Description:

AGI (Alliance Graphique Internationale) is an international association of the world’s leading designers, with more than 500 members from 46 countries. Founded in 1952, it is a not-for-profit organisation focused on connecting leaders of the global design industry and giving back to local creative communities.

AGI members including Josef Müller-Brockmann, Kenya Hara, Margaret Calvert, Massimo Vignelli, Paul Rand and Paula Scher—to name just a few—have been pivotal in shaping what we know as visual culture today.

As an organisation dedicated to sharing knowledge across countries, cultures and generations, AGI members are eager to discuss their expertise and experiences—welcoming anyone who approaches them for a conversation.

However, starting a conversation with someone whose work you admire isn't always easy. It’s not everyday you get to meet your design hero, let alone design heroes.

It’s one thing to see them in interviews, online or in books, it's another to be standing in front of them. What do you do? What do you say? For us, the question was how can we foster conversation? How can we level the playing field?

When you’re playing a game, both parties can concentrate on the experience rather than the next conversation cue. A game breaks down all barriers. It makes people human and makes them less intimidating. A newly invented game is even better because we’re all beginners.

It gives the participants something to talk about, and opens a channel for banter. It’s an introduction through a shared experience.

The origins of the term “Dot the I’s and cross the t’s” can be traced back to to the act of cursive writing. In modern times it is idiomatically used to emphasise the importance of attention to detail, no matter how small the task. The game, Dot the I's and Cross the T's, which requires a balance of skill, patience, and typographic understanding, was designed to appeal to all designers. The objective is to make the balls stop on the “I’d” and make the crossbars land on the “T’s” or block the balls.

This simple, accessible and addictive game invites interaction and serves as an ice-breaker between the general public and AGI members, fostering connections through a shared, enjoyable experience.

The game is played on a 4-metre-long mat that was meticulously crafted from New Zealand wool, flattened and compressed to provide a smooth playing surface. The dots, made from machined stone, glide smoothly across the mat, offering a truly satisfying experience. The crosses were cast as silicon blocks, providing a degree of wiggle and bounce, adding an element of unpredictability and enhancing the engaging, tactile feel of the game.

Easy to pick up and hard to master, the game was deployed in the public foyer of Aotea Centre for the duration of the AGI Open. Young students and old masters alike collaborated to learn the best way to Dot the I’s and Cross the T’s.