Photographed: Henock Beyen of One Design speaks to Chicago Public School students during an AIGA Chicago-sponsored event. Photo courtesy of One Design.

FUSE 2019 partners with Vernon Lockhart, Project Osmosis, and AIGA Chicago to bring design education to inner cities. The program will empower the creative future and boost design careers and resources for public school systems.

FUSE-OSMOSIS-AIGA-SHARES Program Launching April 8, 2019: Bringing Diverse Career Paths, Mentoring, Role Models to High Schools.

Chicago, March 27, 2019 – FUSE Design, Project Osmosis, and AIGA Chicago have announced that they will collaborate on sharing live and virtual resources from the FUSE 2019 Design & Brand Strategy Conference with Chicago Public Schools in a pilot Conference-to-Public-School-System knowledge exchange.

The program aims to tackle the lack of diversity in industries where minorities are underrepresented, which has also compelled companies like Uber, Google, Verizon, and Airbnb to demonstrate stronger commitments to diversity and inclusion. Like the tech industry, the design industry has historically had low numbers of minority representation. A 2016 study by Google and AIGA found that only 9% of designers were Hispanic, 8% Asian, and 3% African-American.

“We want to be able to say 10, 20, 50 years from now that we were able to encourage thousands of youth to pursue design careers they may never have considered otherwise. I believe every person has the human right to be creative, regardless of their economic background or race. This project with FUSE and AIGA Chicago can amplify our goal,” said Lockhart, who founded Project Osmosis in 1998, and who is a principal of Art On The Loose, Inc., a multidisciplinary design firm based in Chicago, and a professor of design inclusion at the School of Design at the University of Illinois at Chicago. For the past 21 years, Project Osmosis has engaged minority youth in activities that promote creativity and self-expression. The organization helps 700+ students each year to gain access to and knowledge about career opportunities in design.

“We’re thrilled to work with Vernon Lockhart and Project Osmosis, who are truly leaders in this field and inspire so many others, and with AIGA Chicago, to ensure that we don’t ‘just hold a design conference,’ but instead leave something of real value behind that Chicago Public Schools can use to make design careers visible, and boost opportunities for teachers and students to connect with us and create the future. In the year of the 100^th Anniversary of the Bauhaus, which migrated to Chicago and IIT, it seemed only fitting that we continue to make design a more public opportunity,” said Julie Anixter, FUSE Conference Curator and Chair and native Chicagoan.

Together, Project Osmosis and AIGA Chicago will identify high school teachers and students to participate in the conference in meaningful ways, including meeting and introducing speakers on stage, contributing to special mentoring sessions with people like Audrey Arbeeny, CEO of Audio Brain, and Ken Kocienda, former principal engineer of Apple’s iPhone and author of Creative Selection: Inside Apple’s Design Process During the Golden Age of Steve Jobs.

AIGA Chicago co-president David Sieren noted: “Our collective goal in this collaboration is to look beyond the conventional association conference model and embrace the next generation of design talent, providing professional exposure and access to knowledge related to major areas of change impacting our industry today. The goals of the partnership perfectly align with the mission of AIGA Chicago. We look forward to being able to share our passion for:

• The potential of design to substantively impact the world around us
• Expanding career path opportunities
• Modern design methodologies
• And the evolving relationships between designer and client.”

AIGA Chicago will also be leading an interactive workshop during the conference entitled Impact Lab – First Envision Your Project’s Outcomes, in partnership with Justin Ahrens and AIGA Path to Impact Task Force members Lennie Mowris and Laurel Webster.  

“We were inspired by Jamie Dimon’s recent remarks at the NY Economic Club to do more to support local communities…as well as Larry Fink’s call to corporate leaders to embody their purpose,” said Kelly Schram, head of product development at KNect 365’s Insights, Marketing and Innovation division. “Dimon says that if we don’t address high schools we’re ensuring generations of poverty to come. Working with AIGA Chicago and Project Osmosis, who are doing amazing work at the high school level, is a great opportunity to learn how we can add the most value through our conferences.”

To learn more about the FUSE Conference, April 8–10, 2019, please visit FUSE 2019.

Header photo courtesy of One Design. Henock Beyen of One Design speaks to Chicago Public School students during an AIGA Chicago-sponsored event.

