These tips come from me, Sarah Wallace (formerly Harrington), AIGA Raleigh’s Director of Communications. At our January community meeting I touched on a few of these topics; here I dig a little deeper and share some of the practices I have found successful as a continuous improvement nerd. My top tip is number six!

1. Identify your core values

Core values are our guiding principles; the things we care about and want to put our energy towards. Acknowledging what our core values are can help us set better goals, communicate priorities, and adjust how we spend our time.

If you were not at our January community meeting or want to learn more about core values and identifying them, I recommend this podcast from the Productivity Show. Their recommended identification process is a bit different than what we did at the meeting but also helpful. 

If you would like the process and word sheet we used at the meeting, or have general questions about core values feel free to email me directly.

2. Set SMART goals that are driven by your core values

Core values are not the same thing as goals, they are guiding principles that should be driving your goals. For example, one of my goals in 2019 was to add exercise to my morning routine. This is not because I value doing things in the morning or exercise itself, I value health. Health as a core value drove me to achieve my goal of consistently exercising in the morning.

When you set goals, ensure they follow the “SMART” format. Your goals should be:

• Specific
• Measurable
• Achievable
• Relevant
• Time-based

3. Have a quarterly personal retreat

I got this idea from the Productivity Show podcast and love it, (episode here). Each quarter, take time to reflect on what you achieved in the previous months, and evaluate if there is anything you would like to change as you look to the next quarter. 

What’s nice is that you can make this event a full weekend getaway or as simple as a visit to a coffee shop.

Here is the suggested format for personal review questions:

1. Review your core values: have any of them shifted?
2. Review the previous quarter: list all accomplishments. Were they in line with your core values?
3. Identify all your current roles and responsibilities: anything recurring counts. Do you want to improve or stop any of these?
4. Identify any additional commitments: not regular or typically recurring
5. Ask three questions: what should I start, keep, and stop doing? You don’t have to stop doing things immediately, but putting things you want to stop doing on the “chopping block” can be helpful
6. Pick 3 or less 12-week goals: the things you want to accomplish in the next quarter
7. Reevaluate your morning routine

4. Display your goals and core values in a place you see everyday

Visualize, ingrain, succeed!

5. Set goals in a “12-week year” time frame

I admittedly have had varied success with this, (tip #6 has helped me improve the most), but knowing that we all accomplish our goals differently, I decided to still include this method.

The essence of the “12-week year” is that by creating a condensed window of time to achieve our goals, (i.e. a quarter vs a year), we can accomplish much more. 

If you are interested in learning more checkout the book, “The 12 Week Year” by Brian P. Morgan and Michael Lennington. As always, ensure your goals are realistic to avoid burnout.

6. Habit stack

I have had great success with habit stacking. There is power in repeated action; if you would like to create positive change, do so by making a new habit.

To successfully create a new habit, add the new action alongside something you already consistently do. For example, if you want to become more physically flexible, and right now you have coffee every morning, do some stretches while you are waiting for your coffee to brew.

When habit stacking, start with one new habit at a time. This is how I was able to create a morning routine that keeps me healthy and makes me excited to wake up each day. For more details checkout “Atomic Habits” by James Clear.

Have feedback, ideas or just want to say hi? Email me here or the entire AIGA Raleigh board here. Happy New Year!

Written by Sarah Wallace (Harrington)
AIGA Raleigh Director of Communications
Self-proclaimed continuous improvement nerd & creative dabbler

Photo by Photo by Daniel McCullough on Unsplash

Two promotions, three job changes, and one layoff over the past 8 years have taught me a few things about the interview process.
by Taylor Cashdan, first published on Medium.

Individuals too often treat interviews as one-way transactions, but a good interview has both parties leaving with more knowledge than when they entered.

Job searching tends to be a long, arduous, and often mentally defeating process. These side effects, if you will, can be mitigated with strategic preparation before embarking on the journey. The 4 sections below outline the plan of attack I’ve used to gain valuable perspective about a job before accepting or turning down an offer and make the process a whole lot more palatable.

It’s important to remember that it’s the interviewer’s job (the company) to make sure that you’re a good fit for the company, not the interviewee (you, the job seeker). Your sole job is to make sure that the company is a good fit for you.

