How to Prepare A Design Portfolio for Ink & Pixels Portfolio Review

Posted on by AIGA Baltimore

Ink & Pixels Student Design Conference is almost here! Are you ready, students? As you prepare your portfolio for the portfolio review, keep these tips in mind so you can be set for success. Have any other tips to share? Add them in the comments!

Coming to Ink & Pixels but don’t have a portfolio? It’s OK! Just bring some of your recent work to share and our reviewers will give you feedback on how to improve and present it. 

  • Make a good impression by wearing professional attire, smiling, and arriving on time; better yet, arrive early.
  • Introduce yourself and shake hands. Tell the reviewer your name and something interesting about yourself: what type of industry you want to enter, why you chose the field of design, etc.
  • Include 7–10 pieces of your best work in your portfolio presentation. For a lasting impression, your first and last pieces should be your strongest.
  • Showing interactive work? Come prepared with a fully charged laptop or other portable device and make your projects available offline, in case an Internet connection isn’t available.
  • Be ready to discuss your work and answer questions. Explain how you developed the idea, what research was conducted, who the target audience was, and any challenges that you may have faced when creating it.
  • Don’t rush through your portfolio presentation. Speak at a normal pace and give the reviewer time to comment on each piece.
  • Be open to constructive criticism. The reviewer is there to help you. You can filter through the comments later and decide which changes to make. Bring a pen and paper to take notes.
  • Be prepared to give your resume and business card to the reviewer. Also, including a leave-behind with a few examples of your best work will make your presentation even more memorable.
  • Ask the reviewer questions about their job. Take the opportunity to learn about what they do and how they got there.
  • Ask for the reviewer’s business card and follow up with an email or note to thank them for their time and feedback.

Don’t miss out on your opportunity to meet three (or more!) professional Baltimore designers and get feedback on your work and your portfolio. Register now to grab your spot today and you will be entered to win a one-year subscription to Skillshare, a limited-edition poster, or a chance to have lunch with an Ink & Pixels speaker, too!

Board Spotlight: Michelle Fazenbaker

Posted on by AIGA Baltimore

From a young age, growing up in the small town of Grantsville, MD, Michelle had a strong desire to have a career in the arts. She overcame opposition (a career counselor advised her that she had no aptitude for the arts and would be better suited as a secretary), followed her dream, and studied Mass Communications at Towson University. She went on to earn a Masters in Publication Design from The University of Baltimore.

Since graduating she has enjoyed a long career in marketing and advertising with companies including Erickson Communities, Constellation Energy and, now Millennium Marketing Solutions, where Michelle has served as an Art Director for over five years.

AIGA Baltimore’s Board gives Michelle great opportunities to meet new people and support AIGA’s mission to advocate for the use of good design. When Michelle is not working,  she enjoys painting, playing pool on her APA billiards team and, spending time with friends and family. If you’re looking to make quick friends with Michelle, consider serving her a scoop of Ben & Jerry’s Everything But the Kitchen Sink ice cream (her favorite flavor), or a glass of Captain & Diet (it’s never made her sick, so she swears by it).

And, as for her favorite font, it’s American Typewriter, a highly under-appreciated font that offers variety and many styles. For Michelle, when used with a purpose, it can bring great impact to a design.

Lights! Camera! Action! An Evening with Dan Gerlach of Storyfarm

Posted on by AIGA Baltimore

How do you decide if you need video production services? Dan Gerlach, partner at Storyfarm, gave an informal talk at our February Blend and shared with us the value that video brings to promotions and how to employ a professional video production agency.

“When compared to text, still pictures, or audio on its own,” Dan said, “video is the most effective in fully engaging an audience because the average person is more likely to recall a message or take action after watching a video.” He went on to list the applications of video for business: presentation openers, product demos, orientations, FAQs, event highlights, and case studies.

“There’s a lot of room to get creative,” he said.

Dan advised attendees to consider what value a video may have for the intended audience before anything is created. “Avoid catering to internal stakeholders, focusing on sales, and exclusively highlighting your brand. Take the time to generate ideas for content that are both informational, entertaining, and ultimately attention-grabbing.”

Once you have a video concept, you should explore production options, keeping in mind that a video only needs to be two to three minutes long. Light-hearted gimmicks that are used for a temporary promotion might benefit from a simple DIY production, such as Vine, while a formal address explaining the cornerstones of a company needs a more professional approach.