Dear members of Chicago’s design community,

In light of recent developments related to the Coronavirus and a broader effort to preemptively minimize community spread of COVID-19, we encourage everyone in our community to stay informed and take the necessary precautions to stay healthy.

Up-to-date information can be found via Illinois’s Department of Public Health.

The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) is also providing email updates about the spread of the virus. You can register for their e-newsletter on the CDC site, as well as from this page titled Steps to Prevent Illness.

Sincerely,
Your friends at AIGA Chicago

Call for Nominations: AIGA Chicago Board & Committee Members

Know someone who would be perfect on AIGA Chicago’s board of directors or committees? We’re officially accepting nominations until Friday, March 5, 2021.

Review the open positions below, then submit your nomination via our quick and easy form below.

A Few Things to Know:

• All submissions will be presented to the nominating committee.
• Once a nomination (either peer or self-nominated) is submitted, the nominee will be contacted for more information.
• Each board member is elected to serve and represent the entire membership of the AIGA Chicago to the best of his/her ability, in accordance with the AIGA mission and the description of the board position.
• The Board of Directors meets monthly to report, determine and vote on chapter activities.
• AIGA Chicago’s board members are elected by the entire membership and serve staggered three-year terms.

Open Board Positions

Co-President

This role, in collaboration with the co-president, is responsible for acting as the public face of the chapter while overseeing all activities, programs, initiatives, and decision-making organization-wide.

Defined Responsibilities:

• Maintain the financial and procedural stability of the chapter, working closely with the Executive Director to manage the non-profit organization.
• Preside over monthly board meetings, weekly executive calls, and annual planning retreat.
• Develop broader chapter participation by encouraging board members to form and maintain solid committee structures that reach out to the AIGA Chicago membership and broader design community.
• Encourage the board to live our mission to embrace, amplify, and advance designers and the role of design in our community.
• Participate and manage AIGA National initiatives, communications, and needs as they relate to our Chapter. Including attending monthly leadership meetings and an annual leadership conference.
• Evaluate board structure to ensure that the chapter leadership is addressing key areas of need and member interest.
• Lead a group of volunteers and in doing so be open and empathetic to competing responsibilities and priorities in life. Acknowledge and support our people during challenging times in our city, country, and world.
• Ensure continuity of board leadership by active participation in succession planning and nominations process.

Est. time commitment: 10-15 hours a week

VP of Communications

The VP of Communications shall oversee the application of core messages of the Chapter, acting as a monitor to ensure that all AIGA Chicago communications are accurate, articulate, and consistent with the chapter voice. Supports the mission of AIGA Chicago through the communication of ideas and information relevant to the profession and its constituencies.

Defined Responsibilities:

• This position works closely with other board members to generate content and communicate to the AIGA Chicago membership. Messages will be communicated through the AIGA Chicago website, all AIGA Chicago print materials, and social media.
• Works with other VPs and Programming Chair(s) to promote events (oversee, review, and editing all promotional materials for events). This could involve the work of a committee or devising a system to ensure that all materials are checked and edited prior to public dissemination.
• Engage with Work with Partnerships Chair(s), President(s), and Executive Director to develop sponsor-related communications and maintain sponsor presence on website and on social.
• This position is also responsible for the recruitment, oversight, and evaluation of editorial committee members, which includes designers, editors, printers, writers, and other relevant contributors.

Est. time commitment: 10–15 hours a week

Education Chairs
Education Chairs initiate and assist in organizing programs that are beneficial to student members, such as conferences, exhibitions, and scholarships while providing general guidance to students and serving as a liaison to faculty advisors.

Defined Responsibilities:

• Develop and produce quality and profitable programming.
• Work closely with VP of Programming and VP of Education to produce successful programs.
• Work closely with student groups and faculty advisors
• Collaborate with CPS to develop adopt-a-school programming with local design agencies and studios
  

Partnerships Chairs

Event chairs help execute an annual program schedule/calendar that reflects activities consistent with AIGAʼs mission and meets the needs of Chapter members.

Training with our programming chairs begins Spring 2021. The position begins June 1, 2021.

