AIGA Jacksonville Blog

The 48 Hour Film Project

Thu, 17 May 2012 16:53:21 -0400

The 48 Hour Film Project comes to Jacksonville on the weekend of June 15 - 17, 2012. Filmmakers from all over the Jacksonville area will compete to see who can make the best short film in only 48 hours. The winning film will go up against films from around the world.

Enter today! Space is limited.

This year, teams will be accepted on a first come, first served basis. Once the initial registration is complete, we will accept teams for the Waiting List. If a registered team must drop out, we will go to the Waiting List. If there is enough interest, and we can secure additional theater time, we may be able to add more teams from the list.

Early Bird Registration is $140. Teams must register on or before Monday, May 21 to get this special rate. Regular registration is $160. If teams register after Tuesday, June 5 they must pay a rate of $175.

To enter or for more information you can go to http://48hourfilm.com/jacksonville/

Thanks!

~ Chris Ackerman, PRI Productions

Join Us for the Morning Leak

Tue, 08 May 2012 15:08:34 -0400

Kick the day off right with some freshly brewed creative inspiration at The Morning Leak! Come and see what your fellow local artists and designers are working on in this exciting “show and tell” event. Spectators are welcome too, join the conversation and bring your own work— we’ll be at CoWork Jax at 7:30am on Wednesday!

This month, we’ll be hearing from motionographer Ryan Perera, web aficionado Dennis Eusebio, photographer Ryan Ketterman, and comic artist/writer Birdie Birdashaw!

Don’t miss this opportunity to begin your day with a jolt of inspiration! Whether you’d like to present your latest project or check out what’s going on in the community, we’ll be at CoWork Jax, in Downtown Jacksonville at 7:30am. If you’d like to share a project, contact us at membership@aigajacksonville.org to reserve your slot. See you this week at The Morning Leak!

Welcome Modis!

Tue, 08 May 2012 11:34:03 -0400

AIGA Jacksonville welcomes Modis as a Silver level sponsor. As part of their participation, we are planning an exciting event that will feature design issues linked to interactive technologies, web development, responsive design and user experience. We’ll have more for you shortly.

In the meantime, and if you did not know, Modis is more than a name on a building (okay, the sign is gone but the company is still thriving in another part of Jacksonville).

Modis is one of the most highly respected IT staffing and solutions firms in the world, in part, because they take the time to understand the needs of their consultants and clients to make the right connections. Their reputation makes their consultants the most sought after in the industry and allows Modis to place them on some of the very best projects.

Experienced recruiters who specialize in IT and understand your skill sets
In-depth interviews that focus on your career goals
Relationships with the top organizations in every market
A robust training program offering thousands of online courses

Modis understands that you know where you want your career to go. Let them help you get there. Visit modis.com to learn more.

~ Jeff, Sponsorship Director

The National Roundtable Discussion

Tue, 08 May 2012 11:33:45 -0400

On April 24th, CoWork Jacksonville hosted our AIGA Chapter for the Annual National Roundtable discussion. This yearly meeting offers your local board a chance to hear your opinions on events, benefits, and overall state. This year, the roundtable was member-focused, featuring Jason Braddock (Lender Processing Services), Deborah Lamir (CSX), Shauna Panczyszyn (Body Central), Samantha Wilbur (Student at The Art Institute), David Smith (Professor at JU), and Andrew Wolson (Everbank).

The panel was moderated by Karen Kurycki (President), who touched on questions concerning what interested them in getting involved with the AIGA, what activities or benefits are most important, how the AIGA can best help them as professionals, and what types of programming they’d like to see in the future.

“I’d really like to see Design For Good thrive. It’s important for the community to see AIGA giving back like that.” - Deborah Lamir

“I like the speaker events the best. A professor once told me that seeing one can advance your design development by months, and I believe it.” - Andrew Wolson

The roundtable discussion also offered feedback on event scheduling and what benefits are most important to our members.

“The networking aspect is invaluable. Meeting freelancers, in-house designers, art directors… you can gain internships or even jobs at these events.” - Shauna Panczyszyn

“There’s at least one event a year that makes paying for a membership worth while. When David Carson spoke I was so frustrated because I wasn’t a member at the time!” - Jason Braddock

This event is a terrific way for the board to gain feedback from our members. Email us at membership[at]aigajacksonville.org. We’re always eager to hear your input, ideas, and questions!