“When evaluating an agency for video production,” Dan explained, “first look at their portfolio. The best video production agencies have YouTube pages filled with case studies, allowing you to gauge their quality and output. Next, look at your budget and their pricing. A two- or three-minute video will cost roughly $12-15k for 10 hours of professional production.”

Dan also suggested looking at what potential an agency has for a long lasting partnership, since working with the same company on multiple projects, such as a promotional series, may offer additional perks as well as discounts.

For an in-house or freelance designer, he had this advice: make sure you have a seat at the table while your company is working with a production agency. If you’re acting as the creative director, you will need to ensure that the visual identity and style is being held to the company’s brand standards.

For more information about Dan and Storyfarm, head over to their website and check out some of their production videos on Vimeo.

Joshua Uzzell is a well-rounded graphic designer who previously helped plan AIGA Baltimore’s monthly Blend and Converse events. Check out his work at www.joshuauzzell.com.

Board Spotlight: Vanessa Vichayakul

Posted on by AIGA Baltimore

Although Vanessa Vichayakul grew up in Montgomery County, she lived in Thailand for six years. She speaks Thai and French, and her two favorite cities in the world (so far), are Paris and Istanbul. Vanessa loves to travel and see how other people live their lives. And, when she has time, she enjoys reading, writing, cooking, and yoga.

Vanessa is tuned into the local design community and says the opportunities to meet people are great. Even though she’s currently employed full-time as a Public Relations Coordinator with TEKsystems, she’s met a bunch of people she’s been able to learn from. Her networking skills are put to great use through her position as Visibility Director on the board.

Outside of her 9-to-5, Vanessa also freelances as a marketing and brand strategist, with some copywriting and graphic design projects thrown in there, too. She picked up graphic design while getting her M.A. in Design Management and fostered a love for organizing a conceptual message into a visual format. “Design is problem solving,” she says, “So you work within constraints and for a purpose.”

When asked about her thoughts about the AIGA Baltimore board, she says, “They’re such a fabulous group of people, and, even though some of us are new, we really work together as a great team.”

We asked her to name her favorite “must see” spot in Baltimore. “Though it’s in plenty of guidebooks, I’ve grown fond of Fort McHenry. It’s so peaceful.” And her drink of choice?

“Before 5pm, it’s a whole milk cappuccino,” she says, “But after 5pm, it’s a good Malbec.”

Converse: An Evening with R2integrated

Posted on by AIGA Baltimore

What exactly does a design firm want to see in your resume and portfolio? AIGA Baltimore (and a few very lucky students and professionals) went to the source to find out. R2integrated, the award-winning digital marketing agency that recently joined Baltimore’s skyline, welcomed us to their Pratt Street headquarters for some insight into their hiring process and individual portfolio reviews.

After an exciting studio tour and an introduction to the r2i team, we broke into small groups to discuss job application tactics. There were so many great tips! The advice we heard reflects what r2i seeks from their prospective employees, but it’s also useful for any potential design job. Here’s some highlights:

  • Be memorable…in a good way. Find ways to make a strong impression with your resume, your portfolio, and your interactions throughout the interview process.
  • A sense of humor and the absence of a cocky attitude are key personality traits.
  • Your resume should be concise and easy to skim, because the person reading it usually just wants to get to the good stuff — your design samples. Visual hierarchy is key!
  • When presenting your work online, don’t use a crappy-looking portfolio website, even if it’s got a professional-sounding domain name. The reviewer is looking at your work, not your URL, and if web coding isn’t your strength, use Behance or Squarespace for a better presentation.
  • In an interview, don’t show more than 10 projects. Do make sure to lock down your design story before presenting. Explain your goal for each project, but keep it brief and interesting.
  • You’re not the only person being interviewed — research the company beforehand, and ask questions!
  • r2i appreciates a good print project, but they are web-based first and foremost, so include examples of web design (especially responsive design!)

Check out r2i’s full list of tips here!

Thanks again to the team at r2integrated for a fabulous and inspiring evening!

Psst…are you a design student or recent grad who’s interested in more job search tips and portfolio feedback? Join us for the third annual Ink & Pixels Student Design Conference, on April 12 at Stevenson University. Learn to present yourself and get constructive feedback from the pros. More information is coming soon — join our mailing list and follow us on Facebook and Twitter to get the deets!


Meredith Burke is a web & print designer, knitter, and craft beer enthusiast. She lives in Baltimore with her husband and a black cat named Brock Samson. Currently, Meredith’s working on beefing up her front-end dev skills. Check out mdith.com to see her work.