Defined Responsibilities:

• Develop and produce quality and profitable programming that speaks to various topics and audiences. See past events in our archive.
• Work closely with VP of Programming and Programming Co-Chairs to produce successful programs.
• Assist in securing speakers, sponsors and venues when needed.
• Work with the Editorial and Social Media chairs to promote chapter event schedules locally, regionally and nationally.

Est. time commitment: 4-6 hours weekly with additional time during weeks in which events occur.

Editorial Chairs

The Editorial Chair shall oversee the application of core messages of the Chapter, acting as a monitor to ensure that all AIGA Chicago communications are accurate, articulate, and consistent with the chapter voice. Supports the mission of the AIGA through the communication of ideas and information relevant to the profession and its constituencies.

Defined Responsibilities:

• This position works closely with other board members to generate content and communicate to the AIGA Chicago membership. The message will be communicated through the AIGA Chicago website, emails and e-newsletters, print materials, and social media.
• Work with Interactive Chair to manage website content and generate content for the website on a regular and timely basis.
• Work with the VP of Partnerships to develop sponsor-related communications and maintain sponsor presence on website and print matter.
• Work with Programming Chairs to promote events, oversee reviews, and editing all promotional materials for events.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) Chairs

The DEIB Chair will uplift dialogue about diversity in our design practice and give agency to issues of inclusion and representation. This work will be accomplished by working within the DEIB committee and across all committees within the Chapter. 

Defined Responsibilities:

The chair will work with the VP of DEIB to expand the Chapter’s current network of community members in the hopes of creating Chapter demographics that are closer to the representation of the greater Chicago metropolitan area. Specifically regarding race, gender, sexual orientation, and income. 

With the DEIB committee, the chair will also provide insight to any inward and outward-facing programming to assure that DEIB acts as a guiding lens to the Chapter. 

Est time commitment: 5-7 hours per week

Community Engagement Chairs

The Community Engagement committee seeks to support, facilitate, and cultivate opportunities for designers to create positive, socially responsible, and equitable impact in Chicago. We aim to create space for designers, organizations, and individuals to connect and collaborate through programming and community projects.

Defined Responsibilities:

Work closely with VP of Community Engagement, committee volunteers, and AIGA Chicago board members to develop and implement programming that responds to the needs of the design community. Encourage volunteer and committee participation and assist in design community outreach when needed.

Est time commitment: 1-year minimum commitment. Approximately 4-6 hours per month, potentially more should you choose to chair an event or are excited to champion specific content or programming.

Programming Chairs

Event chairs help execute an annual program schedule/calendar that reflects activities consistent with AIGAʼs mission and meets the needs of Chapter members.

Defined Responsibilities:

Develop and produce quality and profitable programming that speaks to various topics and audiences. See past events in our archive. Work closely with VP of Programming and Programming Co-Chairs to produce successful programs. Assist in securing speakers, sponsors, and venues when needed. Connect with the Editorial and Social Media chairs to promote chapter event schedules locally, regionally, and nationally.

Est time commitment: 4-6 hours a month, with ups and downs depending on when you / your team is running an event.

To submit someone (or yourself) for consideration, make your nomination no later than Friday, March 5, 2021.

Questions? Don’t hesitate to reach out to Executive Director at kel@chicago.aiga.org.

MXD (Music x Design) is a cultural exchange that pays tribute to the influence each of our 3 cities has had in bringing electronic music to the world.

Join us for a 24hr continuous streaming live music set, featuring 12 DJs – reppin’ each of our respective cities (Berlin, Chicago, Detroit). Each DJ is playing for a specific charity in their city .

This a collaborative event between AIGA Chicago, AIGA Detroit, and Submerge Records. Shout out to Green Sky & SMZ for partnering with us!

DJ Lineup

AGYENA – Berlin

Body Mechanic – Detroit

Diallo from Detroit – Detroit

DJ Holographic – Detroit

Drummer B – Detroit

John Collins – Detroit

ProblematicBlackHottie – Detroit

Tony Junior – Chicago

____

While the event is FREE, we ask that you consider donating towards any of the following non-profits:

Brave Space Alliance

Downtown Boxing Gym

GLADT e.V.

Marwen

Peace Tree Parks

Submerge Museum

Register now.

AIGA Chicago stands in steadfast solidarity with Black people and people of color suffering under the oppression and brutality running through our society.

