19+ Unique Gifts for Creatives | Gift Guide

Posted on by Krystal Carpintieri

Need a gift for the graphic designer or creative friend in your life? We can help! We’ve compiled an amazing list of 19+ unique gifts. Everything on this list is under $40 dollars. We’ve included some Baltimore makers too. Check them out below!

  1. Draplin Design | Co. Handheld Decimal Equivalent Chart | $9.99
  2. Studio Cult | Stock Photo Pin & WordArt Pin | $12.99-$14.99
  3. Piecework | 1000 Piece Puzzle, Tchotchke | $36.00
  4. Archer & Olive | Acrylograph Pens Tropical Selection | $35.00
  5. BettieConfetti | Designer Gift Set | $29.40
  6. Pantone | Postcard Box | $16.88
  7. The Ivy Bookshop | The Secret Lives of Color (Hardcover) | $20.00*
    The Ivy Bookshop
    The Ivy Bookshop
  8. UI PROGO | UI Steel Stencil Kit | $14.95
  9. honshoney | Mini Bundle | $18.00*
  10. Moleskine | Classic Large Notebook | $19.95
  11. Baltimore Print Studios | Riso Wave Print | $25.00*
    Baltimore Print Studios Riso Wave Print
    Baltimore Print Studios
  12. Rifle Paper Co. | Sticky Note Folio | $14.00
  13. Su & Lou | Bmore Kind Crewneck Sweatshirt | $38.00*
  14. Maryland Mercantile | Crabcake Recipe – Kitchen Towel | $15.00*
  15. The Bmore Brand | Bawduhmore Not Baltimore Tee | $25.00*
    The Bmore Brand
    The Bmore Brand
  16. Ama Scents | Relax Relate Release – Aromatherapy Spray | $15.00*
  17. Greedy Reads | Curated Bags | $30.00*
  18. Mess in a Bottle | Create Dope T-Shirt | $26.95*
  19. good neighbor | good neighbor tote bag | $32.00*
    good neighbor | tote bag
    good neighbor

*Baltimore Locals & Makers!

Need more gift ideas? AIGA Eye on Design just posted another fantastic gift list! Don’t forget an AIGA Membership is great too! Memberships start at just $50 dollars.

 

 

 

I&P Panel: Your Questions Answered!

Posted on by Krystal Carpintieri

If you missed the Ink & Pixels Designer Panel last week, we highly recommend you go back and watch the replay. “If I Knew Then What I Know Now” focused on honest, practical advice for new designers as well as those of us in a career transition, on how to navigate the job market during these uncertain times.

We had a vibrant community-led discussion with three experienced designers, who shared unique insights and tips from different perspectives across the design field. Our panelists opened up and gave us a raw and authentic view into their professional lives, as did members of our community who came together to share resources and provide emotional support.

For those who did make it, thank you for your incredible energy and engaging questions. We wish we could’ve answered them all before our brief time ran out. For those of you hungry for more, here’s the next best thing. Our three expert panelists are back to answer a few more of your most burning questions.

Emilee Beeson, Designer, and Illustrator

emileebeeson.com
Etsy | Instagram

Emilee Beeson is a graphic designer and illustrator with a broad creative skill set, contagious enthusiasm, and relentless drive for growth and learning.

What’s one non-design job you had that taught you something important? What did it teach you?
In the summers before I graduated from college I would work as much as I could to pay for my apartment and other expenses during the school year. At one point I was working three jobs. I started at 4 am at a gym smoothie stand, then had a shift at Chipotle, and in the evenings I worked at Coldstone Creamery. While it’s not a unique experience it makes me so grateful to have found a place in the design world. Having a good-paying job that aligns with your passions is such a privilege and it really helps me to find joy in my work when things get tough.

How can we use design for advocacy and social justice initiatives?
I am sure there is a bigger picture answer to this but I want to speak to the actionable side of it. Design is incredibly expensive so your skills can be a huge asset to organizations that can’t afford it. Social justice organizations and advocacy groups need logos, T-shirts, posters, print materials, websites, and social media assets just like any other group or business. A small and actionable way to use design is to volunteer your time and skills to these groups. Reach out to them and see how you can help. There are also a few events locally that you can participate in like the MICA Grassroots Design Fest and Make-A-Mark Baltimore.

As a job candidate, what is the appropriate amount of follow up, and how can you stand out and stay memorable among other applicants?
Unfortunately, there is no magic formula for the amount of follow up you should do. It’s awkward no matter what and each job situation is different. The reality is that your entire world might be hinging on that response and theirs probably isn’t. I personally think a phone call is a bad idea but a quick email doesn’t hurt if a considerable amount of time has passed.

I have found a good way to stand out is to have a leave behind for your interview. For me, that means a small package with my business card, resume, art prints, zines, and stickers. You are usually being interviewed by other designers/creatives that geek out about the same stuff you do. Giving them something physical that might hang around the office is a good way to stand out. I have also been on the receiving end of these leave-behinds and they are always a total delight. Make sure you bring extra in case someone wasn’t able to make it to your interview.

Perry Sweeper, Design Strategist

www.psweeper.com

Perry Sweeper is a 2020 doctoral candidate at the University of Baltimore, studying Information and Interaction Design.

What was your first step after graduation?
My first step after graduation was to take a comprehensive look at the classes that I completed and inventory the knowledge/skill-set that I gained during matriculation. I wanted to get a good understanding of the skills I acquired and the work that I produced. Then I could effectively communicate my experience to seek out the right next career steps. It was very important to me to be able to view my career in a multidimensional way: past, present, and then future.