Greg Jericho spends an awful lot of time designing for clients that do not exist. Check out his work at gregoryjericho.prosite.com.

Photo credit: Kate Lawless. When she isn’t scheduling social media and writing blog posts for AIGA Baltimore, you can find Kate Lawless designing communications, digital signs, documentation, and interactive software elearning for University of Maryland Faculty Physicians, Inc., in Baltimore. You can reach Kate on Twitter @katereeez or at socialmedia@baltimore.aiga.org.

Behind the Scenes: February’s Open Board Meeting

Posted on by AIGA Baltimore

What is AIGA, and what do we do?

Last month, the AIGA Baltimore board welcomed designers and design advocates to check out our monthly meeting at Heavy Seas Alehouse. AIGA members were invited to grab a beer and be a part of the conversation as we talked about the past month and what we’ve got in store for the future. Spoiler: a lot.

We met up at the Alehouse where our Membership Director, Marisa Martin, introduced AIGA Baltimore and its board members. Shortly after, the meeting was called to order and everyone in attendance was given the opportunity to make suggestions, all of which were discussed with the group and noted by board members for possible action.

Since we had some people who couldn’t make it to the meeting we’re posting a recap of our February meeting here. Take a look and share your feedback on what you might want to see from us.

Marisa started off the evening with a short history of AIGA’s past, present, and future.

If you’d also like to know a little history, our national website is a great place to learn about AIGA and what we do.

How old is AIGA?

  • 100!
  • This year, we’re reflecting on our history and planning our legacy

We’re developing a strategic plan:

  • A national committee is is currently reviewing all current practices and policies, ensuring that we’ll be a strong, respected institution for another 100 years
  • Based on their findings, they’ll develop a five-year strategic plan for implementing the envisioned change

Major recurring themes and recommendations:

  • Members and chapters are the nexus of the AIGA experience
  • Membership engagement is key to viability and loyalty
  • Members expect greater means of connecting with each other
  • We are our members, not an omniscient institution

AIGA Baltimore is celebrating a milestone…!

  • We just turned 25!
  • We had a big celebration during Design Week but, as with AIGA national, this calls for our own period of reflection
  • AIGA Baltimore is taking national’s membership focus and translating it to our chapter and our community

We’re focusing on creating and increasing:

  • Personal connections and engagement
  • Value for our events
  • Inclusiveness and transparency

Next, we shared some insight into AIGA Baltimore’s operations.

Meetings:

  • The entire board gathers every first Monday of the month for about 2 hours
  • We meet in smaller groups as needed
  • Basecamp is the chapter’s current project management tool of choice. Our legacy information is saved in PBWorks and is shared with all chapters
  • Once every 6 months, we have a board retreat, an extended day-long meeting

Leadership Retreat:

  • National conference just for board members
  • Number of attendees depends on the size of your chapter (we send 4 board members)
  • Connect with National and board members from the other 66 chapters

Who are all these people?!

We introduced ourselves, guests and all, which helped provide more context to our conversation. You can find a list of our current board members here. For a personal look at each one of us, keep your eye on our blog for Board Member Spotlights.

Then the board meeting began.

We ran through some important action items for upcoming events and communications. The usual meeting agenda was condensed for our guests’ sake, as the amount of information covered can get overwhelming sometimes, even for us. Board membership is hard work, but we volunteer because we love what we do!

Our State of the Chapter address followed.

Jennifer Marin, Co-President

  • Co-Presidents are in close communications with AIGA National and other presidents across the country (lots of phone calls!)
  • Last year’s chapter goals:
    • Strengthen the chapter by growing size of membership and the board
    • Increase visibility by creating meaningful relationships with area organizations
    • Provide consistent and valuable programming
  • 2014 chapter goals:
    • Ensure the stability of the board through succession planning
    • Diversify outreach by programming relevant events to a wider variety of disciplines

Courtney Glancy, Programming Director

  • 2011: joined during big transition on the board/membership, audit and re-evaluated programming
  • 2012: ran 10 special events (non-recurring events)
  • 2013: ran 15 special events with many attendees
  • We’ve come a long way. In 2013 the membership structure changed; we adapted and figured out how to make events worth it in a way that’s profitable and cost effective
  • All our profits go back into programming and operating expenses
    • Operating expenses: storage unit, web hosting, insurance, board retreats, etc.
  • Premium Blend: look out for these special Blend events
    • Blend used to be a happy hour for designers, but we evolved them into a mini-lecture series: they’re informational, relevant, and, at the same time, very social
  • Ink & Pixels: a student conference that debuted in 2012. We had a loss that year, but made up for it in 2013.
  • Design Week: Also debuted in 2012. In 2013, we increased engagement and attendance. Watch out for DW2014! It’ll be awesome.
  • 2014 goals:
    • continue to evaluating programming for relevance, profit, and value
    • increasing the number of valuable special events
    • listen to members more to hear about what our audience wants to see, so we know what ‘value’ means in programming