~ Stephanie, Membership Co-Director

Presenting Creative

Tue, 08 May 2012 11:33:30 -0400

 or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Trust the Process

Your design skills in your sketchbook or behind the keyboard can only take you so far. There will be a time where you have to present those ideas. We can’t hide behind the Account Executive forever. As a creative, we need to be able to explain the thinking and strategy that shaped our designs. Yep, we have to become salesman.

What makes the client tick? What can you say to make sure they leave the meeting confident that your designs solve the problem they came to you to fix.

At the Presenting Creative event held in March at Keiser University, there were professionals from both the client side and the creative side giving pointers needed to evoke trust and confidence when pitching your next design. Carl Smith, Chief Keeper Upper & Founding Member at nGen Works, and Al Emerick, Vice President of Marketing & Communications, Health Physician Partners, held an interactive discussion where they engaged the audience with their tips, tricks and secrets on how best to be able to present creative.

Know Yourself – What kind of work do you want to be designing? Have a path set for yourself or company. Know where you want to take your company and what direction you want your design portfolio to take. This will build self confidence for you and your abilities by only having to present the work you truly want to be doing.

Know Your Client – We all want to work with people we like. Get to know the client before you get in a relationship with them. Learn their company history and know who you’re going to be working with at the company. Review their existing business site, LinkedIn, Twitter and other social media sites. Become invested in their industry by learning all that you can to give yourself a possible advantage over the competition. If you don’t pay attention to the details of the company and the marketplace then how are you going to be able to properly build their brand?

Know the Problem – To be able to present creative properly you have to first know the problem you’re being hired to solve. Start with a creative brief that asks all the necessary questions about the target audience, the traits of your client’s brand and other important details that will influence your designs.

Know What to Say – During the meeting be sure to prime the client by talking about the strategy and position that shaped your ideas. Don’t just throw the visual out there and ask them “What do you think?” Those can be some of the worst words you can use when presenting. It opens up the door to their initial opinion and reaction which might focus on less important details and not the strategic bigger picture from creative brief and whether or not it solves the initial problem. Keep control of the conversation and revisit the initial problem that you were tasked with solving. Does your design fit with the requirements set forth? Does it solve the problem? Design work can be like a fine wine. Sometimes you just need to open it up and let it breathe before deciding if you like it or not.

Know the Approval Process – When you’re dealing with clients, especially in medium to large companies, the people you’re dealing directly with might not be the final decisions makers. Find out who gets final say on your designs/ideas and try to get access to them. If you aren’t able to get directly to them, then make sure your work speaks for itself. Include the original creative brief and problem you were tasked with solving. Name your ideas when their are more than one. Use adjectives that describe the positioning, using words like edgy, conservative, or forward thinking to differentiate each potential direction. Don’t just show, be sure to also tell why you’re solutions are the right solutions.

Sell Your Design Process – Revisit the creative brief to remind them of the task at hand. Let them know the steps you have gone through to get you where you are. Show artifacts from the process like mood boards, sketches, the creative brief, words and any other homework that went into your design solution.

Respect Your Design – If you don’t respect your work, time and experience than the client won’t respect it either. Enter the presentation knowing that you are the expert and the client hired you based on that fact. Keep the lead at the meeting and don’t let the client take hold of the presentation. End the meeting knowing that whichever direction they end up approving is one that solves the problem first defined on your creative brief.

Follow Up – Once everything has been approved, launched, printed or released to the public in some fashion be sure to follow up and find out how the work did. What kind of stats has the website seen? What kind of reaction has their audience had to the brochure? Is the rebrand actually working? This extra effort will give you extra understanding for the next project and will definitely show the client that you’re serious about the service you provide. The business relationship you create is just important as the work you create.

Ultimately, we want all of our projects to be approved. Be prepared if a design doesn’t get the green light. Toughen up and realize it’s not about you. It’s all about solving the client’s problem. Prepare yourself as best you can by knowing their business and industry. Sell your process and designs with confidence. Act like the expert that the client hired and you’ll leave every meeting knowing you have nothing to worry about. Just trust your process.