Do some pre-digging

Spend no more than 30 minutes ransacking a company’s website, LinkedIn, and Glassdoor profiles. The first two will give a basis of understanding so that you can use the latter to identify patterns. These patterns will represent the go-to factoids or discrepancies for conversation during your interview process.

I usually consider something pattern-worthy if there are ~5 or more comments about a particular issue. To be clear, this doesn’t mean that the sentiment is true, but it gives you a discussion point for when you speak with the recruiter/manager/representative from the company. Be ready to interview them just as they are you.

Smaller companies might not have Glassdoor profiles, which means you’ll have to rely on your gut a bit more when you get the chance to talk to them.

Ask questions

This is probably the best piece of advice that I have. This is just as much a chance for a potential employer to get to know you as it is a chance for you to get to know them! Generally speaking, I go in with the set of questions below. They’re usually informed by any identified patterns from my research (above), sentiment from other friends/colleagues that may work there or know of the company, or general things that are important to me that I’d like to know before committing to another interview/the job.

“The job description mentions this…can you elaborate more?”

Most of the time, job descriptions aren’t written well and there are things in there that 1. I’m not comfortable with/fluent in, 2. seem out of place, or 3. are interesting, yet generally out of scope for the particular job I’m applying for. Either way, getting clarity on something like “collateral design” or “research and testing” will help you understand what you’d actually be responsible for.

“What’s the team size and structure?”

Here’s where you get to find out if you’ll serve as the solo-representative of your skillset or will have a team to work with. You can also dig into the management structure a bit and find out who you might directly report to, where they fit into the bigger organizational structure, etc.

“What are YOU looking for in a team member?”

This question always yields different answers from different people — and I always ask it to anyone I speak to. This will give you insight into the kind of qualities your team/managers/the company might be looking for. And it gives you a chance to see if you can/want to meet those expectations, introspectively.

“Is there room to grow within this role and explore new areas of my field?”

Think “if I stay here for 1+ years, will there be new responsibilities/advancement opportunities”? Most companies have “tracks” for the roles they offer that often include new skills, learnings, tasks, etc. But some don’t — and the only thing that “grows” is potentially your pay, but most commonly your responsibilities, over time.

“Does the company support extended learning, like additional training or conferences?”

This will give you a sense if the company is invested in “we have a need and want to fill it right now” versus “we have a need and want to invest in the right person(s) to grow beyond our current needs”. In my career, I’ve found attending conferences to be invaluable, and most companies have training budgets that will pay for, or at least help, your attendance to these kinds of events.

“XYZ sounds awesome, can you tell me more about it?”

If there’s something on their website (like a department or service) or something that comes up in discussion that’s particularly interesting to you, ask more about it! Remember, this is your chance to get more information, too.

“What’s a typical day in ‘the life’?”

This question never gets answered the same way, and is often something that doesn’t reflect the absolute truth, regardless — but that’s the best part of asking it. You can reinforce/anchor the patterns you identified in your research through this question. You might also find out some things about the culture.

“How’s the work-life balance? General hours? Dress code?”

This question almost always comes out of the “typical day” question, but they go hand in hand and serve different purposes. While the “typical day” question allows for a “creative” answer, this question is more direct. You should want to know if they expect 40, or 80, hours per week out of employees. Or if they offer flexibility of work location (like remote days, etc), or schedules (some employers want folks in by 9 am, some 10 am, etc). And most importantly, are you expected to wear formal attire? Or can you wear a pair of pants with your favorite graphic tee/a sundress that you really like?

“Glassdoor had a lot of sentiment about XYZ, can you help me dissect it?”

Like I mentioned above, Glassdoor can help you identify patterns, but it can also be a black hole of negativity — and seldom do people go to online submission forums to write nice things. Give the company a chance to defend something that you identified as a red flag, or better yet, reinforce something positive you saw.

“What are the next steps after this interview?”

Always ask this question if you are interested in continuing with the interview process. For one, it shows you’re interested, but more importantly, you’ll know what’s expected of you before your next touchpoint. Sometimes that’s waiting for a call, sometimes that’s sending over availability for an onsite meeting. You don’t know until you ask. Plus, it’s nice knowing that an interview process might take 6 weeks versus 2, or that there’s a team interview versus a one-on-one with the manager, etc.