Kara Turner, Communications Director

  • What aren’t you seeing that you’d like to see? Let us know: communications@baltimore.aiga.org.
  • Social Media: Won CBS Local Affiliate award for Best Local Art Enthusiasts to Follow on Twitter

Greg Jericho, Digital Publications Chair

Michelle Fazenbaker, Special Events Director

  • Part of the focus for 2014 is to celebrate AIGA’s centennial
    • The goal of this year is to create awareness on a national level and on a chapter level
  • Design a Chair project is one example
    • National got a company to donate chairs and Baltimore had the opportunity to design a chair with children’s artwork from Art with a Heart.
    • Our chair is in NYC right now at the AIGA gallery.
    • We’ll get it back and donate it back to Art with a Heart after the design chair show

Marisa Martin, Membership Director

  • Considering the new(-ish) membership structure and the refined focus on membership, it’s an important, yet challenging, time to be a Membership Director
  • We increased membership by 32% in 2013!
  • We will hold two membership drives in 2014, so be on the lookout!
  • Opening the doors of communication with members and the community
    • Not just growing but maintaining a strong, thriving membership base and design community in Baltimore
  • Defining the value of membership and ways to increase engagement, retention and grow membership
  • Nationwide, we have 1000+ events per year, 100+ per month; global events, too
    • Important that you find them valuable, and we need your input!
  • Members drive the AIGA content, and give us the capital to continue providing what you need
    • 90% of the sustaining memberships (mid-level at $250) goes directly back to the chapter

Sara Blumberg, Volunteer Chair

Finally, we opened the floor for input, questions, and comments from our attendees.

Feedback highlights:

AIGA as a whole is still being considered an organization primarily focused on print-based graphic design, something one of our attendees voiced this evening. As AIGA continues to evolve, our goal is to be more inclusive of all industries related to design; however, we cannot do this alone. By partnering with other organizations like Refresh, R2integrated, ADG Creative, Gilah Press + Design, and Storyfarm (just to name a few!), we can work together to connect our communities. As one of our favorite member attendees stated:

Design is at a certain crossroads; not just print, not just digital. There needs to be a re-education of what design actually is. It’s more than just style and aesthetics. People outside of design don’t really understand that.

Our job at AIGA is to facilitate that conversation, but it’s up to you to spread the word!

And we posed a question for Attendees: If you could come to any AIGA event, what would it be about? Here are some of their suggestions.

  • Code vs design interaction: how do you make the it beautiful and not have a multi-car pile-up in the intersection of design and code?
  • Speed developing: bring in a design and translate it into code
  • Design/development training for clients
  • Portfolio development: possibly submitting a design online, feedback is presented, have an event to show the re-draft
  • Infographics: a workshop series about getting data and creating infographics from it
  • When do you know when to hire your first employee as a design entrepreneur? What kind of employee should you hire? And other challenges from a business perspective

Now what are your ideas? Leave us a comment below or email us at info@baltimore.aiga.org!

Touring through the National Parks Conservation Association’s Brand Journey

Posted on by AIGA Baltimore

When Scott Kirkwood joined the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA), headquartered in Washington, DC, as the senior editor of National Parks magazine 9 years ago, he knew he had a lot of work to do. The magazine was in desperate need of a redesign, the annual report had been neglected, and the logo hadn’t been revised since dinosaurs roamed the planet. He could sum up the brand in one word: stale.

But he said “We can do better!” Scott buckled down and began making small tweaks to the design department’s production and nearly 10 years later he’s lived to tell the tale of the NPCA’s brand revitalization. His side-kick, Annie Riker (who came on as a designer at NPCA in 2006) joined him on Tuesday, January 28, 2014, to talk to a large audience of brand-hungry design lovers at Groove Commerce’s new digs in Harbor East.

Participants nodded in agreement as Scott and Annie revealed their views on cultivating client and partner relationships and what constitutes engaging content. Check out some of the highlights from our Twitter feed below and some great moments captured above.