What’s one non-design job you had that taught you something important? What did it teach you?
The non-design job that taught me something important was working as a shoe salesman. There was a mother that came into the store with her son who was looking for new shoes to wear to an important job interview. To help them I had to deal with many competing needs. The mother primarily sought a presentable shoe, at a good price point, that would make him look professional and would work for him later once he got the job.  But for the son, his main concern was to find shoes that were cool and that his friends would like. Because I knew the product well, I helped them find the right shoe in a sea of options and provided them with complimentary items like the right belt, socks, and shoe care. I also met my sales goals for the day and followed the company standards. When you do your job well in sales,  you increase the possibility that a customer will come back for a second, third, or fourth pair. It is also possible that their family will become lifetime customers and ambassadors for your brand. If you do enough of this, you could get even get a company bonus.

Design jobs require the uncanny ability to please multiple stakeholders, be detail-oriented, use effective communication, creativity, and sometimes serve angry customers. Much like retail and customer service jobs. Retail can be tough, especially during the holiday season. At the least, it can be a motivator to one day quit and move into that coveted design job you desire 😉

What kind of professional development should I be pursuing while in graduate school? Is it better to just focus on grad school until graduation?
In my opinion, it is important to focus on school while you are enrolled. School can require an incredible investment of time, energy, and money. It is in one’s best interest to do well. However, I believe in the value of experiential learning opportunities during academic breaks. They provide a way to apply all that one has learned during the semester in a real-life scenario. The right combination of theory and practice can lead to growth and career progression.

Alex Reynolds, Sr. Recruiter

cargocollective.com/alexanderreynolds
Instagram

Alexander is a Sr. Recruiter with Robert Half and Specializes in placing candidates that concentrate in the technology and creative fields.

What kind of professional development should I be pursuing while in graduate school? Is it better to just focus on grad school until graduation?
It entirely depends on the type of position you are looking to pursue. The easiest way to find out what kind of professional development that can assist in your job search is to look at job descriptions from industries/companies you would want to work for. They list the various software, certifications, or applications they find desirable in their candidates. – I would also seek to develop your professional network by going to Meet-Up Groups, Webinars, or Social Events. If you are more unsure about the kind of positions you are interested especially in the design/marketing space the main focuses (in a more general sense) tend to be Adobe Photoshop/Illustrator/InDesign, Social Media Management Tools, Email Management Tools, and Microsoft Office/Google Suite.

As a job candidate, what is the appropriate amount of follow up, and how can you stand out and stay memorable among other applicants?
The appropriate amount of follow up for a position you applied for is generally around 1 week if you haven’t heard any feedback – unless they have told you a specific time/date. The best way to stand out is to make sure your resume is able to speak to your skillset and experience and tie it back to a metric or result. Keep your resume to the point (bullet points tend to work best) because recruiters and hiring managers have to sort through a lot of resumes (sometimes in the hundreds) A lot of times hiring managers will just CTRL-F (Find Keywords highlighted in your resume). Make sure you are able to talk about how you have used a software, programming language, or tool and provide an example. A simple list at the bottom of the software you’ve used with no context is not enough.

How important do you feel a Masters’s degree is in the design field these days? Should I pursue it after graduation, or should I focus on looking for jobs and/or clients?
I think a Masters’s Degree tends to be more important if you are interested in teaching – or if you are looking at a specific field that requires one. Most design positions tend to look at a Bachelor’s degree or years of equivalent experience along with a solid portfolio and experience.

20+ Events for Creatives in Baltimore: March 2020

Posted on by Krystal Carpintieri

There are a plethora of amazing events in our area for creatives and creative professionals, so we’re shining a light on these events by groups like AMA Baltimore, BCAN, Baltimore Print Studios, AAF of Baltimore, Ladies Wine and Design Baltimore, and more. Do you know of an event that belongs on this list? We’d love to hear about it! Email us at promotions@baltimore.aiga.org with your event information.

Each month we will be featuring a Baltimore Designer, Photographer, or Artist! For March, our inspiration is coming from Courtney Glancy, Art Director at idfive. In her free time, she explores taking photos in Baltimore on her Sony A7III & Pixel Smartphone. In a recent post of the Patterson Park Pagoda, she said, “Way back in college, we had a photography assignment called ‘quality of light.’ I think I’ve been obsessed with light ever since. To me, this photo is the definition of when someone says that light is spilling or pooling.” Check out Courtney’s Instagram, @charm_city_gal, for more amazing Photography.

March Events

 

3/3

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She-Suite Marketing Leadership Panel
Get ready for a few of the area’s female marketing powerhouses to drop some serious knowledge. On Tuesday, March 3rd, during Women’s History Month, AMA Baltimore will host a signature event, the She-Suite Marketing Leadership Panel. Taking place from 6 to 8 pm at Price Modern, the event will kick off with networking followed by a panel featuring marketing leadership from the non-profit, higher education, and technology sectors.
Hosted by: AMA Baltimore

→ Get Tickets!

3/4

Women’s Leadership Forum
Join over 300 women for an exciting day of empowerment, learning workshops, networking, and vending. WLF is a venue for women to come together and experience other positive, influential and uplifting women from all walks of life. Women are able to acquire knowledge, obtain resources, and make connections that will help them elevate to reach their goals through various learning methods. Our vision is to be an event that brings inspiration and transformation to all women in a safe space.
Hosted by: Notre Dame of Maryland University

→ Get your Ticket!