~ Ron, Business Outreach Director

AIGA Jacksonville at April's Art Walk

Tue, 08 May 2012 11:32:37 -0400

Last month, Downtown Vision populated Hemming Plaza for the Young Professionals Art Walk. The month was themed “Arty Ambitions” to celebrate groups and organizations making an impact in Jacksonville. Among bicycling enthusiasts, non-profit organizations, and vendors of all shapes and sizes was an AIGA booth manned by Stephanie Soden (Membership Co-Director) and Katy Garrison (TAC Team Coordinator). We spoke to interested spectators about our Chapter, its community services, and most importantly, the Design for Good initiative.

Design for Good is a platform to build and sustain the implementation of design thinking for social change. Many people from different walks of life were interested in the effort to connect more designers with non-profit organizations. Artists, writers, recent college graduates, and even two very enthusiastic eighty year old artists were eager to hear more about Design for Good, and how AIGA Jacksonville is helping to make an impact.

With good times had, and new friends made at the adjacent vintage fashion booth, we left April’s Artwalk feeling good about an opportunity to make a positive social change in the Jacksonville Community.

~ Stephanie, Membership Co-Director

Is It Worth It, Let Me Work It

Thu, 03 May 2012 09:55:00 -0400

There are some days working INhouse where you might be left questioning yourself. It seems natural enough. It’s tough to think ahead and see the big picture without questioning your abilities, your career path or where you are in your life from time to time. It’s a day like this that, while scanning magazines at Barnes & Noble instead of heading home from work, the magazine “Worth” stands out among the rest on the rack.

In this instance, it’s not the delightfully gridded, finely designed aspect of the magazine that draws my attention, but rather the title. The question looms in the forefront of the mind … Worth. It’s a financial magazine (not my typical editorial choice) but the design gives reason enough to thumb through.

“Make, grow, live.” Reading the cover article call-outs I realize that my focus is off. My vision is fine, but my goals have somehow been compromised.

Make: Take a clear assessment of where you’re finding yourself, where you thought you would be right about now, where you would like to be in the near future and the needs to be considered to meet your evaluated self-expectations. Set goals and make them a series of goals over the course of a self-determined timeline.

Grow: When assessing everything you’re putting your energy toward personally and professionally, you should be asking, “Does this help me grow?” to which you should without a doubt answer, “Yes.” Part of this process is to better document. Take everything you work on into consideration. Don’t forget to shoot your projects on a regular basis. It’s easy to fall out of this habit working INhouse. From documentation comes a reference to observe growth.

Live: If you find yourself in a rut professionally, don’t let that carry over into your personal life. Sign up for a design conference, take a vacation (even if it’s just a two-hour road trip to a nearby city like Savannah for an overnight stay), make plans weekly with close friends (even if it’s just dinner). Something like seeing a movie by yourself after work or reading a book can be just enough to distract from frustration so you can go back to work with a fresh outlook.

If you are still finding yourself frustrated with the occasional repetition of INhouse work, take on occasional freelance projects (make sure they are the type of work you like and a divergence from what you would typically work on at your day job). Take up a some sort of physical activity. I’ve always enjoyed Brazilian jujitsu, but I have plenty of friends who play kickball, train for 5ks and triathlons, and make weekly trips to the rock climbing wall at the gym. Try something like racquetball or tennis—there are so many options. There are also an abundance of organizations and nonprofits you could channel your energy into.

All of these offer an outlet to rejuvenate your focus and energy that can be transferred back into your work and contribute to having better days all around. It just takes a step back sometimes to move forward from ruts.

~Jim, Programming Director (INhouse designer)

About INitiative
INitiative is a joint partnership between AIGA and The Creative Group. This national program provides knowledge and tools to help in-house designers make a greater impact at their companies, evolve professionally and connect with a broader network of peers. INitiative delivers inspiration, advice and insights from leaders of the in-house sector via online channels and in-person events.

If you haven’t heard about INitiative, read up here.

Membership Spotlight: Eric Blair

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 10:01:19 -0400

Eric Blair has been designing and illustrating since the University of North Florida released him into the wild in 2006. Throughout the years Eric has gained a diverse spectrum of experience through his work with Brunet Garcia as junior art director, as an educator for Chet’s Creek Elementary, and as an in-house designer at Citizens Property Insurance. In his spare time Eric keeps his creative monster well fed with equal parts illustration and collaborative projects.

