009: Brian Singer of AIGA San Francisco
S1 #9

009: Brian Singer of AIGA San Francisco

From journals to billboards, Brian Singer has always pushed design into unexpected places. As the mind behind the global 1,000 Journals Project and the viral campaign Twit Spotting, Brian blends creativity with cultural commentary in ways that make people stop, think, and sometimes fume. His AIGA journey—from San Francisco chapter leadership to the national board—offers candid lessons on leading volunteers, sparking movements, and why the best retreat moments happen in elevators at 5 a.m.


Key Takeaways
  • Sometimes, complaining catalyzes change—it was merely asking why that got Brian invited to fix things from the inside.
  • Art that makes people mad is doing something right—his Twit Spotting project provoked exactly the response it needed.
  • Real leadership happens over beers and sleep-deprived elevator chats—not just boardroom mandates.
  • Community building is messy—but unforgettable: tattoos, pyramids, and impulsive hangouts outlast polished presentations.
  • Empowering volunteers doesn’t mean doing it all yourself—it means igniting purpose and letting others run with it.

Episode Chapters
  1. 02:13 – First leadership retreat memories: Brian attends Omaha (2008) and recalls hallways, atriums, and security-chasing room hoppers.  
  2. 02:59 – The great liquored-up bar incident: A bar emptied out by design leaders—left patrons and owners mystified.  
  3. 03:50 – How he got involved: From relentless commenting to being asked to fix problems—his entry into AIGA leadership.  
  4. 05:42 – AIGA welcome moment: Executive Director Amos Clausner’s warm reach-out helped Brian stop being the “wallflower at the bar.”  
  5. 07:21 – National board intro: the ‘60-second video’: His unapologetically bold intro included death threats from Twit Spotting—set to German metal music.  
  6. 08:55 – What was Twit Spotting?: A candid photo project showing people texting while driving, placed on billboards along their commute.  
  7. 11:10 – When art goes viral: Media frenzy ensued—his phone buzzed with attention, even from AIGA offices and his mom.  
  8. 15:29 – Leading from in the trenches: Brian refused to wall himself off when on the national board—he joined chapter leaders for pyramids and beers.  
  9. 19:52 – After-program bonding beats workshops: Elevator hall chats at 5 a.m. matter more than structured sessions.  
  10. 22:43 – Wrangling volunteer energy: “You can’t fire volunteers”—leadership means enabling passion in a 40 events‑a‑year board.  
  11. 28:43 – Pyramids (and back pain): He played foundation in a human pyramid—and discovered the literal weight of community.  
  12. 30:01 – Tattoos and creative play: San Francisco chapter’s retreat swag included custom tattoos—unleashing creativity across chapters.  

About Our Guest

Brian Singer is a San Francisco–based creative and community provocateur. His projects include the participatory global 1,000 Journals experiment and the provocative Twit Spotting initiative, displayed on San Francisco billboards. Formerly a design leader at Facebook and Pinterest, Brian now heads the creative team at Airtable and sits on the SFMoMA’s Seeka Council. He’s also an active AIGA leader on both chapter and national levels.  


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