3/5

American Advertising Awards
Gone are the days of the three-martini lunch. Or are they? Get ready for a truly special experience as Baltimore’s advertising community reunites to celebrate 100 years of the AAFB. Don’t miss this year’s extraordinary celebration, hosted at Port Discovery—a veritable Wonderland in its own right. On March 5, we invite you to tumble down the rabbit hole and join us in commemorating 100 years of the American Advertising Federation of Baltimore (AAFB).
Hosted by: AAF Baltimore

→ Get your Ticket FAST!

3/7

MICA Grassroots Design Fest
MICA Grassroots DesignFest, sponsored by the T. Rowe Price Foundation, is an amazing opportunity to contribute to the social change movement in Baltimore while collaborating face-to-face with other designers and nonprofits. Teams of volunteer designers work with grassroots nonprofits to prototype logo designs, website updates, branding strategies, and more – all in one jam-packed daylong event.

Comics & Zines on the Risograph
Learn how to use the Risograph to its greatest strength, high-speed, affordable color publishing of zines and comics. The Risograph is an affordable, eco-friendly high-speed duplicator, made in Japan. In true punk-rock style, we’ll create analog layouts using collage materials, hand-written and hand-drawn elements, creating literary and visual multi-page publications.
Hosted by: Baltimore Print Studios

→ Register Here

3/9

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Representing Baltimore–A Spotlight on Local Creatives
On Monday, March 9th, AIGA Baltimore will host the first in a series exploring the need for more diverse representation in the design industry and our city’s creative spaces. Join us at Flatform Studios for a night of inspiring presentations followed by a panel discussion on representation—as it pertains to the unique perspectives of the creative entrepreneur—featuring Jermaine T. Bell, Kaya Gordon-Levi, and Caprece Ann Jackson, and moderated by Charlotte James.

We all know Baltimore has a rich cultural heritage of innovation in the arts, music, and fashion, largely shaped by the immense contributions of the African American community. Unfortunately, this same community has been disproportionately underrepresented in the professional world of design and many other creative professions.
Hosted by: AIGA Baltimore

→ Get Tickets!

BCAN Help Desk – Building Your Cooperative Business
Co-op curious? Join Emily Lerman and Aishah Afadhalah for a drop-in discussion on worker-owned cooperatives and how their team is using a co-op model to build Mera Kitchen Collective. You’ll learn more about what a co-op is, why they are important, and gain resources for building and starting a co-op of your own. They’ll offer pro-tips on using the business model canvas as a startup tool, mitigating risks, starting a small food business, and managing finances.

At Noon, we’ll kick off a more structured lunch & learn discussion on capitalism, cooperatives and why we hope to see more co-ops in Baltimore and beyond. You bring lunch – we’ll bring the desserts!
Hosted by: BCAN & Mera Kitchen Collective

→ Register Today!

Screenprinting on T-shirts
This half-day, hands-on workshop covers all the basics of t-shirt printing. This is a followup class to our Intro to Screenprinting workshop. Attendees will learn what is unique about printing on apparel, appropriate inks, and mesh, how to set up multi-color prints and have a chance to print many different designs. No experience is necessary, but since this class is intended as a followup to our other Screenprinting workshop, attendees must take both classes before renting time in our studio.
Hosted by: Baltimore Print Studios

→ Register Today

3/11

BriarLevit lores for blog

Graphic Means, film screening and Q&A with Briar Levit
Graphic Means is a feature-length documentary about the history of graphic design production after the letterpress, focusing on the phototypesetting era and the transition that occurred as a result of the Digital Revolution. A discussion/Q&A with Director and Producer Briar Levit will follow the film.

Briar Levit, the 2020 Graphic Design Juror for YCP’s Annual Juried Student Exhibition, is an assistant professor at Portland State University in Oregon, where she teaches typography, page layout, and studio design classes. She graduated from San Francisco State University, with a BA in Graphic Design, and from Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design (UAL, London), with an MA in Communication Design. Her passion is designing for content-driven projects—primarily in the publishing and cultural institution sphere. Her clients include Museum of Contemporary Craft, Flooded Fox Den Distillery, Sasquatch Books, Critical Craft Forum, Timber Press, Counterpoint Press, Seal Press, Bitch Media, and Cicada Books.
Hosted by: York College Art Galleries

→ Sign-Up for the Free Event!

3/12


Changing the Face of Voting with UX
Design has the ability to include or exclude people. Join us for an “Intimate Conversation” with Kathryn Summers about making voting inclusive and accessible through design. We will be discussing the implication of bad design and its implication on the voting process in the wake of the 2016 election and the coming 2020 election.
Hosted by: Ladies Wine and Design Baltimore

→ Get Tickets!

3/14

Icon Design Workshop
AIGA DC has teamed up with Scott Fuller of The Studio Temporary for a brand new icon design workshop! In this 4-hour class, we’ll be focusing on a very interesting subject…you! We’ll start with a walk through Scott’s personal work process, exploring the research, inspiration, and execution of a few of his icon design projects. Then comes the fun part: sketching and ideation of your own personal icon set! It’ll be a hands-on experience, so please bring notebooks, pencils (or pens, if you prefer) and a laptop with Adobe Illustrator.
Hosted by: AIGA DC

→ Sign-Up Today!

