AIGA Upstate New York

2021 Emerging Designers’ Portfolio Review

aiga admin — Tue, 16 Mar 2021 18:01:34 +0000

You’re invited to participate in AIGA Upstate New York’s annual portfolio review event! Due to the ongoing pandemic, this year’s portfolio review is being conducted completely online during the weeks of April 5-16, 2021.

For emerging designers, this is a great opportunity to share your portfolio with Upstate design professionals and receive important feedback. Please fill out and submit the following form at your earliest convenience.

For industry professionals, we need you to sign up to review portfolios and provide thoughtful feedback and help our next generation of designers! Even if you’ve only been working as a designer for a year or two, your input is really helpful to folks who are just starting out, and your experience getting that first job is fresh in your mind.

Volunteer to be a reviewer

This review is open to all emerging designers, whether you are in school, or self-taught, a recent grad, in a bootcamp, switching careers, etc. If you are job hunting for your first design job, or will be soon and need feedback, this event is for you!

Once we’ve paired up reviewers with emerging designers, we’ll contact you with additional information.

Volunteer to be a reviewer: https://forms.gle/HfJzSHuHL678nwLp6

The deadline for signups is March 31st, 2021. You will be contacted about your pairings by April 3, 2021. The reviews will be scheduled on an individual basis with your reviewer, and will be conducted over Webex, Zoom, or whatever video platform you feel most comfortable using.

Please reach out to shauna@upstatenewyork.aiga.org with any questions or connect with our volunteer leaders at aigaupstateny.slack.com.

Less of the Same: Reconsidering the Design of GOTV Campaigns

victor — Sat, 19 Sep 2020 19:15:50 +0000

Hand-me-down wisdom proclaims that Get Out the Vote campaigns rarely impact the turnout in any given election. It is probably true, but not because there is a problem with the media. Rather, the fault is in the content. Join Dr. Ofer Berenstein – a voter encouragement consultant – in a discussion about the visual elements that work well, or less, in encouraging political engagement by different types of citizens. In the course of this talk, we will look into the logic behind certain demographics’ preferences of pictograms and symbols, models, color schemes, typography, and artistic traditions. By the end of this talk, participants will have a basic working knowledge and understanding of five key elements that can take the effectiveness of GOtV campaigns to the next level.

Important Notice Regarding AIGA Upstate New York Programming

aiga admin — Wed, 11 Mar 2020 21:06:37 +0000

Attention AIGA Upstate New York Members-

In an effort to ensure the health and safety of our members across Upstate New York, our Chapter is suspending all in-person programming until further notice. Our volunteer Board has given this significant consideration and, after reviewing recent guidance from global and national health institutions regarding COVID-19, we believe this is the right approach.

Our volunteer Board is in the process of developing a plan that will allow our upcoming portfolio reviews to take place online. This plan should be in place by next week and we’ll follow up with an additional message detailing the online portfolio review process.

As always, we encourage you to join our Slack channel aigaupstateny.slack.com for important conversations and updates. This Friday, we’ll be hosting an AMA session with our own Co-President Shauna Keating! She’s been working remotely for more than a year and will provide some timely and relevant insights.

We encourage all of you to stay informed about COVID-19 and take the necessary precautions to stay healthy. While there is currently no vaccine to prevent COVID-19, the following steps can help stop the spread of this and other respiratory viruses:

– Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are unavailable, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
– Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
– Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
– Stay home when you are sick.
– Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
– Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.

Thanks for your attention and feel free to reach out to AIGA Upstate New York leadership via our Slack channel: aigaupstateny.slack.com

Sincerely,

Andrew Gregory and Shauna Keating

Co-Presidents, AIGA Upstate New York

Helpful Tips to Make the Best of Your Portfolio Review

aiga admin — Wed, 03 Apr 2019 00:04:35 +0000

It’s that time of year when all of you senior design students are working hard on your thesis projects and thinking about getting started/a job in the design industry.

That means it is time to polish up your portfolio, and AIGA is here to help you get your portfolio job interview worthy.