Continue reading “Touring through the National Parks Conservation Association’s Brand Journey”

Board Spotlight: Marisa Martin

Posted on by AIGA Baltimore

Meet Marisa! She’s definitely the most energetic person you’ll meet today (or this month), so you know we’re super-lucky to have her as our Membership Director.

Born in Kansas and raised in New Jersey, Marisa found herself in Baltimore for college. She started out as a bio/psych major, pursuing her need to figure out how and what makes people tick. As a kid, she constantly doodled in notebooks but never thought much of it…but by her senior year, she’d found her calling in graphic design and had fallen in love with Charm City.

Ask her what she loves about design and she’ll say it’s all about the people.

“I love being able to connect with others through my work,” she says. “From designing a website to a printed piece, translating ideas into words and images, and then communicating with others through that end result, is the ultimate thrill for me.”

Marisa’s love of design and being social translates well to her role on the board. “Being on the board is great because I get to be part of a solid community of designers. I want to help change the perception of designers within society. Designers should be strategists and leaders who shape the world and make it a better place to be, not just people who simply make pretty things. With the local and national support of AIGA, I think we can do that!”

On the list of her many influences, Marisa has found both inspiration and comfort in a letter written by Jean-Paul Sartre. In this letter he writes, “There may be more beautiful times, but this one is ours. And let’s do it with everything.” It serves as a reminder be true to herself⏤to grab life by the horns and make the most out of it. She says, “You may not be in your ideal situation, but you have the power to work your way there!”

When Marisa isn’t designing, playing field hockey or jamming to music, she dreams of traveling. “I want to go everywhere and see everything. There’s no place not on my list to visit. I want to learn what makes other people tick and how they work, think and react.” Marisa’s favorite part about traveling: putting herself in someone else’s shoes and understanding how they live.

And if she had to create an ice cream flavor that captured the spirit of Charm City, she’d serve up a scoop of steamed crab Old Bay ice cream in a Berger cookie cone!

Board Spotlight: Kate Lawless

Posted on by AIGA Baltimore

Kate Lawless loves design because of its visual connections to words. She loves Baltimore because it’s a vibrant and weird city. This is the perfect storm for her role as AIGA Baltimore’s social media chair. When not gardening, crafting, cooking, or tweeting, she’s working as a designer at University of Maryland Faculty Physicians, Inc., creating eLearning modules, print materials, and digital signage.

Kate says she wanted to join our board to give back to the creative community while working to strengthen it. She says, “It’s a bonus that our meetings are held in bars, so I have a beer with designer friends frequently.”

When pressed for details about her “vibrant and crazy” thoughts on Baltimore, she says, “I know of this place called WC Harlan, a 1920’s style speakeasy bar, but I promised not to say where it is.” And while she loves the city’s ‘crab’ symbolism, she’d update the iconography to be more a celebration of the row home.

Currently, she’s listening to Daft Punk’s Random Access Memories. We asked her for a critique of the album’s cover.

“It’s too robotic,” she said, “Not enough punk and funk. I would start with the black background, definitely keeping it dark, but adding in some zags or blasts of color in an abstract composition with a spray paint texture.”

Got questions for Kate about AIGA Baltimore’s social media? Email her at socialmedia@baltimore.aiga.org.

AIGA Washington,DC Presents Post Typography

Posted on by AIGA Baltimore

Our pals in DC are offering up the ultimate party: a night of design and music featuring Baltimore duo Post Typography. The award-winning designers will present their ‘Greatest Misses,’ then deliver their ‘greatest hits’ at the first-class music venue, The Fillmore Silver Spring. Check it out this Thursday at 7 pm!

The design studio’s principals, Nolen Strals and Bruce Willen, will give a behind-the-scenes peek at the design process, illustrated with projects that fell short, missed the mark, or were blown off-target by the fickle winds of client taste.

Originally conceived as an avant-garde anti-design movement, Post Typography specializes in graphic design, conceptual typography, and custom lettering/illustration with additional forays into art, apparel, music, curatorial work, design theory, and vandalism.

They’ll turn up the volume after the lecture for two sets of music featuring Strals and Willen: first instrumental duo Peals, then fiery punk band Pure Junk.

The lecture and concert will cost $14 and is an all-ages show. Registration for this event closes on January 16th at noon. Tickets will be sold day of the event, at the door, for $16 with an additional $1 service charge.

Get the full low down from AIGA Washington, DC.