We urge our design community to come together to support the individuals, organizations, and movements already working tirelessly for reform and societal change. They need our support more than ever right now.

It’s our duty as citizens to check in on one another, listen without judgment or solution, educate ourselves, and cease supporting organizations promoting hatred — explicitly or implicitly.

And it’s our moral obligation to remember: while media attention will undoubtedly subside, the fundamental issues impacting our society will not, unless we remain steadfast in our resolve and actions.

Our nation’s political dysfunction and racial inequality continue mounting while we are in the midst of a global pandemic compromising our health and livelihoods. Above all else, please stay safe and look out for one another.

If you’re unsure where to turn as you funnel passion and frustration into action, we urge you to consider the resources and initiatives we’ve compiled at the following link: https://medium.com/aiga-chicago/prejudice-pain-and-compassion-cd1780fb7541 

Dear AIGA members,

We’re asking you to cast your vote below for the incoming AIGA Chicago board members. The term for these positions will commence in June, 2020. Please take a moment to cast your vote today. Voting ends May 22, 2020.

We also wish to extend sincere thanks to our outgoing board members David Sieren, Co-President and Antonio García, VP of Diversity & Inclusion. Their service and dedication helped advance our mission, forge new partnerships, and strengthen our community.

Final Slate
Co-President—Antonio García
Antonio García is Design Strategy Director at Table XI, founder of Dadwell & Co., and VP of Diversity & Inclusion for AIGA Chicago.

Prior to joining TXI’s leadership team, Antonio was Group Experience Director at Rightpoint. Before Rightpoint, he helped launch Northern Lab—Northern Trust’s internal innovation accelerator. Ahead of the Lab, he led gravitytank’s interaction design discipline and social innovation practice. Leading into innovation consulting, Antonio was Director of Strategy for Firebelly Design.

In addition to design leadership, Antonio is a mentor, educator, and lecturer at Northwestern University’s Segal Design Institute and Designation. He previously taught Customer Discovery as part of University of Chicago’s Polsky Center Entrepreneurship Essentials and New Product Definition at IIT Institute of Design.

A frequent contributor to community conversations on the topics of DEIB, design ethics, culture and creativity, Antonio believes design’s sole function is to cause change.

If he’s not hard at work, Antonio is most likely DJing, drawing, or training for his next marathon.

VP of Diversity & Inclusion—Dave Pabellon
Dave Pabellon is a graphic designer. He constantly pursues endeavors that connect his graphic design practice with social empowerment through the studio and classroom environment.

He has mentored and instructed in the non-profit sector, has taught at the university level, and lectures infrequently for professional design institutions and organizations. Pabellon is currently an Assistant Professor of Graphic Design at Dominican University. Prior to academia, he fulfilled the senior designer role at Faust Associates, an award-winning visual communication firm specializing in intuitively guided and collaborative design solutions that disregard convention.

His personal work has been produced in collaboration with the publication AREA Chicago, through the catalogs of Organize Your Own, Experimental Geography, Critical Cartography, and Urban Festival show. Pabellon received his MFA (2007) in Graphic Design at the University of Illinois at Chicago and his BA (2001) in Digital Communication from California State.

Chair of Mentor Program—Nicholas Phillips
Nick leads design research and experience design at Studio 2133. He strives to approach every problem with empathy and humility making sure to always put the users’ needs first.

As a result, He is able to translate human behavior into design decisions leveraging them as the framework to shape products and experiences that are both valuable and viable in the market. Nick received a Master of Science in Engineering Design Innovation from Northwestern University and a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from The University of Texas at Austin.

He is very interested in the “Mixed Methods” of design research and discussing where the industry is headed and potential career paths with other designers.

The AIGA Chicago Education Team is looking for opportunities to strengthen expectations and alignment between educators, students, and professional practitioners.

Why are we sending out this survey?
We would like design educators to be better informed about what employers are looking for in recent college graduates so they can better tailor curricula and professional practice advice to reflect current industry standards. Our goal is to create resources that lead to students being better prepared to enter the workplace, benefitting both graduate and employer.