You don’t have to ask these in order — go with the flow of the conversation. It’s also worth noting that I try and ask the bulk, if not all, of these during the first interview. The person you speak to first usually is a talent management person or recruiter, so they won’t have all of the answers. However, asking them shows that you’re diligent and have interest in the company, which makes it into their notes about you, and ultimately to the person(s) that manages the position you’re applying for.

Have patience

The interview process is awful and usually full of a lot of waiting. Don’t take this personally. Hiring managers have handfuls of candidates to sort through for each position, and even if you’re #1 on their list, they need to do their due diligence to make sure. That being said, don’t put all of your eggs in one basket — just because you applied and are (potentially) interviewing with one company doesn’t mean you shouldn’t apply to another.

Be ready to say no

Not every company you interview with or even receive offers from will be a good fit for you. If you don’t get a good vibe, feel uncomfortable, or aren’t excited about the role you are allowed to say no and continue your search. Taking the wrong job is worse than waiting for a better one to pan out. You have a set of principles, wants/desires out of an employer, and a skill set that you’d like to leverage and grow within — find a place that will align as close as possible to that.

This plan of attack has proven useful to me, and is “recruiter approved”. I hope it sheds some light and clears the air for you during your interview process.

Good luck, hold true to who you are, and let the odds be ever in your favor.

This is a series about what it means to design for inclusion and accessibility. This page will be updated with new information and more events, so please check back!

An Introduction to Inclusive Design | May 22 at 6:30 pm | Cameron Village Regional Library, Room 202

Accessibility at NC Museum of Natural Sciences | June 19 at 6:30-7: 30 pm | The Daily Planet Cafe in NC Museum of Natural Sciences

Designing Astronomy Software for Blind and Visually Impaired Users| Fall 2019

Hey, did you hear we’re putting on our first ever Halloween bash!!!!!

Get your tickets here.

We are so excited about it and one thing we can’t wait to see is all the costumes people come up with. As creatives and makers, there are bound to be some amazingly original and unique costumes. So, yeah, we’re going to have a costume contest, and there will be more than one chance to take home a costume award as there are multiple categories.

As fun as it is to DIY an elaborate costume, it can also be time-consuming and we know free time is hard to come by, so we’ve pulled together this list of last-minute costumes ideas.

• Wednesday Addams
  Layer a black dress over a collared shirt and put your hair in braids. If you’ve got time to pick up some white or gray halloween make-up for your face and do a smokey eye.
• Upside down Ice Cream Cone
  Dress in all white. Paint popsicle sticks in bright colors then glue safety pins to the of them and pin to your outfit. Cut a sheet of brown construction paper in a diagonal and roll into a cone. Use bobby pins to attach to your head or glue to a headband.
• Holly Go Lightly
  A black dress, pearls, sunglasses, and an updo will transform you into the iconic character. If you can find them, elbow-length black gloves will complete the outfit.
• Pumpkin Pie
  Glue a small fake pumpkin to a headband. Make a felt Greek letter pi and glue to an orange shirt.
• Breadwinner
  Wear a bright colored shirt, don a fake medal, and grab a loaf of bread and declare yourself a breadwinner.
• Fork in the Road
  Wear all black, cut strips of white felt and attach to shirt like road lines. Then glue a plastic fork to your shirt.
• Ceiling Fan
  Use black adhesive letters to spell out “Go Ceiling” on a colored t-shirt. Grab some pom poms and you’re a ceiling fan.
• Movie Theater Floor
  Wear all black and glue empty candy boxes and popcorn to your shirt. Bonus design some movie ticket stubs and attach those too.
• Deviled Egg
  Glue a yellow circle of felt to a white shirt, don some devil ears and a tail.
• Chip on your Shoulder
  Glue a snack size bag of potato chips to your shoulder. Coordinate your shirt color with the chip bag (because you know, designers)
• Operation Game
  Wear a gray shirt and sweat pants. Cut the Operation game pieces out in what and slightly larger game pieces in red. Glue the white to the red then attach to your clothes in the appropriate places.
• Pop Tart
  Paint a large piece of cardboard to look like your favorite Pop Tart flavor. Add a rope at the top loop around your neck.

