Saying "no."

C'mon, designers, say it with us: "NO."

Together, we can comb through the black and white and dive deep into the gray areas of this simple, yet somehow scary, little word.

AIGA Alaska invites you to a special shop talk all about when, why, and how to say 'no.' Local designers, Michael Ardaiz and Mike Kirkpatrick, will lead the discussion and invite guests to share firsthand experiences about projects that have been given, or rather, should have been given a 'no.'

Sure, saying 'no' can be intimidating, but what's worse, freeing up time for other projects or dragging out a miserable experience? Oftentimes, saying no up-front is easy:

• If it's not a good fit, refer to a better-suited colleague.
• When it's physically impossible, offer an alternative.

Occasionally, things just go off the rails:

• This is now way beyond scope—is the contract clear?
• Boundaries are crossed—is recovery an option?

No matter the circumstances, we can examine when it's best to say 'no' and how to do it with as much grace as the situation allows.

In accordance with AIGA's code of conduct, this will be a safe, judgment-free environment to explore all aspects of this subject. While lively participation is always encouraged, it's perfectly acceptable to attend as a wallflower. At the end of the day, everyone should take away a little extra knowledge about why projects sometimes go off the rails and how to say 'no' when the time has come—or better yet—how to avoid trouble by saying 'no' before work has begun.

Graphics created by James Brown // brownandblue.design