Ink/Pixels 2012
We had a great time at Ink/Pixels 2012! For those of you that missed it, this was our first student conference. Students had their portfolios reviewed by professionals in the morning, and then in the afternoon, folks got to hear presentations from working professionals and students. The day was capped off by a talk titled Heart, Mind & Gut by Todd Harvey of Mission.
We are considering making this a regular event, so look out for it in Spring 2013!
Ink/Pixels registration is open!
Ink/Pixels registration is open and spots are filling up fast!
What is it?
A design conference for students
What can you do at it?
- Have your portfolio reviewed
- Listen to professional designers share their wisdom
- Hear from your peers talk about design (there is still time for you to be a speaker!)
- See Todd Harvey of Mission give a good talk
Where is it?
MICA Brown Center, Baltimore, MD
How much is it?
$10 for AIGA members
$25 for non-members
How can I go to the conference for free?
We have 10 spots open for volunteers, so if I you don’t mind working for an hour before and an hour afterward, email our volunteer chair, Meghan Marx
Visit here for all of the details and to register
http://www.etouches.com/inkpixels2012
Deadline extended
The deadline for PechaKucha talks has been extended to March 21! Check out the details if you’d like to be a speaker at the Ink/Pixels conference.
And the winning poster design is…
This design is by Emilee Hunt, a senior from Millersville University. This poster will be printed and distributed to the local universities in the Baltimore area. Thank you Emilee for your hard work!
When asked about the design, Emilee had this to say:
This design expresses the relationship that ink and pixels has in design. I used a process of printing and scanning techniques to distort a print of my original graphic. This way it passed through a series of steps from print, to screen, and back to print. We live in an exciting time when ink and pixels can have a beautiful co-dependence.
After Emilee finishes her degree, she plans to move to the Baltimore area and pursue a career in Graphic Design and Illustration.
Speak Your Mind!
AIGA Baltimore will be holding Ink / Pixels 2012, a design conference for students on April 21. Since this is a conference for students only, we thought you might be excited to speak your mind. We are looking for students to submit proposals for PechaKucha talks to be given at the conference. Deadline for proposal submissions is March 12th March 21.
What is Pecha Kucha?
If you had six minutes and 20 images, what would you say? PechaKucha is a simple presentation format where you show 20 images for 20 seconds each. The images forward automatically and you talk along to the images.
Here are some examples to see PechaKucha style in action:
Suggested Topics
These are just suggested topics to get you started. We are open to any topics that involve the subject of design.
- Design and Social Media
- Social Design
- Design and Business
How to Submit
All submissions are due by 11:59pm, March 12th March 21.
Entries received after the deadline will not be considered.
Email the following information to pechakucha@baltimore.aiga.org:
- Speakers’ first and last names
- School(s) you attend
- Email address we should use to contact you if your talk is selected
- Title of your proposed talk
- Description of your talk in 300 words or less.
Selected proposals will be announced after March 19 March 23 on our blog.
Eligibility
You must be a student and planning to attend the conference. You do not need to be an AIGA member to present. Teams of speakers may submit one proposal if you plan to present together as a group.
Award
We will select up to 5 presentations. It is assumed if you are submitting a proposal, that you will be the speaker(s). Selected speakers will receive a $5 reimbursement when they arrive at the conference.
Questions?
Please email alissa@baltimore.aiga.org if you have any questions.
Student Membership Sale is back!
All students can join AIGA or renew for only $50 between February 1-20.
AIGA continues its commitment to increasing student involvement in the design community by giving students the opportunity to join and renew online during February for only $50! The drive will occur between February 1-20th. Don’t miss out on this great chance to save some cash. Even recent graduates can get in on the savings!
- Gain exposure by posting your portfolio in the AIGA Member Gallery.
- Find jobs and internships in AIGA Design Jobs.
- Network and learn at local and national events.
- Access exclusive member benefits.
Details and Requirements
- The drive will occur between February 1-20th.
- Online only! Paper applications will not be accepted during this drive.
- Students can join and renew online at my.aiga.org for just $50.
- Faculty advisers should add the students that join online to the student group roster.
JOIN NOW for access and incredible discounts!
Show off your skills!