Q:
So… monsters… elaborate.

A:
Just what it sounds like: old B-movie monster from the ’20s-’60s. I’ve dug them since I was a kid, really. I love the bad printing on the cheap monster toys, the day-glow artwork of the old monster models, and those movie-monsters with the visible zippers and fishing line…So much fun! They’re just so visually rich, and a classic piece of Americana!

Q:
Teaching art and multimedia to kids must have been challenging- how do you feel those experiences have influenced you professionally? Personally?

A:
It was challenging because I was only given a brief amount of time with each group of kids to explain a new medium, let them play with it, and then they’d be gone for a week. When they’d return, I’d either have to give them a refresher, or move on to the next project. There wasn’t really the opportunity to assign a project, let them work through it creatively, actually produce something and then present it. It was more like, “Hey, this is what animation is, this is how it works, spend the next thirty minutes animating something, and I’ll see you next week.” I was lucky in that a lot of the kids were very engaged because I got to teach the fun stuff, so I got to really see the kids’ imaginations come alive. And I was exposing them to a variety of creative outlets that they otherwise may not have ever learned about. What I realized, after a few years, though, was that while I loved the job, I didn’t really enjoy the “job” part of it. I didn’t feel like managing a classroom was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life, and just really felt the calling to go back where I belong with design. So I did.

It’s funny, when I was applying for design positions, the interviewers would see the teaching job on my resume as a gap in employment and ask about it. But I absolutely feel like I got as much from that job as any design job I’ve had. From the speed-drawings I’d do for the kids each and every day, to dreaming up new assignments in creative ways, to just talking in front of a large audience all of the time, I grew as an artist, a speaker and a person. I wouldn’t trade that experience for anything.

Q:
What do you do to keep your inspiration high while working in an in-house environment?

A:
I dedicate time to see what’s going on in the world: cruise blogs, run through training videos, but what’s most engaging is the assignments I give myself. I keep a sketchbook at my desk at all times, and write down every absurd notion 00that comes to me. Here are a few examples:

Animalgamations: I have various employees name off an animal, or series of animals, and I draw one that combines three of them. It’s a simple notion, but what I love is getting other people involved. I thrive on outside stimulus and interaction, so it’s cool to show them their animals and see them get excited about the next set. And it keeps the curveballs coming as they try to stump me

Poe-etic License: What started as a silly conversation with a friend became one of my favorite exercises for a while. I make sketches of word-associations of Edgar Allan Poe. I made Edgar Allan Crow, then Fro, then Toe…I made a couple and posted them on Facebook, and suddenly friends from all circles, from all over the country were throwing out Poes for me to illustrate. It’s such a dumb project, but so much fun to get brilliant ideas that I’d never think to draw. I’ve been working on doing more finished pieces in the set and writing poems to accompany them and compile them into a little ‘zine soon. As I write this, I have a Pillsbury Poe Boy baking in the oven – Seriously!

Basically, I stay inspired by keeping myself laughing and learning. I create because it makes me happy, and I want it to make other people happy, too. My recommendation would be that if something makes you smile, don’t just talk about it. Don’t just write it down. Make it into something and share it with the world. It’ll be a better place because of it.

Q:
You’ve done some killer collaborations with the likes of Dog & Ponyshow Prints. What has been your favorite collaborative experience thus far?

A:
Dog & Pony is always great to work with. It’s fronted by one of my best friends, and it’s always a blast doing prints with them. I love doing a project with someone who I admire as an artist and a friend. But really, I look at almost every piece as a collaboration, whether it’s with an artist or a client. I know it sounds cliche or phoney, but it’s true. My favorite collaborations have probably been with a friend in Virginia. He’s been doing one-man bands since I was in high school, and one day we were talking, and discussed my working with him on one of his albums. Since then, I’ve illustrated four of his releases, and it’s always fun listening to the music and discussing the art with him, and coming up with a total package that works. Plus he has a DIY aesthetic that’s really refreshing. And it’s really cool having cassette tapes and 7” records with my designs on them.

