AIGA's annual Student Conference will help you #FindYourFit within the design world. Join us this year for the opportunity to meet new people, grow your portfolio, and participate in some fantastic workshops! As a design student, this Conference is a great opportunity for you to explore your creativity with design professionals and it's a great chance to learn from the best. If you're a senior, this is the perfect chance for you to get some real world feedback on your portfolio so that you can be better prepared for the world in front of you. We can't wait to see you! For more detailed information, check out our event website: https://www.aigastlstudentconference.com/
FRIDAY FEBRUARY 22, 7-9PM // Central Print Mixer
For the fourth year in a row, we’re excited to have a Friday night event that will allow students and professionals to meet new friends, engage in interesting printmaking activities, and hopefully get some inspiration! From 7-9pm at Central Print, we’ll have drinks and snacks for you to enjoy while you explore a variety of different printmaking techniques. Everything you make, you can take — so have fun and get a little messy! Check out the great things Central Print is doing: https://www.centralprint.org (2624 N 14th St, St. Louis, MO 63106).
If you’re looking to showcase your work, we’ll have student-submitted work installed in the main room. Interested in having your work at Central Print on Friday? Submissions will be collected on the AIGA STL Student Conference website (coming soon!) Contact katie@aigastlouis.org for more information.
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 9AM-5PM // Student Conference
The main event will be from 9am-5pm on Webster University's Gateway campus in downtown STL. In the morning, join us for our keynote speaker: Bonnie Siegler, Creative Director & Founder of Eight and a Half, a New York design studio. This year, we are bringing back the open portfolio review! See what your peers have been working on and get new ideas on how to present your work. Lunch will be provided for students (check back for more information on food)!
In the afternoon, seniors will have the opportunity to have their portfolios reviewed by design industry professionals from the St. Louis area, and will also get to participate in 2 of our workshop sessions. Not a senior? Don’t worry, the Conference still has plenty to offer! Instead of doing a portfolio review, non-senior level design students may attend all 3 of our workshops.
INFORMATION AND FAQS
How to Register:
- Pick your ticket type.
- This year, you will choose your order of workshops the day of the conference. Portfolio review times will be assigned to seniors, IMPORTANT NOTE: only seniors can sign up for a portfolio review session. Seniors get one (1) portfolio review session and two (2) workshops. Freshmen/Sophomores/Juniors get three (3) workshop sessions. Each session lasts for an hour with a 15 minute break between each session. Students can only attend a specific workshop once (ex you can't do "workshop 1" at the 1pm session and the 2:15pm session), and can only attend one portfolio review session (seniors only). An event itinerary will be provided at the conference.
- Confirm all of your information is correct, and pay.
- Please show up early to get all setup and ready to go, check-in begins at 9AM and concludes at 10AM. You don't want to miss any of our exciting speakers (or a goodie bag)!
Speakers:
Bonnie Siegler Creative Director & Founder of Eight and a Half
Session title: Work, life, and politics
Session description: A review of Bonnie's career, through the lens of work, life and politics.
Speaker Bio: Bonnie Siegler is the Founder and Creative Director of Eight and a Half, a multi-disciplinary design studio, which works in all media to make things make sense strategically, visually and editorially with intelligence and a sense of humor. She has been named one of the 50 most influential designers working today by Graphic Design USA and was a featured designer in the Art Director’s Club Legacy Project. Recent clients include HBO, The New Yorker, Late Night with Seth Meyers, Will & Grace, Brooklyn Public Library, the Climate Museum, and the Criterion Collection. She is also the author of two books: Signs of Resistance, A Visual History of Protest in America and Dear Client, This Book Will Teach You How to Get What You Want From Creative People.
De Nichols Principal of Design & Social Practice at Civic Creatives
Session title: Catalysts by Design
Session description: With a whirlwind of socio-political and cultural challenges emerging across the world, design is being used to address, disrupt, highlight, and respond to injustices and inequities in bolder ways than ever before. In this talk, designer and social entrepreneur, De Nichols, will share how she has used her creative journey to mobilize people across the world for social good, leaving students core tips and a collective call-to-action to ignite the catalysts within themselves and their journeys.