Sources:

https://www.womansday.com/style/fashion/g490/20-clever-last-minute-costume-ideas/

44 Homemade Halloween Costumes

Spec Work: A Local Perspective

September 2018
Art by Lydia Kuekes

“Spec work” – a phrase commonly followed by designers’ growls and emphatic sighs. Every designer will undoubtedly be asked to do spec work at some point in their career. But what constitutes spec work and why should we care?

A touchy topic: what is spec work?

Spec work, as defined by the designers behind the No Spec movement:

“Spec work is any kind of creative work, either partial or completed, submitted by designers to prospective clients before designers secure both their work and equitable fees. Under these conditions, designers will often be asked to submit work in the guise of a contest or an entry exam on existing jobs as a “test” of their skill. In addition, designers normally lose all rights to their creative work because they failed to protect themselves with a contract or agreement. The clients often use this freely-gained work as they see fit without fear of legal repercussion.”

Why it hurts the creative profession

Spec work undermines the profession and devalues the worth of practitioners and the services they provide. Here are just a few of the ways:

• Waived rights. Designers typically lose all rights to their work because they are working outside of a contract. Spec work is often marketed as “good for exposure” and then freely used without repercussion.
• Compromised quality. When under contract, professionals are able to work closely with clients and get to know their business and needs. With spec work, professionals are not able to best tailor their recommendations based on their research, training and experience.
• Undervalued industry. Undervalued work is damaging to the design industry as a whole, both undermining quality and giving clients the impression that design has little worth.

A local experience

Elijah Cameron is an illustrator and comics artist who recently had an experience with spec work and wanted to share his story to help other designers.

Eli replied to an “artist all-call” from a local magazine for the opportunity to have his work displayed throughout Raleigh. The magazine selected him for the project, but before signing the contract he was shocked to learn that they wanted this work for free. Eli said there was no mention of unpaid work in the all-call. Eli tried to respectfully educate the magazine on the No Spec movement and offered a modest fee he felt was fair to complete the work. The for-profit company was dismissive of Eli’s suggestions and called the project “for a cause,” with “opportunity for exposure.” Eli ultimately declined the opportunity, not agreeing that the for-profit end game was a worthy cause for his free efforts.

In Eli’s words, “exposure doesn’t pay bills,” and this type of project is “not ethical or sustainable for Raleigh’s art industry.” He is pained to know that other artists are now being exploited for this same work.

So is unpaid work ever okay?

Creatives must evaluate each opportunity and decide for themselves whether they are comfortable with unpaid work. See examples and thoughts on differing unpaid work from AIGA National:

• “Speculative or “spec” work: work done for free, in hopes of getting paid for it
• Competitions: work done in the hopes of winning a prize—in whatever form that might take
• Volunteer work: work done as a favor or for the experience, without the expectation of being paid
• Internships: a form of volunteer work that involves educational gain
• Pro bono work: volunteer work done “for the public good”

Not all of the above are considered speculative work and in fact many designers choose to do unpaid work for a variety of reasons. Students and professionals may draw different lines on what constitutes unacceptable practices. In each case, however, the designer and client make the decision and must accept the associated risks.”

An example of opinion

There can be a fine line between definitions of spec work, often differing by individual opinion.

For example, Durham County Board of Elections recently held a contest for an “I Voted” sticker which will be handed out during the midterm elections in November. Like most competitions, there were few design guidelines and only the winner will receive a prize and publicity. The winner also waives all rights to the design.

So is this spec work? Maybe. In this case, that depends on the creative’s opinion of whether this design for government and democracy is worthy of free work.

How to respectfully educate and say “no”

To both educate on and decline spec work can be difficult. A tactful reply will help you maintain a positive reputation and possibly bring around a future (paying) client.

AIGA National provided a guideline here.

Know your rates

Need some help determining how much you should charge clients? You’re not alone. This is a hot topic for designers, freelancers, etc. Look for future related programming, reference the resources below, and stop by one of our community meetings to discuss with others in the industry.