Q:
What’s on the horizon for Eric Blair Extraordinaire?

A:
I have a few animation ideas I’ve been kicking around for a while that I would really like to make. I’m just hoping to continue expanding my creative arsenal with more work in photography and video. I’d also like to create some audience-participation projects that exist beyond my Facebook wall, and hit a broader audience. It’s nice to share the fun with friends, but it’s even nicer to make new friends because of it!

~ Ben, Membership Comittee

Designers and Students Gather for Annual Student Portfolio Review

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 16:36:11 -0400

The 23rd annual Student Portfolio Review wrapped up a great weekend of design inspiration Saturday, April 14 at the UNF Student Union. More than 40 professional designers took time to spend a beautiful weekend day indoors with our 2012 graduates. This is truly what makes AIGA Jacksonville so incredible.

After an inspiring Friday evening lecture with Dan Kuhlken from DKNG Studios, students were eager to show off their work and become the next design superstar. The review got off to a great start. The room was abuzz with activity. Students from five area design programs—Flagler College, Jacksonville University, Savannah College of Art and Design, University of Florida and University of North Florida—were busy showing their work, compiled into a small book highlighting their best pieces. The quality of work continues to be at a very high standard. All of the students’ professors should be commended on their efforts to instill this level of skill in graduating students.

This year, there was a continued trend to show work digitally. The winner of the review, Ryan Perera from UNF, had an iPad portfolio of primarily interactive and motion work. Sonni Delzani from Flagler College took second place and Barbara Georges from UNF placed third. Davin Parker, Alexandra Maisa, Abby Pratchios, Luis Gonzales, Gabby Burleson, Chelsea Alford and Jill St. Clair rounded out the top 10 portfolios. Overall, there were more than 70 students and student observers at the event.

The judges, Karen Kurycki, Ian Latchmansingh and Dan Kuhlken, were impressed with the overall quality of work. They were tasked with selecting the top three books from the top 10. Scores submitted during the course of the review were averaged out to get our top 10 portfolios. The judges then carefully went through all of the selected books. Ultimately, the decision to go with Perera’s digital book was based on the unanimous decision that his work was “very professional.” Special thanks to all of the professionals, participants and volunteers who continue to make this a great way to end another fantastic year of AIGA programming. We hope to see you next year at the Student Portfolio Review Weekend.

~Dave, Co-Director of Education

View photos on Flickr

Inspiration and Insight from DKNG

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 16:05:00 -0400

Our members often tell us design inspiration is one of the most important benefits in their AIGA membership, and this past Friday night was packed with just that. DKNG is one of the baddest studios out right now working with entertainment and music clients – industries that often times produce some of the freshest and most inspirational outcomes. AIGA Jacksonville was lucky enough to host DKNG founding partner Dan Kuhlken to kick off the 23rd Annual Student Portfolio Review. As a young professional exploding with talent, Dan was able to speak to both student and professional members in the audience alike. He spoke about what inspires him, the creative process, presentation and execution, criteria for selecting work, pricing, community management and much more. All subjects that are interesting and helpful to a designer of any age.

While the design work was extremely impressive and certainly provided for beautiful context, the discussion around how DKNG works, their processes, and ideology were extremely valuable. In the hectic world of deadline driven design it seems that some of the formalities of process can often be overlooked. Dan made clear how these important steps along with thoughtful feedback from trusted colleagues can lead to a more successful project as a whole. He emphasized how preliminary steps such as research, brainstorming, and refinement are necessary. Equally important are the presentation and execution. The DKNG brand of process is unique. They break up what they see as essential components into a predetermined portions that fit with nearly any type of project. These components focus on steps such as a proposal of an idea to the client, delegation of work within the studio, the heavy lifting of the tangible illustration and design elements and finally the art direction and completion of the project.