Intro to Screenprinting
This one-day, hands-on workshop covers all the basics of screenprinting. Attendees will learn first hand how to properly coat, expose, print from, and clean a silkscreen. Differences in inks, printing substrates, screen mesh, and film work will all be discussed, and various multi-color registration techniques will be covered. This class will provide you the skills to return and rent time to print your own work during our regular studio hours.
Hosted by: Baltimore Print Studios

→ Register Today

3/19

BCAN Connect – We Own This!
There is no doubt about it, the future of entrepreneurship is certainly female. Join BCAN to celebrate the unique spirit of Baltimore’s female founders. To start off the evening, attendees will enjoy a networking cocktail hour, followed by an intimate moderated discussion with female founders from Baltimore City. The evening will conclude with mingling and treats from local women-owned businesses! For all the female founders, entrepreneurs, and business owners out there, this one’s for you!
Hosted by: BCAN

→ Register for Free!

3/21

BCAN Help Desk – MDVLA Art Law Clinic
Are you a painter, musician or any kind of creative entrepreneur that lives or works close to the Baltimore / DMV area? Do you have legal questions or concerns? Come visit our Art Law Clinic in collaboration with the Maryland Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts on March 21st, 2020, 1-4pm at BCAN HQ!

For our March clinic, you can snag a FREE 30-minute consult w/ one of our volunteer attorneys to sort out any general issues or questions you might have!
Hosted by: BCAN

→ Book Your Session!

3/25

SoDA Classic: Conversations In Design History | Reception
SoDA Classic is an exhibition celebrating 13 years of programs by the Society for History and Graphics (SHAG) and it’s reemergence as The Society of Design Arts (SoDA). View the past programs from a selection of the best posters and a look forward to the future of presentations and presenters as we explore new horizons in design.

→ Attend the Event at Stevenson University!

Excellence In Print
Get Your Tickets to Excellence in Print. The biggest event of the year. The competition is fierce. Who will bring home the wins?  You have to be there to find out.
Hosted by: Printing and Graphics Association MidAtlantic (PGAMA)

→ Get Your Ticket!

Tech Happy Hour Mixer
Baltimore Womxn in Tech is hosting a tech happy hour mixer on Wednesday. March 25th at Spark Baltimore. This event coincides with The Nonprofit Technology Conference (NTC), which is hosted in Baltimore this year.
Hosted by: Baltimore Womxn in Tech

→ Save the Date!

3/26

Glass Blowing & Networking
Join Monument Women’s Creative Alliance on March 26th at 6pm for networking with a creative twist. You will be led in an activity where you’ll make a unique one of a kind pendent. Keep it for yourself or gift it to a friend and add one of the chains we provide. Enjoy a spread of great bites to eat from the Abbey Burger Bistro, as well as wine provided by Vectors Southand beer from O’Connor Brewing Co. All food and drinks are included in your ticket price.
Hosted by: Monument Women’s Create Alliance

→ Get Tickets!

3/29

Intro to Letterpress
Our one-day letterpress workshop covers all the basics of letterpress printing on a Vandercook and a C&P tabletop press from our collection of antique wood and metal type. Attendees will learn how letterpress printing works, how to hand-set wood and metal type, mix ink, print from type and polymer plates, and how to troubleshoot printing and press issues.
Hosted by: Baltimore Print Studios

→ Register Today

3/30

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AIGA Design Conference 2020
The 2020 AIGA Design Conference brings the design community together in a once-in-a-lifetime, cross-disciplinary exchange of ideas about the changing world of design. Recharge your career with thought-provoking presentations, professional training, and meetups with design luminaries while taking in the City of Bridges.

March 30–April 1, 2020, in Pittsburgh, PA.
Hosted by: AIGA | The Professional Association for Design

→ Get Your Ticket!!

April Highlight

4/2

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Flourish: PCB 2020 Production Show
The demands on creatives and marketers continue to branch out into new directions. Your clients want solutions faster, cheaper, greener and more unique. And without a sense of the latest production techniques and technologies, project timelines and budgets can get out of control, leaving even the most seasoned designers and production specialists in the weeds.

Join the Production Club of Baltimore, along with hundreds of other local creative and marketing professionals, for an evening of networking and fresh production ideas from the mid-atlantic’s very best printers, paper suppliers, image producers, and technologists. Grow your swatch book collection and sample library. Cultivate new vendor partnerships. Seed your future project timelines with new media. Dig into deeper relationships with fellow creatives by face-to-face networking. This is a time to flourish!!
Hosted by: Production Club of Baltimore

→ Get Tickets!

Got an event you think belongs on this list?

We’d love to hear about it! Email us at promotions@baltimore.aiga.org with your event information.

Baltimore Creative Community Events: February

Posted on by Krystal Carpintieri

There are a plethora of amazing events in our area for creatives and creative professionals, so we’re shining a light on these events by groups like the Society of Design Arts (SoDA), LinkedIn Local Baltimore, Baltimore Museum of Industry, Baltimore Print Studios, and more. Do you know of an event that belongs on this list? We’d love to hear about it! Email us at promotions@baltimore.aiga.org with your event information.