Additional resources

No Spec movement
AIGA position on spec work
AIGA guide on calculating a freelance rate
AIGA guide on setting rates for a firm

Returning the Favor

Letter from the President
August 2018

Hello Raleigh Design Community!

For those of you who do not know, a new board transitioned effective July 1, 2018. I am truly honored and excited to be the President of the 2018-2020 AIGA Raleigh board. Each board brings different energy and viewpoints but we all sign on under a shared purpose:

To create a place where design thrives for everyone.

That single sentence drives everything we do. Most importantly the “for everyone” tag. We want to ensure all our events are available and a safe space for all who wish to attend. We never want you to feel as if you are not welcome or do not belong. This chapter is very unique in that we are open source. We hold monthly community meetings to not only keep you informed, but also so we can learn what you want to see in the community. We regularly survey, continuously ask for feedback and invite participation from our attendees on any level. We are 100 percent volunteer run and the more voices we have, the more we can be heard. Most importantly, we want to empower you to bring your ideas to life.

I’d like to share a very quick backstory about why being a part of AIGA Raleigh—and ultimately the President—is so important to me. It’s about returning the favor.

Eight years ago, the bottom dropped out from under me. My family was dissolving, my career was at a standstill and I was generally unhappy with most facets of my life. In dealing with the fallout of these events, I made a decision to play the opposites game with my life. In other words, if I used to turn right, I would turn left; down is now up.

I have been a professional designer for 25 years now. For most of those years I kept to myself. I never engaged with the design community. In fact, I felt AIGA as a whole was a cliquey, elitist overpriced waste of time and money. But the funny thing is, these were only assumptions. I never gave them, or in reality, myself a chance. I was too afraid of getting in the mix and feeling like an imposter. So, in the spirit of opposites, I said, “Go to an event, and see for yourself.”

So I went to an event. I immediately thought, “Hey, this place is packed!” Everyone was so friendly from check-in to goodbyes. The content was fantastic (the speaker was Von Glitschka!) and just like that, I had gotten the AIGA bug.

A few months later, I decided to go to my first Community Meeting. I quickly hid in the back of the room, surveying the situation I had just gotten myself into. Within minutes, two people came up to me with video cameras and asked if I would be willing to answer a few questions. An interview was the absolute last thing I envisioned doing as a newbie. I tried to deflect. “This is my first meeting so I am probably not the best person to talk to,” I stated. “Even better!,” they said. So once again thinking about opposites, I decided to go for it and get into that uncomfortable space where growth happens.

So I got in front of the camera and they asked me: “If AIGA Raleigh was to give you a sum money to pursue something you’ve always wanted to learn but money has held you up, what would that be?”

I rambled on about Letterpress and Screen Printing and then went back into the meeting. Over the next few months, I came and went to events as I could. One evening, an email appeared in my inbox that said I was one of three recipients of the AIGA Raleigh Pursuit Fund, a $1,000 grant to pursue this side-hustle! I was only required to share my journey with the community. Something as simple as a blog post would have sufficed.

These people I barely knew and who barely knew me put complete faith in a dream I wasn’t even sure of myself!

A simple blog post just didn’t seem fitting to return the favor.

Fast forward. I have served on our Community Board, an elected term as Director of Uniting People and one term as Vice-President. Now, I am kicking off the next two years as President, all because of this organization. This elitist, cliquey, overpriced, waste of time and money organization that put its faith in me. Turns out, the only waste of time was not getting involved with our great community sooner. And it has been one of the best investments I ever made for myself.

Now the point of this letter is not to convince you to become a member. It is not to get you to take out your wallet and sign up. It is to promise you that I and the entire board will make it our goal to make you want to be a member. To prove to you that we will work tirelessly to bring all voices and viewpoints to the table. To create a place where design thrives for everyone.

Onward!
Lenny Terenzi
President
AIGA Raleigh
lenny.terenzi@raleigh.aiga.org

Our annual Student Portfolio Review is in just a few weeks. We’ve put together this guide to help reviewers prep for the event. Whether you are a first-time reviewer or have been a reviewer in the past, these are good tips to keep in mind as you prepare for the event. Thank you so much for participating as a reviewer, we couldn’t put on this event without you.

