As 2006 dawns, AUGI is a work-in-progress. Big changes lie ahead for your organization this year and among the first of these changes is a new brand. AUGI’s new logo, pictured below, are two “speech bubbles,” representing the exchange of ideas and knowledge common among AUGI members. This one-to-one (or, more accurately, peer-to-peer) information exchange is, after all, the very essence of AUGI.

AUGI Website
Another change, already evident to some members, is a redesigned www.AUGI.com home page. Designed to better assist both existing members and newcomers, the home page brings all of AUGI’s services and programs front-and-center and eliminates all guesswork about where to find program information on the website.

Topping the left side of the page are AUGI highlights—special announcements or information about new AUGI offerings. This highlight section will be updated frequently—remember to check in often so you don’t miss anything!

Below the highlights are several text blocks bearing more detailed descriptions of various AUGI programs and services. And, no, your eyes aren’t playing tricks… these blocks rotate so that the items you see and the order in which you see them will change often.

Especially helpful is the new Quick Links feature, found on the right half of the home page. A quick rundown of all AUGI services are listed here, so navigating the AUGI site becomes lightning fast.

Rounding out AUGI’s new home page are links to various calendars, pertinent blogs, and schedules for events such as AUGI CAD Camp and AUGI CAD Matinee, among others.

We hope you find the new home page easy to use and visually appealing. As always, any member of the AUGI Board of Directors welcomes your comments.

International Reach
One of the biggest changes AUGI members will see this year is the introduction of country chapters. Members of a country’s chapter will communicate with fellow members via the country chapter’s home website, which will be written in the native language. While focusing largely on activities and offerings at the local level, each country chapter website will also include links to other country websites. AUGI’s reach will truly become worldwide as more country chapters are opened.

AUGI will also help establish a number of new local user groups in the U.S. and internationally and will create new levels of support for existing local user groups in countries around the world.

AUGIWorld
AUGIWorld, the bimonthly member magazine, will undergo a few changes this year. Already firmly established as a good resource for tips & tricks and technical articles, AUGIWorld will expand its content to include regular columns on a wider range of topics and key Autodesk products.

You’ll see familiar authors and meet some talented new writers within the pages of AUGIWorld in 2006.

Stay tuned…
Watch the pages of AUGI HotNews, your monthly e-newsletter, and www.AUGI.com for other exciting developments in the coming months.