February Events

2/4

Book Bash: What Designers Read
Join the Society of Design Arts at Greedy Reads Bookshop for a preview of some new books and review a few old favorites selected by our members. We will talk about our own personal design collections and pass them around for all to see. Bring your favorite design book!
Hosted by: SoDA (formerly the Society for History and Graphics)

Check it out

2/8

Image may contain: possible text that says 'BMI Baltimore Museum Industry AFRICAN WITH FABRIC AKOS "SUNDAY" WORKSHOP REGAL 員 வம்ம்ட் ரட் SATURDAY FEBRUARY 08| 11:00PM $5/STUDENT $10/PERSON $15/FAMILY'

African Fabric Workshop
Celebrate Black History Month with an intergenerational workshop on the meaning behind African printed fabrics led by Baltimore-based designer Akos “Sunday” Regal (Regal Clothes). Akos was featured in our Design Week Fashion Show! Registration fee includes museum admission for the day (open 10:00 AM-4:00 PM), a 90-minute workshop, and a fabric swatch to take home!
Hosted by: Baltimore Museum of Industry

Register Today!

Valentines on the Riso
Attendees can make their own, 100% custom and one-of-a-kind, 2-color valentines. All art-making and printing supplies are provided, just bring your creativity. Cards will be printed on our high-speed Risograph machine, and every attendee will leave with 30 cards of their own design.
Hosted by: Baltimore Print Studios

Sign Up!

2/12

Valentine’s Printmaking Workshop
As part of this class, you will receive a take-home linoleum block for you to create your own ‘mini printing presses’, use of all materials to create these blocks, and 10 quality cards and ink to print your beautiful Valentine’s! Aprons and gloves will be available. It’s a good idea to wear clothes that you may not mind getting ink on. Join us for this special event to tap into your creative side and release your inner artist.
Hosted by: Night Owl Gallery

RSVP on Eventbrite

2/16

Botanical Art at Rawlings Conservatory
Escape the winter chill and spend the morning in a tropical oasis at the Howard Peter Rawlings Conservatory in Baltimore, Maryland. Built-in 1888, the Conservatory offers a wide variety of plantings from throughout the world. Join Emily Carter Mitchell in learning how to develop an artistic eye with flowers and greenery as your subject.
Hosted by: Emily Carter Mitchell Photography

RSVP

Black Arts District Brand Launch Party
The Pennsylvania Avenue Black Arts and Entertainment District is officially launching its brand! In observance of Black History Month, we are celebrating the accomplishments the arts district has made and what is yet on the horizon. Come meet Tia Newton, the creative director behind the new brand, and the arts district team! There will be Dollar Skating and Bowling, DJs Spinning, Brand Inspired Giveaways, and more.
Hosted by: Black Arts District

No photo description available.

2/19

LinkedIn Local Baltimore
Join us on Wednesday, February 19th at The Alexander Brown Restaurant for our next #LinkedInLocalBmore Event! Learn how to beat the burnout and be your best self with Rachel Druckenmiller, Founder & CEO of Unmuted. Together we will explore ways to start 2020 more intentionally and become fulfilled and energized at work and at home.
Hosted by: LinkedIn Local Baltimore and Strategic Factory

Register Here

2/22

Intro to Screenprinting
This one-day, hands-on workshop covers all the basics of screenprinting. Attendees will learn first hand how to properly coat, expose, print from, and clean a silkscreen. Differences in inks, printing substrates, screen mesh, and filmwork will all be discussed, and various multi-color registration techniques will be covered. This class will provide you the skills to return and rent time to print your own work during our regular studio hours.
Hosted by: Baltimore Print Studios

Register Today!

2/27

Power Lunch Webinar with AIGA Baltimore and The Creative Group (TCG)
Briana Quetel is an Account Manager at The Creative Group (TCG), a Robert Half company, who has several years of experience recruiting and hiring for creative roles, and this month she is sharing some of her knowledge. She’ll sit down with a fellow recruiter from her office and give some insights into what they are looking for when recruiting for creative roles, portfolio do’s and don’ts, and how to set yourself apart during the hiring process. Registration link coming soon!

MICA Mixed Media Lecture Series: Palesa & Siphiwe Ngwenya
Representing the multi-award winning participatory tourism social enterprise, Maboneng Township Arts Experience, the South African creative place-making duo, Palesa & Siphiwe Ngwenya will be sharing their experiences regarding inclusive social design, emancipation mapping, and developing destinations in an African context. The public panel discussion with Baltimore industry peers and the attending public will strive to fuel a curiosity about the kind of creative place making that induces economic emancipation for neighborhoods while achieving social cohesion through new and innovative models.
Hosted by: Maryland Institute College of Art and MICA Center for Social Design

Get your free ticket!

2/29

Write Notepads & Co. Headquarters – Open House
The Write Notepads & Co Factory is celebrating its 7th year in Baltimore with an open house on February 29th, from 4–10pm. Stop by to see where and how their products are made, packaged, and sent. You will also have the opportunity to get the first crack at the new Limited Edition they will be revealing at the event. There will be tours of the manufacturing facility, as well as food, beer, and fun for all that show.
Hosted by: Write Notepads & Co.

Register Today!

3/5

Wonder Land: 2020 American Advertising Awards
American Advertising Awards
Gone are the days of the three-martini lunch. Or are they? Get ready for a truly special experience as Baltimore’s advertising community reunites to celebrate 100 years of the AAFB. Don’t miss this year’s extraordinary celebration, hosted at Port Discovery—a veritable Wonderland in its own right. On March 5, we invite you to tumble down the rabbit hole and join us in commemorating 100 years of the American Advertising Federation of Baltimore (AAFB).
Hosted by: AAF of Baltimore

Get your Early-Bird Ticket!

Got an event you think belongs on this list?

We’d love to hear about it! Email us at promotions@baltimore.aiga.org with your event information.