Outside of the hands-on creative approach to producing successful work, Dan also presented higher level design business information that is an important component to any studio. Through hard work and time, great work will continue to be produced over the development of a design career and/or business. The selection of work you take on can become more stringent due to increase in demand and the budgets that surround projects. This was really interesting information for designers with a passion and determination to create a long term place for themselves in the industry. He looked at the need to select work in a thoughtful manner and referenced a Venn diagram solution, where he would require 2 out of 3 criteria to rationalize taking on a project. Essentially it was broken down into 3 considerations: Portfolio, Budget, and Happiness. Would the project be good for the DKNG portfolio to enhance the prospect of future business? Is the project financially sound, having a solid budget that would be profitable to the studio? Will the work please the studio as opposed to being a morale buster? If the answer to at least 2 these question was a yes, then the project was qualified for consideration to bring in. In addition to selection of work, he also discussed advantages of project based versus hourly pricing and how to market to the modern, technically savvy online community.

AIGA Jacksonville provides many benefits, and in my opinion this event showcased all of the most important qualities that the group provides our creative community. The presentation was not only highly inspirational but more importantly educational – providing me with pointers and viewpoints I can apply to my studio and career immediately. Dan was a real class act, traveling all the way from Santa Monica to Jacksonville to share his work and insights into the design industry. Not only did he prepare an awesome presentation but was also generous enough to join the AIGA Jacksonville Board for a couple nights of casual fun, even attending the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra featuring Ben Folds!

Many thanks to Dan for coming out and becoming a friend to AIGA Jacksonville – it’s a weekend both student and professional members will not soon forget!

~ Patrick, Vice President

View photos on Flickr

Recap: The Morning Leak

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 13:25:52 -0400

Last week, creative professionals and students alike gathered Wednesday morning for an invigorating dose of inspirational show and tell via The Morning Leak at CoWork Jax!

Kristina Cancelmi kicked things off with a look into her process for developing the branding for the IN2IT Surf Company.

Greg Ausum & Theresa Lopez kept things going with an in-depth look at their joint effort to build the Local Loyalties brand. Theresa went over the challenges and process of design, while Greg went on to explain the challenges of implementing his custom CMS.

Next, Katy Garrison & Russel Quadros tag teamed a presentation on their journey with the Native Sun brand including web, in-store signage and interactive experiences.

Finally, photographer, Jensen Hande showcased an elegant photo series displaying the friendly side of notable tattoo artists. Also revealed was his work with the Legend Series - a guerilla dinner event put on by local chefs, musicians, and artists elite.
 
As always, if you missed out this time be sure to join us next month for another inspirational gathering at The Morning Leak! If you’d like to share a project, contact us at membership@aigajacksonville.org to reserve your slot. See you next month!

~ Ben, Membership Committee

Promoting Design for Good

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 09:45:54 -0400

Nestled in between two of Jacksonville’s favorite local craft breweries CoRK Arts District is 80,000 sq. ft. of artist studios and galleries. CoRK opened its doors and welcomed artists, patrons, vendors, dancers and local organizations of all sizes to its event Cultivating Culture, hosted by ARBUS Magazine. Among our friends, neighbors, and new ears to bend AIGA snapped open a folding table, slathered the surface with goods, propped our banner into place, and started spreading the good word. Design.

A better forum couldn’t be found to interact with people who love their community and aren’t afraid to get out and make it the best it can be. Amidst this social interaction seemed the perfect setting to start a conversation with Jacksonville about design-driven social change. Design for Good.

For a large sprawling event, where modern dancers slowly moved through the corridors and people gasped at the return of their favorite Carrot-Dog; board members were having one-on-one conversations about their favorite city and the role of Design for Good in its future. Bound to be only the first of many local events with AIGA in attendance and ‘Design for Good’ in our thoughts.

We look forward to starting the conversation with you.

~ Caroline, Social Impact Director

Awesome Process Video by DKNG Studios

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 14:03:42 -0400

Awesome process video by DKNG Studios to get you geared up for the Portfolio Review Weekend—An Evening with Dan Kuhlken from DKNG Studios, beginning 4/13!

Inaugural IN Lunch Meet

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 11:26:15 -0400

The Jacksonville AIGA’s new In-house program kicked off March 13 with the first IN Lunch Meet at the San Marco Pizza Palace. A variety of in-housers showed up to see what the lunch meat, I mean “Lunch Meet,” was all about.

After introductions, the group chatted over pizza and salad about topics as varied as job descriptions and internal department structure, to No Meat March and having mushrooms coming out of your ears. It was a nice way to connect with fellow designers and understand that some of the challenges we face as in-house designers are commonplace in this sector of the design world.

