History
In 2002, Richard (Chip) Benson, then Dean of the Yale School of Art, brought together a group of faculty, staff, and community members to address an emerging challenge: the need for a unified standard for color profiles and color space. The early years of digital capture on campus had exposed wide technical disparities, making consensus difficult. After several meetings without a clear resolution, the initial initiative was set aside.
Nevertheless, conversations continued informally. Colleagues such as John ffrench (YUAG), Matt Shirley (Beinecke), and Melissa Fournier (YUAG) met regularly—often over coffee—to exchange ideas and share concerns. Over time, these gatherings attracted others, and when a larger group convened at a local café, momentum began to build toward a more organized effort.
By 2009, this informal exchange had evolved into a structured group: Digital Coffee. John ffrench and Melissa Fournier served as early leaders, later joined by Chris Edwards (Beinecke). A dedicated website soon followed, serving as a hub for resources, studio information, standards, and updates on campus and community projects.
Digital Coffee meetings, typically held quarterly and lasting about an hour, rotate among participating studios with space to host. Sessions open with introductions and a discussion of a chosen topic, and conclude with updates from each studio, fostering both knowledge-sharing and awareness of ongoing initiatives across campus.
The group also produced a Shared Practices document, providing guidance for the capture and documentation of still images on campus.
Today, Digital Coffee continues to thrive as a collaborative forum. Meeting ideas are coordinated through John ffrench, Melissa Fournier, and Anu Paul (Beinecke). Contributions of ideas and suggestions for future meetings are always welcome, reflecting the group’s ongoing commitment to broad involvement and shared learning.
John ffrench
Director of Digital Resources and Initiatives
Yale University Art Gallery
Founder, Digital Coffee