Jon Goldman

I like to think of myself as a pretty fun guy, but I need to break it down for a moment.



If you want pure goofy Jon, check out this video I made in class that I will be presenting at the 2013 AAM

Annual Meeting as a flash grad presentation. The concept for the interactive as well as the presentation was

all made by yours truly.



Otherwise, just sit back and relax as we take a moment to explore the Tao of Jon.



When I was 11 years old I had the profound experience of being a part of a very special summer camp that

took 4 kids from 9 countries and had them all spend a month together somewhere in the world. I spent

that summer in Nagoya, Japan with other kids from Portugal to Mongolia. Running the risk of sounding cliché, the experience broke down a lot of barriers and I really came away from the trip knowing that people were

just people, no matter where they came from, and that just because I'm born into one culture does not make it better (or worse) - just different. It eliminated a lot of the global, cultural hierarchies from my brain and

created a more horizontal playing field. 

​

Anyone who has studied Asian Studies has read Edward Said's Orientalism (the single most dense piece of writing known to man). In essence, the piece brings to light the West's historic (and contemporary) habit

of creating an "other." This formation of the "other" is generally used to exoticize another culture - and thereby make it inferior. By establishing this "other" culture and what it is, you also are therefore defining yourself.

In the case of orientalism, this self-definition is pretty much one of superiority. (see Colonization)



As I look at my life, I see myself exploring other cultures, peoples, and ways of life - however, I always try

to do so without defining an other, but perhaps another. Corny, I know, but truly I find the value in such mental explorations as being that the more you define another culture or way of life, the more you are forced to

reflect on your own identity. When something you have spent your life accepting as a fact of life becomes merely an option, you are forced to question it.



So, why am I sharing all this with you? Because I am trying to explain why I've decided my future is in

exhibition design. On a selfish level, being an exhibition designer forces you to become a (temporary) expert

on a very specific subject. However, these subjects change with every exhibit. It really is a thrilling notion.

To be highly steeped in many subjects over the course of lifetime is completely satisfying to me. 



I also have the strong desire to contribute positively to the world. Studying design for social impact at Art Center really refocused my own thinking about what I was capable of doing with my life, skills, and knowledge.

​

I think we can all change the world. I also think we can do so while laughing and having a good time. In my experience, people are much more receptive to new and broader ideas when they are smiling. I know Sesame Street and Captain Planet had a major influence on my values. This is where my design philosophy enters the equation. I believe in minimal and strategic communications that keep messages restrained to manageable chunks while at the same time respecting the viewers intelligence (regardless of whether they are or not). My duty as a designer is two fold. The first is to my organization and team. Here, it is my job to take a complex idea or set of ideas and communicate them efficiently and clearly. The second responsibility is to the visitor. I have failed at my job if the visitor is not engaged. This could manifest as humor, beauty, intensity, or whatever - but I must find an emotional connection to the public to convince them to accept the knowledge we are propagating.

 

 

So, as much as I love good design, ragging edges, and kerning my type, I truthfully view my career path as not trying to design exhibits, but rather becoming more influential within museums - our global authorities and torch-bearers of knowledge - in order to promote my own values of equality, understanding, education, and curiosity.