Survey results and findings will be published on the AIGA Chicago site, and shared directly with AIGA Chicago Student Group Faculty. (Note: this survey is anonymous, and individual names will not be included in the published results. If you choose to share your workplace name, it will be noted in a general list of survey respondents.)

As an active participant in the design community, your insight and opinion is immensely valuable. We realize your time is valuable. The survey should take no more than 5–10 minutes to complete.

You can fill out the survey here.

Questions? Reach out to the AIGA Chicago Education Team:

Jo-Nell Sieren, VP of Education
jo-nell@chicago.aiga.org

Kelli Evans, Education Chair
evans@chicago.aiga.org

Call for Nominations: AIGA Chicago Board & Committee Members

Know someone who would be perfect on AIGA Chicago’s Board of Directors or committee? We’re officially accepting nominations until Friday, March 27, 2020.

Review the open positions below, then submit your nomination via our quick and easy form below.

A few details to note:

• All submissions will be presented to the nominating committee.

• Once a nomination (either peer or self-nominated) is submitted, the nominee will be contacted for more information.

• Each board member is elected to serve and represent the entire membership of the AIGA Chicago to the best of his/her ability, in accordance with the AIGA mission and the description of the board position.

• The Board of Directors meets monthly to report, determine and vote on chapter activities.

• AIGA Chicago’s board members are elected by the entire membership and serve staggered three-year terms. Lead and other volunteer positions serve renewable one-year terms.

Open Positions + Descriptions

Co-President

This person is responsible for acting as public face of the chapter while overseeing all activities, programs, initiatives and decision-making organization-wide.

Specific duties include:
• Maintain procedural stability of the chapter.
• Preside over monthly board meetings, executive calls, and annual planning retreat.
• Develop broader chapter participation by encouraging board members to form and maintain solid committee structures that reach out to the AIGA Chicago membership.
• Evaluate board structure to ensure that the chapter leadership is addressing key areas of concern and member interest.
• Ensure continuity of board leadership by active participation in succession planning and nominations process.)
• Attend monthly National President’s Call
• Act as the conduit between National and Chicago activities

VP, Diversity & Inclusion

The Vice President leads the D&I Committee—recruiting, supporting, and directing volunteer team members. The VP of D&I helps define and deliver programming, events, and content aimed at elevating and amplifying underrepresented Chicagoland designers. The VP also oversees our inclusion surveys.

Recent Impact

• Design Pride: Intimate panel discussion featuring emerging queer designers reflecting on the design industry through personal and professional lenses. 
• Portraits of Color: Free photoshoot for creatives of color, offering makeup, styling and resume workshopping with a professional copywriter. Co-hosted with with Greater Good Studio.
• On The Daily: Instagram takeover series coinciding with history and heritage months throughout the year aimed at spotlighting underrepresented talent in Chicago.
• On The Daily Podcast: Conversations with featured OTD participants examining how their identities influence their creative practice and discussing how issues around D&I are addressed in design.
• Member Survey: Biennial surveys of members and Chicago design community conducted in partnership with Culture Amp as input into programming and chapter priorities.

VP, Mentor Program (2 roles)

The VPs of the Mentor Program will oversee the chapter’s 10-week-long Mentor Program which has an average of 120 mentees and 10-15 mentors each spring and fall. This position also oversees the management of the Mentor Program Committee, interviewing and training mentor leaders, developing a bi-weekly program with committees during mentor sessions such as studio tours and workshops. Mandatory training with Leslie Presto, our interim VP of Mentor Program, begins June 2020.

Defined Responsibilities:

• Be the face of the program to the mentors, mentees and design community.
• Be comfortable with public speaking at the mentor events.
• Have a positive and impactful voice on the importance of mentorship at all levels of your career.
• Interview and cast 10-12 mentors for the spring and fall sessions.
• Work with our content team to promote the mentors and any agencies we work with on social media.
• Develop potential group themes for mentors to lead, or work with the mentors to develop their own concepts.
• Consistent themes are portfolios, personal development, freelance, user experience, leadership, and a collaborative group project.
• Train the mentors on best practices for leading a group of 8-10 mentees.
• Manage expectations of the program over the 10 weeks to the mentors and mentees in person, via Slack and all events.
• Communications of program logistics before, during and after the sessions to all participants.
• Encourage engagement with groups over 10 weeks for high participation rates.
• When needed speak 1-1 with mentees if they are in need of guidance.
• Organization of 80+ mentees into groups after the kickoff with the management of these groups by the committee.
• Development of group activities in alternating weeks of mentor sessions such as studio tours, workshops, and a portfolio review.
• Ability to mediate if a mentee or mentor is not working within the best intentions of the program.
• Respond to 2+ emails per week from mentees interested in the program over the course of the year, ensuring they know when the next session is opening.
• Keep all mentor documents organized for easy access on Google Drive by session for the team and your successor.
• Continually evolve the program after each session to better the program based on new insights.