AIGA Upstate New York is hosting several portfolio reviews to help you be ready to begin interviewing for your design job.

Schedule

Resources and Tips

Mitch Goldstein, @mgoldst, has put together a set of suggestions that will help you get a great, focused, helpful portfolio review: Portfolio Review Preparation
Don’t procrastinate.
If you are presenting a print project, make sure to present it printed.
Mitch’s second suggestion: Know everything about each project you show.
It is important to be able to explain your work. Rehearse it so that you can hear yourself speaking about.
Check out your colleagues’ portfolios, and listen while they describe their projects.
Describe your projects to your colleagues.
Choose projects that translate into multiple formats. If you have an awesome illustration, how might that be used as a poster, t-shirt, on social media, etc.
Ask for help.
Ask questions.

AIGA is here to help you succeed, and we have resources to help get you started and happy in your future design career. Join Upstate New York AIGA and jump start your design career.

Board Member Highlight: Jennifer Wilkerson

aiga admin — Mon, 08 Oct 2018 22:46:02 +0000

AIGA Board title / years serving:

Treasurer, since July 2016

Area code/ Where do you live?

518, Niskayuna, NY

Work title / employer:

Self / Aurora Design also exploring freelancing and / or joining a team

Favorite thing about UPSTNY AIGA:

This amazing community that understands the power of design and design thinking.

Why do you volunteer?

To be connected to this rich community.

Your favorite designer or personal mentor:

Favorite designers: Michael Bierut, Paul Rand

Favorite design resource:

I’m a reader (if you know I love print you are probably not surprised). I love Communication Arts, Design for Love Work for Money, and anything business of design related…

What do you love to do outside of design/work/aiga?

Photography, gardening, cooking, volunteering for Schenectady Greenmarket and my local food co-op.

Website: thoughtfuldesign.com

twitter: @auroradesign

Instagram: @jennifer_auroradesign

Board Member Highlight: Andrew Gregory

aiga admin — Mon, 08 Oct 2018 13:46:08 +0000

AIGA Board title / years serving:

Co-President (2 years)

Curator, AIGA UPSTNY Threadless Artist Shop

Area code/ Where do you live?

518 (Rensselaer)

Work title / employer:

Director of Multimedia at Corning Place Communications

Favorite thing about AIGA UPSTNY :

There’s so much to love about AIGA Upstate New York. Our programming team does a fantastic job of creating events that connect and educate our members. It’s also worth mentioning that our Slack channel is fire! Designers from a variety of disciplines and Upstate communities are able to share valuable insights and resources.

Why do you volunteer?

I’m a proud AIGA Upstate New York board member because I believe in the importance of giving back to your community.

Your favorite designer or personal mentor:

Now this is a tough question. I’m a big admirer of Aaron Draplin, Jen Bartle, Eric Carle and Saul Bass. I could go on and on…

Favorite design resource:

Andy J. Miller’s Creative Pep Talk podcast is really rad. Andy offers up a great mix of practical advice and interesting guests. I can’t recommend it enough: https://soundcloud.com/creativepeptalk

What do you love to do outside of design/work/aiga?

Fun adventures with my wife and kids are at the top of my list. We’re always on the go!

What would your design superpower be?

Reading a client’s mind to get a sense of what they really want would be amazing. Materializing coffee at will would be a real plus too.

Website:

www.lunchboxbrain.com

Handle:

@lunchboxbrain (IG, Twitter, FB)

Get Worked Up: A Message from Co-President Shauna Keating

aiga admin — Sat, 29 Sep 2018 16:42:29 +0000

Following is a brief summary of the presentations from Get Worked Up conference, September 22. These are some final remarks from the conference emcee and Chapter Co-President, Shauna Keating.

One week ago, I had the pleasure of volunteering to emcee the Get Worked Up Conference. This conference is among the most important programming we do every year. I have the unique experience of attending this event the last few years in three different positions: recent graduate attendee, speaker, and Co-President/Emcee.