Top 3 Skills UX and UI Designers Need to Know in 2020

Posted on by Krystal Carpintieri

Thanks to Kelly Strine, owner of Left-brained Creative, LLC for writing this blog post!

The AIGA Baltimore community had the pleasure of sitting down with Fearless, a full-stack digital services firm, this January to discuss current trends and skills user experience (UX) and user interface (UI) designers need to know. And it’s not as scary as you might think.

Meet the Players

Held at Fearless headquarters inside of Spark Coworking Spaces in downtown Baltimore, the event was a panel-style Q&A. Panelists included:

Jordan Watts, Lead UX Designer, UX Coach
Antoine RJ Wright, Lead UX Designer, @ARJWright
Amanda Mancuso, UX Designer
Tyler Bolchoz, Product Designer
Rachel Petrucci, Product Designer
Daedriana Harvey, UX Designer

fearless tech baltimore designers seated for panel discussion
Photography Credits: Krystal Carpintieri

The Landscape

The UX/UI space is constantly changing as technology advances at lightning speed. Designing for non-traditional interfaces (smartwatch, eyewear, ring, etc.), voice user interface (VUI), and augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) will be the shiny new skills UX and UI designers will be homing in on. However, as technology changes, it’s often challenging for designers to gain experience in the latest and greatest and break into the UX/UI field.

What we learned from speaking with Fearless is that yes, UX and UI designers should have experience in design, code, content, research, and strategy (at varying levels of each, and that’s okay!); but that it’s equally important for UX and UI designers to possess super-sleuth soft skills and a fierce desire to learn. That’s far less daunting.

Photography Credits: Krystal Carpintieri

Skill 1: Collaborate Well with Others

In the past, there’s been clear segregation between designers and programmers. Designers would figure out what the “thing” (website, landing page, app, etc.) would look like, then hand it over to the programmers to code and be done with it. And as you can imagine, there’s bound to be some friction with this process.

“It’s not really a design hand-off, it’s a design implementation.”
—Rachel Petrucci, Product Designer

These days, the concept of a “hand-off” has vanished. At Fearless, as with many other agencies, designers and programmers work together in a very integrative process. Designers and programmers come together for scrum reviews and standup meetings, and developers are invited to design reviews and product testing. As Rachel put it, “it’s not really a design hand-off, it’s a design implementation.”

That means whether you’re a designer or a programmer or a magical unicorn who does both, you must possess strong communication skills and a willingness to collaborate. Designing in a technologically advanced space means you’ll need to rely on others to create a successful product. Designing at this scale does not happen in a vacuum. As Tyler said, “you’re doing the product a disservice if you just hand it over, but if you’re collaborating everyone is engaged.”

audience listening to panel discussion on UX design
Photography Credits: Krystal Carpintieri

Skill 2: Learn How to Build Empathy

We asked our Fearless panel what steps they take when asked to build a website from scratch. Across the board, step one was research. Before design is even a consideration, learn everything you can about the needs of your client. Do they need a website, or would they be better served by an app? The research phase also includes market research, identifying pain points and opportunities, and sitting with the users—it can take weeks.

“Your perspective is not the default”
—Jordan Watts, Lead UX Designer, UX Coach

But the critical part of researching is gaining the ability to build empathy for your users. Putting yourself in the shoes of the user is the most effective way to create successful UX and UI design. As we discussed inclusive design, Antoine suggested starting a design with the least-sited person in mind, then build up. Can this person use the product on a watch, how about on a mobile phone, tablet, non-touch computer, touch computer, etc.

Jordan summed it up best by saying, “your perspective is not the default.” Having empathy for users and being able to tap into how others will use the product (via user testing, research, etc.) will help you reach every user and create a better product.

AIGA baltimore attendees at spark coworking spaces
Photography Credits: Krystal Carpintieri

Skill 3: Be Hungry to Learn

As technology continues to evolve the only way designers and programmers can stay relevant is to stay hungry…to learn. Without a constant desire to learn, the skillsets of those in the tech industry will inevitably turn stale.

When we asked panelists what the top characteristic trait was that they look for in a new hire, Rachel and Amanda said they would hire someone who is curious and actively seeks out opportunities to learn and develop new skills. Antoine and Jordan discussed the merits of cross-functionality—and yes, there is value in knowing how to design and code—but it is equally important to understand your area of expertise.

So, if you’re looking to impress your current managers or are looking to break into the UX and UI space, take the initiative to develop your skillset. Attend hands-on boot camps and workshops (rather than lectures) to develop your skills, portfolio projects, and gain experience. As Amanda put it, in an interview she would rather hear about what you learned from failed experiences, rather than hear a candidate prattle on about what they think she wants to hear.

valerie anderson and alice rambissoon smiling for photo
AIGA Baltimore President, Valerie Anderson with the Interior Designer of the Spark Co-Working Space, Alice Rambissoon. Photography Credits: Krystal Carpintieri

What Did We Learn?

It’s no big surprise that the UX and UI fields are growing, and the demand to create beautiful, interactive products for numerous interfaces will continue to grow as well. Being on the cutting-edge of these technologies means possessing the technical skills, yes, but equally as important is being able to demonstrate how UX and UI can add value. That means learning how to be a strong communicator (and listener!), being empathetic toward clients and teammates, and being a dedicated, lifelong learner.

If you’re interested in learning more about Fearless, head over to fearless.tech; and if you want to join the Fearless team, check out fearless.tech/careers. 

Follow Fearless on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook at @fearlessbmore. And follow AIGA Baltimore—@aigabaltimore—on all your favorite channels so you never miss great events like this one!