The IN Lunch Meet is the beginning of in-house specific programming for the Jacksonville AIGA chapter as a part of the INitiative that the AIGA national chapter is promoting. For more info on INitiative, please visit http://www.aiga.org/inhouse-initiative/.

The next IN Lunch Meet will be May 8 at a location in the Beaches area, to be determined. Stay tuned to the events page!

~ Meredith, In-house Programming Chair

P.S. A big thank you to AIGA Jacksonville board member Ben Windsor for creating the IN Lunch Meet logo!

Join Us for the Morning Leak

Mon, 09 Apr 2012 14:35:36 -0400

Kick the day off right with some freshly brewed creative inspiration at The Morning Leak! Come and see what your local artists and designers are working on in this exciting “show and tell” event. Spectators are welcome too, join the conversation and bring your own work— we’ll be at CoWork Jax at 7:30am on Wednesday!

This month, we’ll be hearing from Katy Garrison & Russel Quadros, Kristina Cancelmi, Theresa Lopez & Greg Ausum, and Jensen Hande.

Calling All Reviewers

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 06:49:10 -0400

Are you a Jacksonville area creative with at least 2 years of industry experience? Want to positively influence the path of emerging student designers? Sign up to be a reviewer at The Portfolio Review Weekend—23rd Annual Student Portfolio Review!

Stocking 2.0

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 03:46:00 -0400

Way back in October 2011, AIGA Jacksonville “Stocked at Square One”. It was such a hit, we knew we had to bring it back.

With the help of Shutterstock, here are our favorite stocking photos starring our very own local designers:

1. Thumbs Up

2. Valentine’s Surprise

3. All the Single Ladies

4. Jessi Bruton?!

5. Ladies’ Man

6. Granny Popsicle

7. Rose Smell

8. Group Smell

~ Katie and Katy, TAC Team

Membership Spotlight: Samantha Wilbur

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 02:45:00 -0400

At 23, Samantha WIlbur is studying graphic design at the Art Institute of Jacksonville. She was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey but has lived in Jacksonville, Florida for most of her life. She started studying design in high school at Bartram Trail and went to The University of North Florida for two years to continue her studies. Since then, she transferred to the Art Institute of Jacksonville and has been there ever since. She will graduate in March of 2013 and is looking forward to working in Jacksonville before branching out to a major city. Right now, she works at the Art Institute in the Academic Arts office which allows her to design the majority of the flyers and posters that go up in the classrooms and around school. She also tries to get as much freelance work as she can handle while keeping up with her classes. She enjoys this, as it allows her to practice her design skills, while making money on the side. For fun she visits art galleries, rides motorcycles, and watches movies.

Q:
You’ve studied at both UNF and The Art Institute of Jacksonville. How long have you been interested in art-related fields and what led you to choosing graphic design?

A:
Ever since I was a child I have been attracted to the computer. At two years old I would sit at the computer and type in a word based document for hours. I have always been interested in art, as well, for as long as I can remember. My father would sketch out little characters for me, that he now says were slightly pitiful, but I always thought he was the best artist in the world. I have also worked on and off with my mother for over 8 years, since I was 13, teaching Microsoft Office programs to teachers for their recertification. Since the computer and art have been a consistent influence in my life, I feel like this is what has lead me into the graphic design field.

Q:
Have you studied any other areas besides Graphic Design during your education?

A:
Actually when I first signed up for school, at UNF, I was majoring in Psychology. I had aspirations of becoming a psychological criminal investigator and studying serial killers. :) Later on I decided that this field was suffocating my creative side and made the life-defining switch to graphic design.

Q:
You’ve been the President of the AIGA Student Group at the Art Institute for almost a year now. How did you first get involved in this student group and has it impacted you positively?

A:
I first became interested in AIGA at UNF, but never got involved with it until I switched to the Art Institute. The smaller group of people was very approachable and allowed me to work my way up from Secretary, to Vice President and then to President. I have enjoyed every moment as acting President of the student chapter at Ai. It has allowed me to grow creatively and expand my leadership qualities extensively. I love helping inspire the people around me and encouraging others to integrate design and networking through AIGA into their lives. The many workshops and speaker events that I have attended through AIGA have consistently inspired me, so I really enjoy passing this inspiration onto others.