I graduated college a little over two years ago, and now I am a chapter Co-President. I have a theory that I am the youngest chapter president in AIGA history (I have no record to look at to prove that). For a lot of my time on the chapter board, I have tried my best to not talk about my age because I was scared of not being taken seriously. Recently, I came to a realization: the only person who I need to take me seriously is me. I think all of us as emerging designers can do anything we want to if we go into it with confidence and determination.

Sure, experience does make someone stronger as a leader. But something even more important than experience is enthusiasm. The willingness to step up when someone is needed is far more important in the long run than how long you have done something in the past, or if you have even done it at all. If you really want to do something, and you care about it a lot, you don’t have to put it off for five years because you are not “experienced” enough.

I was never the “get involved!!” type when I was in school. I didn’t have a lot of time and money resources in my life as a student so it was mostly go to school, go to work, and nothing else. I think people often expect the “chapter president” types to have led their school’s AIGA student group or been in 20 clubs during undergrad, but that definitely was not me. I just didn’t have the privilege of time to offer at that point in my life, and that’s ok. I didn’t become an AIGA member until after I graduated, and I had the disposable income to put into the membership fee. Once I did though, it completely changed my life.

I’m pointing all of this out to make it more apparent that you as an emerging designer, can step up and get involved at any point. You don’t have to wait until you hit “senior level” or have your BFA. It doesn’t matter if you have spent years on a different career path, or if you are still in school. The best way to kick start your career as a designer is to get out there and meet people. Sitting around and tossing applications at online job and internship listings will only get you so far. If you have the makings of a leader, get started on that now. Organizations like AIGA run on volunteers (this is not my full time job, I do this in my free time) and would be thrilled to have you help out.

Whether or not you attended Get Worked Up, I highly recommend getting involved in your local AIGA chapter/programming hub. A lot of the events are free or discounted for students and emerging designers. In our chapter, we have events in the Hudson Valley (that’s where I am!), the Capital Region, Glens Falls, Syracuse, Rochester, Buffalo, Binghamton, and Ithaca. If you live somewhere that doesn’t do programming, but you want it to, you can step up to be the programming coordinator for your area (Joining my local programming team was how I got started). Come by and meet us! Or better yet, sign up to volunteer for an event. You definitely won’t regret it. I often find I get more out of events as a volunteer because I get the chance to meet the organizers and speakers, and really immerse myself in the experience.

Take Away: Go to a place, do a thing. Get involved with your AIGA chapter!

Be sure to check out the resources AIGA national is putting out there for AIGA Emerge, which is the national initiative to support designers in the first 5 years of their career. If you live somewhere else in the country, check out the calendar and see what’s going on near you!

This year’s Get Worked Up Conference was amazing, and I am really proud of this chapter. I am so lucky to have the privilege to lead such an amazing group of people. I’m really looking forward to what’s next.

Big Thanks–

Rebecca Mushtare, Get Worked Up Director
Andrea Duquette, EMERGE Director
Andrew Gregory, Co-President
Renée Stevens, EDU Director
Casi Hall, Programming Director
All of this years Get Worked Up volunteers

and of course, those who stepped up to speak:

Mitch Goldstein, Start at the Start

Do It Anyway: Finding Opportunity in Unusual Places, Nicole Cooke

Do what you love, and you’ll still feel like you are working (sometimes), Sam Fuller

Vote Oswego Design strategy, Danielle Benincase

#TruthTella: Lessons Learned, Curtis Canham
Present Yourself, Milo Axelrod
Leading Creative Teams, Eleazar Hernandez

Holy Sh*t! I got my degree, Casey Kelly

Save the date for EMERGE Awareness Week: September 24–October 3, 2018

Get Worked Up: #TruthTella: Lessons Learned, Curtis Canham

aiga admin — Sat, 29 Sep 2018 16:39:20 +0000

Following is a brief summary of the presentations from Get Worked Up conference, September 22.
Part 8

#TruthTella: Lessons Learned
— Curtis Canham

Curtis Canham shared a few of the lessons he has learned during his career that can help out new designers (and even not so new designers) find a great job and avoid some common pitfalls.