 Share your thoughts below on what skills should be on the minds of UX and UI designers as we move into 2020!

Design & Dine Recap: Debbie Millman’s Perspective on Social Media & Personal Branding

Posted on by Krystal Carpintieri

Thanks to Kelly Strine for writing this blog post!

The 8th annual AIGA Baltimore Design Week kicked off with a special Design & Dine with the legendary Debbie Millman on Friday, October 11, 2019, at Topside’s beautiful Garden Room. Founder and host of the Design Matters Podcast, Debbie has interviewed over 500 artists, designers, and industry experts. This special Design & Dine was no lecture. Instead, it was Debbie’s signature conversational interview style with 30 of Baltimore’s industry professionals. Had it been recorded, it could’ve been the next episode of Design Matters.

The casual discussion explored how we portray our lives on social media and in our own personal branding. Debbie has “very, very strong feelings about people as brands,” and why we sometimes hide the truth––or downright lie––in the social media versions of our lives.

Personal Branding

Debbie has studied the evolution of branding, and how we’ve grown with it, for the past 17 years. At its core, branding is about mark-making and building consensus around that mark. Through quality and consistency, shared views and opinions regarding products and services can be accomplished.

If we fast-forward through the history of corporate branding, we come to a more recent phenomenon: personal branding. Personal branding is the practice of marketing people and their careers as brands, with an intentional effort to influence public perception. Sound familiar in the design industry where everyone wants to position themselves a certain way in the marketplace?

Photography Credits: Bryan Burke
Photography Credits: Bryan Burke

Humans are Messy

As Debbie so bluntly put it, “Humans are messy.” We have a lot of feelings. But brands don’t have that kind of depth. Sure, brands can evolve, but brands are rooted in consistency. If humans run the emotional gamut and can reinvent themselves, but brands are built on consistency, can personal brands be successful? Can consensus be built?

From a technology standpoint, we’re living in an ever-connected environment. We’re always just a tap, click, or voice command away from whatever we need. Yet we’re oddly disconnected in our interpersonal relationships. Why? Isn’t social media supposed to make us feel more connected?

Our Online Personas

In many cases, people use social media as a highlight reel. We share what we are proud of and the happy moments and hide what we are ashamed of. That’s natural, right? But if you’re only seeing the highlights of other people’s lives, it’s much easier to feel left-behind or alone in your own life. The things that we don’t share tend to be the things that build a better connection with others.

For those of us who maintain a personal brand, Debbie challenged us to consider how social media impacts our branding. If we hide certain aspects of our lives to position ourselves a particular way, we start to pull away from our authentic selves. We start to create an online persona who is our ideal selves, but ultimately this can lead us to feel even more disconnected from ourselves and others.

Photography Credits: Krystal Carpintieri
Photography Credits: Krystal Carpintieri

How do we combat the disconnect? Here are a few ideas:

  1. Digital minimalism: More and more people are disconnecting from social media to live their lives IRL (in real life). Taking a break from social media or ditching it altogether is one way to reconnect and build better relationships with others.
  2. Be authentic: Rather than showing only the highlights, show your authentic self—challenges and all. People connect with honesty. But the key is to help; not commiserate. If you’re going through a difficult time, chances are someone else is going through it too. Share resources or seek support, rather than just complain.
  3. Set an intention: Ask yourself, why am I posting this? Am I looking for self-validation? Sympathy? Is it a humble brag? Being honest about why you’re posting sends a clear message to your audience. Did you land your dream client after working your tail off on the pitch? Yeah, I’ll celebrate that win with you. But do I care about your “picky” client? Nah, I don’t need your negativity.
Photography Credits: Bryan Burke
Photography Credits: Bryan Burke

Social Branding

As Debbie notes, branding is always evolving. The most recent anomaly is social branding, which is marketing for social change. Social branding projects, such as the Me Too Movement and Black Lives Matter, are designed to change a culture. So, whereas personal branding fails at the individual level due to the complexity of human emotions, social branding succeeds due to the social change people can rally around. Social branding builds consensus.

Continue the Conversation

Where do you stand on personal branding? Is your personal brand a true brand in that it builds consensus, or is it more of a brand identifier to set you apart in the marketplace? Do you tend to hide the truth on social media in hopes of creating an ideal online persona? Share your thoughts in the comments below, we want to hear from you!

About the Speaker:
Debbie Millman
Twitter & Instagram: @debbiemillman

Named “one of the most creative people in business” by Fast Company, and “one of the most influential designers working today” by Graphic Design USA, Debbie Millman is also an author, educator, curator and host of the podcast Design Matters.

Meet The Speakers: Illiah Manger & Rachel Davis

Posted on by Krystal Carpintieri

We are so excited to have Illiah and Rachel join us for Baltimore Design Week. Together, they bring us insights into creative communities with their In Perfect Harmony–Choosing Creative Communities event on October 24th.


Here’s what they have to say about the event: “We can’t wait to meet everyone during our Creative Communities event. This isn’t a typical talk where you leave with a numb bum because you sat in your seat the whole time listening to someone talk at you. We have some amazing activities planned for us to explore values and aligning those with communities.”

Choosing Creative Communities

Rachel will also be facilitating a Problem Framing Workshop on October 27. Rachel gave us a little insight into the event: “I view problem framing as step 0 of Design Thinking. Many times we jump right in because we believe we know the pain points and the user and we are ready to empathize with them, but we haven’t examined the “What Else?” There may be perspectives––or even users––we haven’t considered when we don’t explore other frames.” Join Rachel as she guides us through how to approach problem framing as we wrap up Baltimore Design Week. 

