imperative that we keep the discussion going.
6. Design has always been about making the world a better place, so I don’t really get the point of inventing the word “designism.”

Voting is annonymous and simple so cast your vote here. If you just want to check out the results, they can be found here.

After you vote, continue reading to find out what I think of designism and why the movement is off to a bad start.

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