The portfolio review is intended to prepare students for presenting their work to potential employers. It is not meant to be a simulation of a job interview, but rather an opportunity to receive advice on improvements that they can make to ensure they are presenting a polished portfolio.  As a reviewer, you will be evaluating both the work each student shares as well as how they presented the work. Presentation matters and students need to be able to confidently share their thought process and problem-solving approach to a design brief. So critiquing the presentation is just as important as critiquing the work.

Be a Good Listener

As the student presents their work, stay focused on what they are saying and not what you plan to say about the work. Keep your mind focused on their presentation.

Don’t Make it Personal

Don’t let your personal tastes cloud your judgment. Evaluate the aesthetics based on how well it solves the problem, if it is appropriate to the audience, and adheres to the creative brief.

Be Honest

As you critique each student’s work please be honest about your thoughts — being the “nice guy” doesn’t allow room for growth. It’s important for you to feel comfortable being truthful while allowing each student to understand why a certain element is not working. Give them some direction as to how they can improve the design. Be tactful. Be respectful. Be honest.

Seek the Positive

When viewing each piece, begin with the positive aspects. What works? What makes it effective? Why does it work? Then, provide constructive criticism and feedback. What isn’t working? What could be done differently? Why? Encourage the student to continue to refine their work.

Ask Why

Asking “why” does two things – allows the student to discuss their decision process as well as providing the reviewer with a better understanding of the design. It also prepares students to explain their design decisions as they present concepts to their peers or clients.

Be Specific

Avoid phrases such as, “That’s super cool” or “I like that idea,” as they aren’t specific enough to provide answers on what elements may or may not be working in a design. Dig deeper and be descriptive about your thoughts. When delivering your feedback, remember that the more detailed you are, the better.

Offer Actionable Suggestions

Offer feedback that is action-specific yet includes a variety of possible solutions to improve the design. This allows the student to ultimately be responsible for making their own decisions but gives some direction as to what to focus on when refining the design.

Internal Questions to Ignite Conversation:

• What is your initial impression of the design?
• Is all content present? If not, what is missing?
• What is the overall aesthetic effect? Does it feel appropriate for the target audience?
• What emotions does it evoke?
• Does the style of the design directly align with the goal or purpose?
• Are there brand standards that should be used? Are they used appropriately?
• Do the elements in the layout seem to be in an appropriate location?
• Does the content flow in a natural order and progression? How does your eye flow across the piece?
• Is the solution easy to use and interact with?
• Are typographic choices relevant and fitting in tone?
• Are color choices suitable for the desired message?
• In what way would the target audience respond to this solution?
• Are the details in the graphic elements tailored to the purpose of the project?
• Are there problem areas? What holes need to be filled as they could be more effective?
• Is it visually appealing for the context that it will live in?

Or annual Student Portfolio Review is just a few weeks away. Students, we’ve prepared this guide to help you prepare for the event.

The portfolio review is intended to prepare you for presenting your work to potential employers. It is not meant to be a simulation of a job interview, but rather an opportunity to receive advice on improvements that you can make to ensure you are presenting a polished portfolio.  Reviewers will be evaluating both the work you share as well as how you presented your work. Presentation matters so you need to be able to confidently share your thought process and problem-solving approach to a design brief. So critiquing the presentation is just as important as critiquing your work.

What to Bring With You

• Bring all work in a format that is portable and presentation ready. Keep in mind that space is limited, so please avoid bringing oversized objects.
• Keep portfolio limited to your best pieces: quality over quantity
• If showing any digital work, fully charged laptop/tablet and extension cord and chargers just in case
  You should also prepare a printed portfolio of your work to participate in the gallery that will follow the review
• Business cards
  Consider bringing resumes in case a reviewer requests a copy
• Notepad and pen for recording feedback

Be Prepared

Presentation matters, so it is important to practice presenting your portfolio. Have a solid idea on how you will introduce yourself. When you present each project in your portfolio, provide the details of the assignment and what constraints or challenges you were faced with in developing a solution. Discuss your thought process and reasoning for decisions you made. Write down the points you want to discuss as you present each piece in your portfolio. You may wish to bring these with you on notecards.