AIGA Baltimore is requesting design submissions for a poster to promote Ink / Pixels 2012, a design conference for students. Deadline is February 20th.
Required Content
Ink / Pixels 2012
AIGA Baltimore’s design conference for students
Have your portfolio reviewed
Listen to awesome professionals
And get a chance to speak your mind, PechaKucha style
Saturday, April 21
AIGA student members $10
Non-members $25
Visit baltimore.aiga.org/events for more information and to register!
Please also include the AIGA Baltimore logo (download logo here) somewhere on the design. You can change the color and size of the logo. You cannot crop, skew or distort it. The logo must be at least 3.5 inches wide.
Technical Specifications
- Size: 12 x 18 inches, portrait orientation
- Bleed: 0.125 inches
- Color: 4-color maximum
- One-sided printing
- If using raster graphics, the resolution must be 300 dpi.
- Please keep all fonts editable (meaning do not outline or rasterize).
- All imagery must be of your own creation. Do not use any images downloaded from the Internet or other resources.
Note about Fonts
Please use only OpenType fonts or fonts that are Mac compatible and make sure to include them with your design file. We may need to update the text on the poster design because we are still finalizing some details about the conference at the time of this competition.
What to Submit
Submit your original InDesign, Photoshop or Illustrator file. Please include all links and fonts needed for the design to display and print properly. Submissions missing files will not be considered.
How to Submit
All submissions are due by 11:59pm, February 20th.
Entries received after the deadline will not be considered.
- Zip your files into one single zip file.
- Post the zip file to https://wetransfer.com (It’s free!).
- Enter studentposter@baltimore.aiga.org as the friend’s email address.
- Enter your email address.
- In the message box, include your name, email address, phone number and school you attend.
- Click on Transfer.
The winner of the competition will be announced after February 27 on our blog.
Eligibility
You must be an AIGA student member to submit.
Award
The winning design will be distributed to schools in the Baltimore area. The designer will receive one free entrance to the conference, 10 copies of the printed poster and a $50 iTunes gift card.
Questions?
Please email alissa@baltimore.aiga.org if you have any questions.
Portfolio Review Tips
AIGA Baltimore’s portfolio review is on Thursday, December 1. So, the time has come. You’ve been going to school for several years, working hard on each and every project your professors have assigned, and now is your time to shine. You are about to be pushed into the job market or you are looking for your first internship. But guess what? The thought scares you to death. Here are some tips for for making your portfolio presentation outstanding.
- Dress professionally. This means no low-cut tops, no torn clothing, and iron your clothes.
- Arrive on time (better yet, arrive early) and come in smiling.
- Introduce yourself. Tell the reviewer (or employer) your name and something interesting about yourself (what type of industry you want to go into, why you chose the field of design, etc.)
- Make your portfolio well contained and organized. Don’t forget, that at job interviews, you may have your coat, a bag/purse, notepad and portfolio in your hands. Make sure you can carry everything and still be able to shake hands when meeting people.
- Keep it clean! Smudges, hair, work off centered, and inconsistencies; these all just show you don’t pay attention to details.
- Only plan to show the reviewer 7–10 pieces of your best work. Start and end with your strongest pieces.
- Be ready to talk about your work. Tell a short story about each piece. Explain how you conceived of the idea, what research was conducted, who the target audience was, etc.
- Use industry words. Avoid words like “my professor” and “the class.”
- Don’t rush through it. Speak at a normal pace and give the reviewer time to comment on each piece.
- Don’t get defensive if the reviewer criticizes your work. They are there to help you. You can filter through the comments later and decide what changes you should make.
- Have your resume and business card ready to give the reviewer (or employer). Don’t wait for them to ask.
- Ask the reviewer questions about their job. Take the opportunity to learn about what they do and how they got there.
- Ask for the reviewer’s business card and followup with a thank you email or a snail mail thank you card.
Breathe, have fun and good luck! AIGA Baltimore’s portfolio review is on Thursday, December 1. Register now and save!
AIGA Student Membership Sale
AIGA is committed to increasing student involvement in the design community. For the month of September 2011, students may join or renew online for just $50! And to make membership even more accessible, part-time students registered for just six or more credit hours are now eligible for membership in AIGA, the professional association for design. To take advantage of this offer, simply join or renew online between September 1–30, 2011. Spread the word and don’t miss out!
