Take The Next Step Towards Your Design Career
Ink & Pixels is one of AIGA Baltimore’s largest events focused on helping designers prepare for a job or career shift. Whether you want to make a good impression in interviews, need a new perspective on your portfolio, or want fresh eyes on a current project, we’re here to help. Now more than ever, we believe in the importance of finding alternative ways to come together in the community and share the knowledge and resources we have with each other.
This year, Ink & Pixels will be a 2-part event. This event page is for the Ink & Pixels portfolio reviews that we are excited to announce will be returning to in-person for the first time in over 2 years! Join us Saturday, April 30th at the Center for the Arts located on Towson University's campus. Mark your calendars and clean up those portfolios! The first event will be a virtual panel, The Art of Getting Hired on Saturday, on April 23rd. Sign up for the first event here.
AIGA Baltimore is excited to host this annual event that brings together students and professionals who share a passion for design and its future. Join us and share your excitement on social media using the hashtag #inknpixels.
What to expect Sat. April 30th:
Keynote Speaker, Workshops, & Portfolio Reviews
Keynote Speaker — "Being Prepared to Get or Leave Your Dream Job"
You’ve got your portfolio together, you've been mastering your craft—now what? Find a job, obviously! Monique Jenkins, Towson University Professor, Thinkful UX Mentor, and UX Designer and Founder of j.kins, will give you an edge with a talk on ways to prepare for securing that job you've been working towards obtaining since day one. And she will touch on the process of preparing yourself to move on from your dream job to what's next in your career.
About the Speaker
Monique Jenkins
Chief Executive Officer, J.Kins Creative
jkinscreative.com
Monique Jenkins is the woman behind the studio that focuses on designing and uplifting fellow business owners to succeed in the face of adversity. She is a Towson University Professor, Thinkful UX Mentor, and UX Designer. Monique finds her joy in empowering people, visual storytelling, and moving bravely through any obstacle with her clients. Monique attended Towson University for advertising, marketing, and communications. After her Bachelor’s Degree, she went further and attained a Master’s Degree in Publication Design from the University of Baltimore. Always challenging herself, she then blazed the trail from graphic design to UX design.
Monique then tapped into her need to uplift others through education, first as a professor, next as a mentor, and now, she adds human-centered design to her identifiers. Monique drives to create a space for everyone, and she uplifts marginalized professionals and people through beautiful branding, visual storytelling, optimized videos, and enticing graphics. She believes that our vulnerability gives us power, and she knows that true success comes from our stories. Monique has found success with a variety of clients in a variety of businesses. Her work emphasizes the humanity within us all and the stories that we all share.
Workshops
“Have a Nice Day” Project with Jess Watson
Hang out and network with other Ink & Pixels attendees while writing positive messages on coffee cup sleeves. Then watch those messages make their way around Baltimore city.
This project started as a social experiment to demonstrate how we’re all connected and over 6,500 coffee cup sleeves have been donated to date. In this workshop, you will get creative and make someone’s day. Read the full Have a Nice Day story here.
How to Apply to New Digs & Make Your Resume Pop!
Here's your chance to get face-to-face answers about how to get your resume in front of recruiters and make yourself stand out from the crowd. Join in on discussions about a variety of topics such as resume and cover letter writing, interview preparation, networking/visibility tips, and how to get noticed when applying for your next job.
Portfolio Reviews
After lunch, attendees will present their portfolios to regional design professionals and receive constructive, one-on-one evaluations. This is your chance to show professional designers your portfolio in a no-risk, non-competitive environment. The portfolio review is designed to give you advice and insight that will improve the way you present yourself and your work. You will practice your interview skills and receive honest feedback about your portfolio and resumé. Each attendee will have their portfolios reviewed by 3 reviewers during their review session.
Schedule
10:00–10:30: Registration
10:30–10:45: Welcome
10:45–11:20: Keynote
11:20–11:30: Q&A
11:30–12:00: Atrium: Networking, Sponsor Tables and Headshots
12:00–1:00: Lunch
1:00–2:25: Portfolio Reviews & Workshops
- Portfolio reviews (3 reviews 25 mins each)
- Workshops (2 workshops 35 mins each)
2:30–2:45: Break and Switch
2:45–4:25: Portfolio Reviews & Workshops
- Portfolio reviews (3 reviews 25 mins each)
- Workshops (2 workshops 35 mins each)
Pricing:
- $20 for AIGA student members*
- $25 for non-member students
- $25 for AIGA professional members*
- $30 for non-members professionals
Tickets will include a lunch voucher that can be used in The Glen Dining Hall.
* Are you an AIGA member? Access your special ticket price through the event on our website. Click 'Member' button and you'll be prompted to log into your AIGA account to verify membership.
We are also welcoming volunteers to help make this day a success! Volunteers earn free/discounted admission and can assist with a variety of roles like blogging, photography & video, set up & clean up, social media coverage, and plenty more. Contact us for more information – first come, first served basis.
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Ticket Pricing:
Note: Our ticket fees support operation fees, speaker stipends, student awards, and other free programming for our creative community. If you are unable to afford a ticket at this time and would like to attend, we want to accommodate you. Please reach out to info@baltimore.aiga.org with any questions or concerns.
Sponsored by the Towson University Graphic Design Program
COVID Information
We recommend that all participants be fully vaccinated and those not fully vaccinated wear a mask while indoors. If you are experiencing any symptoms before the event we request that you stay home. Towson University has removed their indoor mask wearing policy and those going into their facilities are no longer required to wear masks. We will be sharing some of the space with other parties (notable the Atrium). We will have control over who accesses the rooms for Portfolio Reviews and Workshops.
We will be watching closely and following any changes in CDC, Maryland State, TowsonU, and local COVID guidelines. If a mask mandate is reinforced we will require all attendees to be masked. More day-of details will be sent along a few days before the event on what to expect. We ask that you please be mindful of other attendees and respectful of their personal space. During Portfolio Reviews we encourage those who feel more comfortable to be masked to do so and if the person reviewing or being reviewed requests it to mask up. If you have any questions or concerns please reach out to us at info@baltimore.aiga.org.
About the Venue
One of the nation’s top 100 public universities, Towson University offers a welcoming environment for living and learning, close to many educational, cultural and community resources.
Directions to Center for the Arts
If coming from the Baltimore Beltway (I-695): Take Charles Street (Exit 25S) and continue one mile. Turn left at the traffic light onto Towsontown Boulevard. At the second traffic light, turn right onto Osler Drive. The Center for the Arts is on the left at the corner of Cross Campus and Osler Drives.
Parking
Parking for the Center for the Arts is across the street in the Union Garage. Here's a google map link with directions. Parking is free on weekends. View more information about visitor parking locations and rates. Once parked, proceed to the lower floor of the garage and take the path that leads to Cross Campus Dr. Take the crosswalk that intersects the garage and the Center for the Arts building. Then proceed to the double doors to enter the venue building. Follow signage to registration located on the 2nd floor.
Accessibility
If you need any accommodations to fully access the event, please get in touch with us by April 25th at: info@baltimore.aiga.org.
Please refer to this campus guide for an overview on Towson University's approach to making their campus more accessible. Note that there will have an elevator available for use within the venue.
Code of Conduct
AIGA Baltimore expects that all attendees treat each other with respect, openness, and in adherence to the guidelines specified in AIGA’s Code of Conduct, which can be found here: Code of Conduct.
Refund Policy
Credit/debit cards only — no cash or checks will be accepted.
Please note that in order to continue to provide quality programming, our policy is not to issue refunds unless an event has been canceled.