Speaker Bio: Through a multidisciplinary creative practice, De Nichols mobilizes global changemakers to activate ideas that address civic and social challenges within their communities. Based in St. Louis, MO, De Nichols serves as the Social Impact Design Principal of Civic Creatives, a design strategy agency that develops interactive experiences, tools, and initiatives to help communities engage issues of civic disengagement, youth development, social inclusion, food access and security, and arts & cultural policy. Nichols is an alum of the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts and Brown School of Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis, where she specialized in communication design, social entrepreneurship, and socio-economic development. Learn more at denichols.co.
Workshops:
Lettering & Illustration
Workshop Leader: Parker Gibson, UX Consultant at Slalom
Session Description: In this workshop, we will explore how I create conceptual hand typography/lettering combined with tools like photoshop & illustrator to create a custom look & feel. Feel free to bring a computer, pencils, pens and any other materials such as a sketchbook or paper to use or just sit back and take in the experience.
Get to know Parker. helloparkergibson.com / @helloparkerg
More than Pixels: Collaboration as Social Change as Design Practice
Workshop Leaders: Caitlin Metz, Co-Founder of On Being in Your Body, & Rebecca Gorley, Communications Director at ArchCity Defenders
Session Description: A workshop about how design impacts social change through on-ground, off-screen, accessible engagement; facilitated by Rebecca Gorley and Caitlin Metz. Together we will explore the expanse of possibility within collaborations and how to humanize the experience of marginalized folks within our community; through a case study of Pro Se STL, a collaboration between ArchCity Defenders and Caitlin Metz. This workshop is about raising awareness and creating actionable, and immediate care for our community through a generous exchange of knowledge and skill.
We believe that design should be compassionate; that everyone deserves beautiful, accessible and tender things to help them move through an otherwise harsh and scary world. Together we have the power to make the world a little softer and easier to navigate.
Get to know Caitlin. caitlinmetzart.com / onbeinginyourbody.com / prosestl.org
Get to know Rebecca. www.archcitydefenders.org / @archcitydefenders
Portfolio Photography
Workshop Leader: Jason Keeven, Digital Experience Director at Brighton Agency
Session Description: In this hands-on workshop, we will explore how use photography to take your portfolio story-telling to the next level. After briefly exploring commercial lighting techniques, and how they were created, we will break into smaller groups and explore how you can bring that commercial feel to your work using easy to find everyday objects and tools.
Get to know Jason. jasonkeeven.com / jasonkeevenphoto.com
FAQs
Are there ID or minimum age requirements to enter the event?
For Friday night, anyone can attend. Bartenders will be checking IDs.
For Saturday, attendees will be college students. Only seniors will be able to do a portfolio review. Non-students are welcome to attend our keynote speakers.
What are my transportation/parking options for getting to and from the event?
Friday there will be street parking. On Saturday, attendees will be using the 9th Street Garage (911 Olive St, St. Louis, MO 63101; directly after Clarkson Eyecare on the left) and will receive a parking voucher with the purchase of your ticket. To enter the garage, enter from Olive Street. Webster University's Gateway Campus (Arcade Building) is a 2-minute walk from the garage. If possible, we recommend you carpool to the event(s). PARKING VOUCHERS WILL ONLY BE AVAILABLE FOR 9TH STREET GARAGE. Students are responsible for keeping track of parking vouchers!
What time does registration begin?
Registration begins at 9AM. The conference will begin promptly at 10AM so please give yourself time for check in! You want to get there early so you can enjoy a cup of coffee or tea, get your goodie bag, and grab a good seat for our first keynote speaker!
What should I bring?
Plan on bringing a notepad and pen/pencil to take notes and a reusable water bottle. If you are planning on participating in the open portfolio/portfolio review sessions, make sure you bring a laptop or tablet that a digital portfolio can be viewed on and any additional print pieces you would like to bring. In addition, plan on bringing your resume or business cards to hand out to design professionals, this is a great networking opportunity!
Where can I find out more information?
For more detailed information, check out our event website: https://www.aigastlstudentconference.com/
How can I contact the organizers with any questions?
Please email rachel@aigastlouis.org and/or katie@aigastlouis.org with any questions or concerns!