Q:
Do you have any post-graduation plans? Will you stay in Jacksonville or do you plan to move elsewhere? What would you consider your dream job?

A:
After I graduate I would like to stay in Jacksonville for a while to learn as much as I possibly can. I would eventually love to travel to another major city and work within either a branding based design firm, or a competitive advertising firm. My absolute dream job is to become an art director and work collaboratively with others at a well-established design firm.

Q:
Do you have any advice or words of wisdom for students looking to get involved in a group like the AIGA? What helpful tips have you learned that you wish you would have known as a freshman?

A:
My advice to anyone who is trying something new is that you will be scared, everyone is. But once you get over your initial uncomfortable feelings and fear, you will learn to love it. Coming together with like-minded people always brings upon new ways of thinking and seeing. You’ve got to put yourself out there and experience life, because it will not coming looking for you. Being a part of these groups at school and locally will help you network, learn about new ways to improve your designs, and make lasting relationships with like-minded creatives. It is a priceless experience that will only accentuate your love for design.

~ Stephanie, Membership Co-Director

AIGA Jacksonville Helps Cultivating Culture

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 01:26:00 -0400

AIGA Jax Pres and Programming Co-Director, Karen and Jim, kicking back at Cultivating Culture this past month along with our Social Impact Director, Caroline Zwicker.

Cultivating Culture was a day aimed at bringing together as many creative, positive and progressive organizations with people actively working to further the momentum of the communal artistic and cultural growth and expression of Jacksonville.

“It was a great day and so wonderful to get to talk to the Jacksonville community about AIGA and the Design for Good initiative. We met a lot of great people and our Social Impact team is excited to develop a strategy on how we can start to partner with some of these other organizations, or at least begin to educate on the impact of design within their organizations.” —Karen

Designers Give Back Through Discover Design Mentoring Program

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 10:35:00 -0400

Students Create Mobile App Highlighting Jacksonville’s Hot Spots

They’ve created Get Out the Vote posters, designed billboards addressing social issues and invented ways to design more sustainable school ecosystems, but this year AIGA Jacksonville’s Discover Design students are tackling technology.

More than a dozen high school students interested in design from area schools—Atlantic Coast High School, Englewood High School, Frank H. Peterson Academies of Technology and Stanton College Preparatory School—meet each week and, with the guidance of their mentors, work to create a mobile app featuring Jacksonville’s insider locales. The app showcases a tour from each student with five unique destinations. Looking for great international cuisine? We’ve got you covered. Exploring the green scene here in Jacksonville? Get started with the app! Tours include a wide range of subjects as diverse as the students, from alternative sports to live music venues to neighborhood highlights and even the supernatural.

The program offers students a chance to learn about the design process and practice high-level creative thinking in a collaborative environment, gaining invaluable experience with design professionals, according to Casie Simpson, Discover Design co-chair with Natalie Kennedy.

“Mentors get back to their roots as designers by sharing their knowledge and experiences with the younger generation,” she says. “The app has allowed us to take a close look at the businesses, parks and cultural resources that make Jacksonville unique. We’ve had local professionals in to speak about incorporating students’ illustration, sculpture and photography skills into interactive touchscreen technology.”

Teams are putting the finishing touches on their tours, and the app will soon be rolled out to the community. “When they complete the project, students will realize the power of great design—the ability to communicate a message that both informs the audience and promotes action,” Casie says.

Thank You, Mentors!
Discover Design wouldn’t be possible without the design professionals who volunteer their time each week. A huge thank you to our 2012 mentors: Greg Ausum, Sean Collins, Jen Cone, Donald Dela Torre, Joey Egly, Dennis Eusebio, Barbara Georges, Bryan Hunt, Corey Kolb, Karen Kurycki, Ian Lachut, Ian Latchmansingh, Tiffany Monks, Andy Nguyen, Varick Rosete, Stephanie Soden, Nick Villalva, Ben Windsor and Summer Wood.

Students will show off their work at the final session this Saturday, April 7. Here’s a look at some of the fun we’ve had this year…

~Leah, public relations chair

(photography by Karen Kurycki)