About Getting Hired

Construct your portfolio around your unique strengths. Present projects that you would like to do more of. When presenting your portfolio, make sure to give your work context. Mock up a layout to show off an illustration for example.

Practical tip: Would you hire yourself? If you were hiring a designer, what specifically would you look for? Be that designer.

Design Philosophy

People seem to love bad design, and it is ok to give them that.

Another practical tip: Give your clients what they are asking for. You are providing a service. If you are hired to do a job, a brochure for example, just do the brochure. If the client’s logo is horrible, use it. You were hired to layout out a brochure.

Words of wisdom from Design Jesus, Dan Stiles.

Take Away: Know what makes you unique. Don’t be a dick. Be the designer you would hire. Do the job.

Twitter: @yayforaholes
Dribbble: CSA Creative, Curtis Canham
Website:CSA Creative*

Instagram: @yayforaholes

Get Worked Up 2018 – EMERGE Awareness Week

aiga admin — Wed, 26 Sep 2018 18:01:07 +0000

AIGA Minnesota is thrilled to announce the return of EMERGE, designed to engage emerging designers. The program continues its aim to provide designers who are 0–5 years into their careers after graduation with customized events, experiences, and content that will advance their career paths and create tangible opportunities.

AIGA Upstate NY is participating in EMERGE week by sharing recaps from our emerging designers’ conference, called Get Worked Up. Our 2018 conference happened this year right before the start of EMERGE week, so we are sharing talks from the event all week long to share insights from our speakers with a wider audience.

Posts:

Mitch Goldstein, Start at the Start

Do It Anyway: Finding Opportunity in Unusual Places, Nicole Cooke

Do what you love, and you’ll still feel like you are working (sometimes), Sam Fuller

Vote Oswego Design strategy, Danielle Benincasa

#TruthTella: Lessons Learned, Curtis Canham
Present Yourself, Milo Axelrod
Leading Creative Teams, Eleazar Hernandez

Holy Sh*t! I got my degree, Casey Kelly
Closing Remarks, Co-President Shauna Keating

Save the date for EMERGE Awareness Week: September 24–October 3, 2018

Get Worked Up: Present Yourself, Milo Axelrod

aiga admin — Tue, 25 Sep 2018 19:21:51 +0000

Following is a brief summary of the presentations from Get Worked Up conference, September 22.
Part 5

Present Yourself
— Milo Axelrod

There is no escape; you need a portfolio. Fortunately, Milo is really good at making portfolios, and shares some tricks that they have learned to make your portfolio creation process less painful.

Your portfolio will probably be in a digital format, and it will be viewed and reviewed by non-designers and designers. Most likely, you will not be there to explain the background about each entry, so it’s extremely important for your work to be able to speak for itself.

Milo breaks down portfolio creation into three steps: 1. Outline, 2. Inspo, and 3. Assembly. Keeping these categories in mind can help you untangle and clarify your projects.

1. Outline

Think about your projects from the viewer’s perspective. Make an outline to determine exactly what information you want to include in your portfolio entry. This can help give your projects context and help you present your projects succinctly and effectively.

A case study is your portfolio’s crowning jewel.

2. Inspo

Take some time to investigate what is already out there. Find out how other designers present similar projects.

Look at how other people handled similar projects.

3. Assembly

When you put your portfolio together, use the tools that you already are familiar with. This is NOT the time to learn new stuff — stick with what you already know. Also, speed development along by taking advantage of the assets available from the design community, like free mockups.

The best tool is the one you already know how to use.

Putting together a portfolio is time consuming, hard work. If you put Milo’s strategy to use though, constructing your portfolio will be less overwhelming and painful. You will end up with an awesome portfolio that speaks for you.

Take Away: Care. Be willing to do the work. Free stuff is good.

Milo Axelrod
Behance: /Milo on Behance
Podcast: Describing a Rock
Twitter: @miloaxelrod
Website: Milo Axelrod