Keep an Open Mind

Keep an open mind and respect the insight the reviewers are providing. If you are receiving feedback from a web professional, yet you have more experience in print design, recognize that their viewpoint brings a different perspective to your portfolio. Remember that this is a time for you to reflect on your work. Therefore, don’t dismiss or argue with the reviewer, but instead turn their comments in action items on how to improve. Keep in mind that reviewers are volunteering their time to provide their wisdom.

Don’t Take It Personally

Design critiques are meant to help the design better serve its purpose and audience. So when a reviewer points out something that could use finessing, the intent is to improve the effectiveness of the design and help you grow as a designer.

This is Not a Job Interview

Every reviewer who volunteers is not looking to hire. Some are freelancers, while others enjoy mentoring. Place your focus on their feedback. Utilize this experience to hone your presentation skills, hone your work, and to begin making connections within the local design community.

Follow Up

Don’t forget to thank your reviewers for their time and advice. Request their business card if they do not offer it to you so that you can follow up with them. A simple thank you email or a handwritten note is a great way to develop connections.

On February 23, AIGA Raleigh is hosting our first conference, THRIVE, a one-day supercharged creative conference that will inspire the creative leaders of today and tomorrow with a powerhouse of speakers. We have assembled a line-up of speakers from all over the United States to change the way you think about yourself, where you live, and the impact you can have on both.

To introduce you to our speakers, we asked them to answer a few questions. Meet Nick Ramos, an award-winning graphic artist who creates professional logos and print material by day, and who turns his doodles into sought-after artwork in his free time. Originally from Brazil, Nick moved to the United States when he was a child. He attended Boston’s Massachusetts College of Art. He left in 1991, by which time he was already the Art Director at the Delamarter Advertising Agency in Concord, MA. In 1992, he started freelancing as a graphic designer, which was the very beginning of Graphismo.

Q1: Please describe an experience you’ve had in your life that’s led you to feel more empowered as a creative.

When I was younger, I often questioned my talent and creativity. Since I was little, I have always doodled my thoughts and illustrated letters to friends and family. I would say that I was pretty creative. As with age, like most people, I started censoring myself and being a lot more concerned about the final result. I stopped sharing the drawings and didn’t have as much time to create those elaborate letters. I guess that technology also played a role in my writing fewer letters. Interestingly, it was also technology that led me back into sharing my personal illustrations and words again. Last year, I started sharing my random thoughts on Instagram. I draw one every day, but I don’t always post it. Instead, I try to not censor myself and just have fun with it. It’s not only great therapy, but the playfulness of it does fuel my creativity. It’s even better when someone connects with the art or if it makes them smile.

Q2: As creatives, the work we do has an impact on those around us (viewers, users, the environment, etc). What is something you do to ensure that the impact you’re making is positive?

I think that the choice of the word “impact” is interesting. It can be perceived as a somewhat violent word. Whenever curating an exhibit, I often want to have community participation, so I try to find common ground and go from there. Please don’t take me wrong, I want to push the boundaries whenever it’s appropriate, but I find if I start the dialogue with something that the viewer is comfortable with and get them engaged, then I can present them with ideas or visuals that might be more challenging. I don’t believe in dumbing down my projects, but try to treat my viewers with respect. When working on ‘Build Hope, Not Walls,” the topic of a border wall could have been very polarizing, but we focused on laying the foundation of the project with a beautiful statement about humanity. Yes, the topic was political, but we made it personal.

Q3: We have a strong sense of community in our chapter and beyond. How has being an active part of a community provided you with an opportunity you wouldn’t have had otherwise?

Saying yes to things can be a blessing and a curse. I think that most designers can identify with being asked to do things for free and to donate their time for a cause or the community.

Back in 2008, I was recruited to be on the board of a local non-profit arts organizations called Georgetown Art Works. I knew that I had been asked because I am a graphic designer, and they could use some help in that area. The organization had a lofty goal of bringing an art center to our community, in an effort to create a dialogue with the community through their exhibits and program. They started with the “Art Hop,” an annual statewide arts competition. In 2009, the City of Georgetown decided that they wanted to have all of the street pole banners in downtown feature different artists. 54 artists altogether. Well, it was a huge task, not only because the community was concerned about the content of the banners, but because we had to recruit artists, as well as provide the printers with the appropriate art files. Having the knowledge of how to accomplish this, I was put in charge of the project. It was a big success at the end, but the city had put a lot of limitations, which added a lot of work to the project. In 2011, two years later, I was approached about spearheading the project again, and I was not really interested. The city kept on insisting, and I finally gave in, but with a larger budget and the agreement that I could do whatever I wanted, chiefly, to extend invitations to artists across the country. Artists from across the USA, Brazil, and Peru took part in the 2011 edition of the project. It was awesome.