Haven’t grabbed a seat yet to these events?
Grab a FREE ticket to the Creative Communities event HERE.
Snag a seat at the Problem Framing Workshop HERE.

Problem Framing Workshop-Baltimore Design Week

Now, let’s get to know Illiah and Rachel a little more…


What’s your favorite quote/philosophy?

Illiah: “Vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity, and change” – Brene Brown

We are each a wealth of knowledge, creativity, power. Our stories make up who we are, but it requires courage and vulnerability to be innovators, thinkers, designers. Brene Brown’s writing and talks inspire me to live fully and continue to do the work I’m called to.

Rachel: Everyone is creative. One of my favorite books is Creative Confidence by Tom Kelley and David Kelley. This whole philosophy of everyone is creative is what drives my brand Your True Tribes. One of my favorite quotes from this book is, “What we’ve found is that we don’t have to generate creativity from scratch. We just need to help people rediscover what they already have; the capacity to imagine—or build upon—new-to-the-world ideas. But the real value of creativity doesn’t emerge until you are brave enough to act on those ideas.”

Doesn’t matter if you are a designer, a copywriter, an accountant, a dentist, seriously whatever you are an expert in you are also creative. You have the ideas in your head it’s about working with those individuals who can help you organize those thoughts, and help you make them come alive in the world.

What is your biggest challenge as a designer/creative?

Illiah: That debilitating fear that comes with not thinking your ideas are good. That low-feeling you hit when you think the client won’t like what you’re designing is always a challenge. This leads to putting the work off because you don’t know if you can do it justice, and that procrastination just forces you to work under pressure when it’s not needed.

Rachel: The ever-present imposter syndrome. Any time I have creative block, or can’t get out of a creative slump, or just get into a funk. It’s that little voice in the back of my head that wants to tell me, well maybe you aren’t good enough to be doing this. Creative communities have actually helped a lot with this—being able to have a sounding board, a place to talk with like-minded people, a place that gets me back on track when that little imposter syndrome troll throws me off the bridge into the water. This is what I value in communities and close friends who help me come back to my true focus. 

A close second is communicating the value of design. That’s a huge challenge. How do you help the rest of the world “get it” when it comes so easy to you and other creatives to know the value and benefit of good design?

What’s on your desk that you could not live without?

Illiah: I get so many questions about color from both designers and clients. The Pantone Solid Coated & Uncoated swatch book is definitely something on my desk I cannot live without. It’s the most comprehensive, up to date color tool available. For me, it’s nearly impossible to choose colors for any brand design project without it, because the color formulas are consistent across all mediums. There’s always going to be differences from printer to printer and screen to screen, but choosing from Pantone as a starting place helps a lot.
And my earl grey tea latte. 

Rachel: Oh, this is a good one because I just bought something new I couldn’t live without. I get tense when I’m focused, I mean physically, my body—especially my hands. When I type I seem to think that pinky needs to go straight up in the air on my right hand as if I’m having high tea with the queen. Why? Heck if I know! But because of that, I invested in a gel stress ball, small enough to fit in my tiny hands. It helps me not have a hand that’s in pain for a week after a day of focusing and typing. This tiny gray hand therapy stress ball is my savior right now.

What sparks creativity for you?

Illiah: Weekends away from screens, art museums, walks, new experiences. Innovative Design.

Whenever I have creative block, it is because I don’t have enough information. My client is my main source of inspiration, always. Great design cannot be created in a vacuum. I need as much info from and about the client and the project as possible. 

Also, creativity takes practice. The more creative you are, the more you have. When I’m not designing, I’m crafting with my daughters or coloring in a coloring book. 

Rachel: Reading. For sure, reading. I have a list a mile long right now of books in my queue, both Kindle and ones I can actually hold in my hands. On my Kindle, I am addicted to the highlight tool for quotes or passages that spark something for me. In an actual book, I have stickies that go right next to quotes or things I want to come back to. There’s a time and a place for fiction, but my love is nonfiction, with some of my favorite authors being Seth Godin, Austin Kleon, Tom and David Kelley, Pat Flynn, and Tina Seelig. But there are so many more that I have on my list! If I’m at a block, I take a moment, pick up a book, head over to a room with no electronics—I mean except my Kindle if it’s a book on there!—I sit down, take a moment, clear my head, and just read.

What advice would you give to your 20-something self?

Illiah: Embrace fear, take risks. There’s never a time again when the stakes aren’t as high. Listen to your intuition, and let it be your guiding force.

Talk to and connect intentionally with designers (or anyone who’s living your dream) who are ahead of you. Community and connection is how you’ll reach your aspirations. Watch them and learn. 

Rachel: Progress is better than perfection. Have grace with yourself—change and mistakes are part of the process. It’s all about failing intelligently because failure is going to happen you just need to learn from it. And for that grace piece, seriously just give yourself a break. Did you make a spelling mistake in a post? Is it the end of the world, of course not——ask yourself will this matter in an hour, will this matter tomorrow, will this matter in a week, will this matter in a year?

Illiah C&V Creative

Illiah Manger

Creative Director / Owner
candvcreative.com // elevateandcultivate.com
@c.and.v // @elevate.cultivate

Rachel Davis

Rachel Davis

Content + Brand Strategist / Owner
yourtruetribes.com
@yourtruetribes (IG + Twitter)