Join Natasha Jen of Pentagram and six local creatives as they explore the when, why, and how of the rebranding process.

Natasha Jen kicks off the event, sharing insights from her work at Pentagram such as the Van Leeuwen Ice Cream rebrand and the Border City project. She will be joined by David Ashton of Ashton Design, Illiah Manger of C&V Creative Studio, Amber Schleuning and Melissa Chapman of the VA Center for Innovation, and Paul Bianco and Dustin Fritz of ORANGEHAT.

Following Natasha’'s presentation, these local experts will share their varied processes for rebranding and engage the audience in a series of exercises. The evening will conclude with audience questions and discussion.

A special thank you to sponsor Maryland Institute College of Art for making this event possible.

EVENT SCHEDULE
5:30 PM - Sign in + Make Connections
6:00 PM - Presentation by Natasha Jen of Pentagram
7:00 PM - Local Speaker Presentations, Exercises + Discussion

Light refreshments will be served in MICA’'s Bronze Gallery during the event. 

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

Natasha Jen is a graphic designer and partner at Pentagram New York. Born in Taipei, Taiwan, her work is recognized for its innovative use of graphic, digital, and spatial interventions that challenge the critical bounding assumptions surrounding media and culture. In 2015 Natasha was named one of the “"World’'s Nine Leading Designers”" by Wired Magazine. She serves on the Board of Directors for Storefront for Art & Architecture and has been a guest critic at Yale University School of Art, Rhode Island School of Design, and Maryland Institute College of Art.

www.pentagram.com/about/natasha-jen
www.behance.net/njenworks
@njenworks (Twitter + Instagram)

David Ashton has been a significant part of the Baltimore design community since 1962. Starting his design career at Barton Gillette, David helped establish the foundation of graphic design in Baltimore and the many area firms to follow. In 1985, David founded Ashton Design, a multidisciplinary design consultancy offering a full array of design services——branding, environmental graphics, print, exhibitions, and interactive media. The firm has garnered an international reputation for design leadership through their pioneering practice in environmental graphics for settings ranging from sports arenas and school campuses to public spaces and retail centers. Ashton Design has received local and national recognition for such high-profile projects as Fenway Park, Oriole Park at Camden Yards, and Dodger Stadium; adaptive reuse and new construction developments in Maryland and across the Mid-Atlantic region; and institutional work for such internationally renowned institutions as Maryland Institute College of Art and Johns Hopkins University.

www.ashton-design.com
@ashtondesign (Instagram)     @ashtondesignllc (Twitter)

Illiah Manger is the creative mind and chief designer behind C&V where she collaborates with daring business owners with heart. She is known for creating clarity and focus while allowing her clients to co-pilot the design process. As a way to work even more closely with clients, Illiah is developing a new approach to shorten the design process through a three-day, in-person workshop called Brand in Tandem. Illiah wholeheartedly believes in brands that are intimate and designed to tell a story. She is the co-founder of Elevate & Cultivate, an online community for design professionals to strengthen their skills, get feedback on their work and make friendships stronger than Gotham Ultra. Outside of C&V and Elevate & Cultivate, Illiah is a paper lover, mom of two daughters, earl grey tea drinker, cookie hunter and typography lover.

www.ceeandvee.com
www.elevateandcultivate.com
@c.and.v (Instagram)              @elevate.cultivate (Instagram)

Amber Schleuning serves as VA's Center for Innovation (VACI) Deputy Director, co-leading the federal "start up" and its talented team of distributed and diverse innovators and doers. She designs and deploys grand strategies aimed at policy, operational, and cultural transformations to modernize systems and services; empowering and equipping VA employees with innovation tools; and improving access to healthcare with a special focus on mental health. She leads efforts to introduce human-centered service design to the VA to improve services for veterans, drive down development and operating costs, and establish VA as an emerging leader in the Federal Government for user-centered innovation. Amber is a fourth-generation military veteran. She serves on the COMMIT Foundation Advisory Board, a non-profit aimed at empowering transitioning servicemen and women. She is passionate about innovative storytelling as a means to move the world.

medium.com/vainnovation
@slyning (Twitter)              @VAInnovation (Twitter)

Melissa Chapman is an interaction designer with top-notch training and experience in user-centered product, software, and service design. She is currently serving as a senior designer at the VA Center for Innovation focused on increasing veteran access to mental health services. Melissa is a professor at the Austin Center for Design, an educational institution focused on transforming society through design.

medium.com/vainnovation
www.melissalynnchapman.com
www.innovation.va.gov
www.ac4d.com
@VAInnovation (Twitter)

Paul Bianco – Owner. Senior Creative Dude. The literal driving force of ORANGEHAT. Designing for over 15 years, he's become pretty good at nearly all things design. Paul's natural understanding of technology and problem solving make him an ideal resource for clients to help translate their vision into something that looks super sweet. He's also a high-energy guy that fuels the rest of the creative team. When he's not "working" (but he's always working), Paul's enjoying a beer or he's got his knees in the breeze (he rides a motorcycle). Seriously, the guy never stops.

Dustin Fritz – Partner. Creative Guru & Illustrator. Dustin is the man, seriously. Dustin is the perfect partner and counterpart to Paul, —keeping their combined vision on track. He handles creative horsepower that makes this garage run silky smooth. A master with the pen-tool (and now Apple Pencil), Dustin can handle every creative challenge and project. He’'s a master of map-making, logo concepts, and illustration work with his signature style——all while managing time and hitting deadlines. He hit another while you read this. Told you he's the man. And he does it all while being a dad and cyclist way, way (way) up in the town of Chambersburg, PA.

www.orangehat.us/
@orangehatdesign (Twitter + Instagram) 

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.