Fast forward to 2013, working with the City of Georgetown, Georgetown Art Works finally opened the Georgetown Art Center in a restored firehouse. We had finally accomplished our goal. The board decided that since I knew all of these artists,  I would oversee the Exhibits Committee. Eventually, I was given the title of curator. For a 100% volunteer-based organization, we had very lofty goals of being open extensive hours and to reach 24K visitors in our first year. If you are not aware, Contemporary Art is not the easiest sell in a small Central Texas town. We wanted to push the boundaries with themes like “Tomfoolery: Humor in Art,” and “Artists Perception of the American Dream,” but also find some common ground with exhibits like “Art Quilts,” “Botanicals” and so on. Over many years, I oversaw dozens of exhibits and worked with hundreds of artists, which was both exhausting and thrilling at the same time. After 8 years of volunteering, I finally stepped down from my role in 2016.

Over those years, I learned so much about myself. Not only did I have the talent to hang beautiful exhibits, which really is like doing a page layout on a vertical wall, but I also had this passion for art that I was not really aware of. I guess that I should say that creativity fascinates me, the why and how people create things, whether a painting or a sculpture. The ability to have endless conversations about art and to educate the community along the way was very fulfilling.  I had to step down because volunteering was consuming my life; it had become a full-time job on top of my graphic design work. It was an amazing experience.

Follow Nick
Instagram:@graphismo or @buildhopenotwalls
Facebook as Nick Ramos and Graphismo
nickramos.com
business website graphismo.com
buildhopenotwalls.com

On February 23, AIGA Raleigh is hosting our first conference, THRIVE, a one-day supercharged creative conference that will inspire the creative leaders of today and tomorrow with a powerhouse of speakers. We have assembled a line-up of speakers from all over the United States to change the way you think about yourself, where you live, and the impact you can have on both.

To introduce you to our speakers, we asked them to answer a few questions. Meet Keetra Dean Dixon, a designer, director, artist, and teacher. She recently traded in her 15-year practice as an experiential director to focus on independent work including lettering, sculpture, and product design. Her hybrid background continues to lead her towards speculative terrain, leveraging emergent technologies and process-focused making.

Dixon is an ADC Young Gun and a recipient of the U.S. Presidential Award. Her client roster includes the New York Times, Nike, VW, and Coach. She’s shown at the Walker Art Center, the Cooper Hewitt, the Museum of Arts and Design in New York City, and her work is in the permanent design collection at the SFMOMA.

Q1: Please describe an experience you’ve had in your life that’s led you to feel more empowered as a creative.

I didn’t realize it at the time, but learning to weld with my Dad when I was 7, followed by a knitting lesson with my Mom laid the groundwork for every empowering creative experience I’ve had since. It was my first moment of understanding how tiny skills could be applied in monumental ways in both function and form. I felt that with enough practice I could make something grand. I feel the same thrill of possibility when I learn new tools today.

Q2: As creatives, the work we do has an impact on those around us (viewers, users, the environment, etc). What is something you do to ensure that the impact you’re making is positive?

Twist the cynical loop! I can be a bit snarky and I love a little bite, but it often risks offending unintentionally. I try to balance the dark with humor, play, and vulnerability.

Q3: We have a strong sense of community in our chapter and beyond. How has being an active part of a community provided you with an opportunity you wouldn’t have had otherwise?

A lot of my work is participatory, the narrative is not complete without an engaged audience. I am constantly surprised by people’s interaction with the work and often delighted by the feeling of spontaneous community which results. These unexpected moments bring new idea, insights, and a rare feeling of enhanced understanding…it’s not a traditional community, but it’s one I adore.

Follow Keetra
www.fromkeetra.com
Instagram: @keetradeandixon
Twitter: @keetradeandixon