- Gain exposure by posting your portfolio in the AIGA Member Gallery.
- Find jobs and internships in AIGA Design Jobs.
- Network and learn at local and national events.
- Access exclusive member benefits.
JOIN NOW for access and incredible discounts!
Current student members whose memberships are up for renewal August 31 through December 31 are eligible for this discount if they renew before September 30.
Becoming a Part of the Creative Workforce. Pointers for landing that first job.
As we move closer and closer to the summer months, there are those of you that are putting the finishing touches on your portfolios, creating small masterpieces that you will put on display showing how hard you worked, the thought and creative prowess (minus the dark circles under your eyes and studio tac in your hair) and the passion behind why you decided to graduate with a degree in a creative field.
Last week April 30th 2011 was AIGA Baltimore’s Student Portfolio Review, where many of you test drove your creative work to reviewers, peers and board members alike. There was an array of work and styles and it is always refreshing to see the excitement and passion that many students have coming out of school (keep that!).
Our panel discussion addressed a lot of issues and gave many helpful hints in order to land your first position in the creative field. Showing that having a passion for what you do is extremely important, but knowing how to structure that passion to sell yourself to a position where you feel you can be a valuable asset is key to success in any job.
Key Pointers
- Show great work. Make sure that you talk to your work, how did you solve the problem, why did you choose the colors and typefaces you did?
- Not about a 9-5. Be hungry, show you care, and go above and beyond.
- Be Part of a team. Be willing to communicate and work with others to accomplish a project.
- Look People in the eyes. Do not stare off into the clouds. have an ability to engage a person in conversation.
- Dont just grab anything that is out there. Show you are committed. Find something that fits what you want to do, just cause it pays the bills does not mean its the right fit, show you want to be part of a team.
- Don’t typecast yourself. Don’t take a job to take a job, make sure you maintain your sanity. Don’t settle keep building your portfolio, don’t let a job you hate define the rest of your career.
- Cold calling – NO. Send a physical resume (we love paper/printed things. so show it.), interact and be personable, show more than just an email, show you are committed top to bottom and that you understand the work that the company does.
- Network – YES. Get to know who is in the field. Know the people as people (not just possible employers.) Become friends, break in and work hard at introducing yourself in person and in the industry. GET INVOLVED.
- Individuality. BE CREATIVE, this is what you do and love so show it. Know who you are and find a way to stand out. Instead of a resume send a shoebox.
- Cover letter. It is HUGE. tailor it to the position, know the company, make sure you follow-up with people when sending out your work.
- My Design Firm. Thinking of starting your own business right outside of school? No. Go an learn on someone else’s dime, take the time, make the mistakes, you need a continuation of a learning process. How do client teams, technology, account management interact? Freelancer = your training wheels!
- Research. You are also interviewing the employer. Find out about the company and ask questions during the interview (it can be impressive). Find a company will stick up for good design, and respect the process.
- Explain and Defend your work. Articulate your creative work, and have the reasons to defend it that make sense. Who is your audience, is your creative appropriate? (don’t be shy about saying you do not have enough info! ask questions!)
- Don’t take criticism personally. Clients can be difficult, sometimes you have no control over it. Sometimes there are off the wall comments, however this is the joy of what we do. If some one makes a comment that impacts everything you have done, it is a new challenge, you have another problem to solve. It is not always a bad thing if someone does not like something, there is probably a good reason. Client feedback = Good.
- Online portfolio. URL = important you want to be able to show your work instantly, we want to know if you qualify for your interview.
- KNOW WEB DESIGN Many people are unprepared on the interactive front. There is a huge advantage to understanding interactive design, user interactivity, and architecture.
- Last but no least: Create your own content. Look within, if nothing is working create your own content, generate it yourself. Think about what you can do creatively to keep yourself in design. Make something out of your experiences.
Remember, everything falls back on you. You are responsible for making your work the best it can be, and making sure that you take the opportunities that are presented to you. Just because you may not get a job right away, does not mean you can’t still be creating valuable content that you can use for the future. I wish all the future professionals out there good luck, in finding the job that fits and works for you.
AIGA Baltimore Blog 