Partnerships Chair (2 positions)

The Partnerships Chair will facilitate opportunities for local and regional companies to participate in and support Chapter programming and activities in accordance with the AIGA mission. Increase understanding of the benefits of partnerships within the local business community. Establish and nurture corporate partnerships within the guidelines of the national model. Oversee all partnership transactions to insure receipt of related benefits.

Defined Responsibilities:

• Broaden the Chapterʼs partnership base by developing new relationships within the local and regional business communities.
• Create and implement an annual partnership opportunity packet including information on upcoming Chapter events and activities for the calendar year.
• Maintain an organized and efficient system of tracking and recording all sponsorship activities on an annual basis.

Editorial Committee Member

An Editorial Committee Member shall aid the VP of Communications + Editorial Chairs in the application of core messages of the Chapter, ensuring that all AIGA Chicago communications are accurate, articulate, and consistent with the chapter voice. They support the mission of the AIGA through the communication of ideas and information relevant to the profession and its constituencies.

Defined Responsibilities:

Committee members work closely with the VP of Communications + Editorial Chairs to generate content and communicate our perspective, mission, and initiatives to the AIGA Chicago community. These messages will be communicated through the AIGA Chicago website, newsletters, Medium, and social media. Below are some of the ways this can manifest—assistance in one of these buckets (not asking for all) would be great.

Web/Newsletters/Social Media
Est. time commitment: 5-10 hours a week

• Event title creation
• Editing event descriptions for spelling, grammar, and overall persuasion for Eventbrite, newsletter descriptions, and social promotion
• Scheduling social promotion on all channels (FB, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn)

Event documentation
Est. time commitment: 5-10 hours a week

• Editorial content pertinent to the event pre, during, and post-event
• This could take virtually any form, collaborated on by whoever is in charge of the event and the editorial team member (think a Q&A with a panelist, a photo story about an organization, an Instagram takeover from someone being celebrated during the event, etc).

Medium series
Est. time commitment: 10-15 hours a wee

• Use your imagination! We can create editorial buckets or series on our Medium—it can be Op-Eds from our VPs or Committee members (where, editorial help would be needed on the editing, publishing on Medium, and social promotion front)
• Establishing multimedia content creation (capturing video stories, introducing reoccurring podcasts, etc.)

AIGA Chicago is committed to creating opportunities and support for design students to engage with the broader community. For 2021 the chapter is offering one Boost Grant of up to $500 for a Chicago chapter student group. 

Student groups are invited to submit proposals for how they plan to use the funds. This could be in support of senior shows, producing publications, or projects that employ design in meaningful, community-oriented ways—whether it’s exposing budding student talent to the Chicago professional sector, or fostering social change through design. Past recipients have applied funds from the Boost Grant towards design projects that benefited community outreach initiatives and non-profit educational organizations, or to organize workshops on design for social impact.

Eligibility, Requirements & Stipulations:

AIGA Chicago will accept submissions from any active student group affiliated with the Chicago chapter of AIGA.

The selected project must be completed (printed, published, or otherwise made public), and a documented case study must be turned into AIGA Chicago before August 1st, 2022.

Representatives from the selected student group will be asked to present on the project at the AIGA Chicago September 2021 Board Meeting. 

If you are a grant recipient, AIGA Chicago will ask that you share the results of your work via images, text, and presentations to the board. The process of the project will be documented on social media.

Apply Now

• Complete the application before December 1st, 2021 at 11:59 pm.
• Create a single PDF (no larger than 10mb) containing visuals that help convey the context of your project. Label all images with title, author, media, and date. In your file, please also include your school, faculty advisor, student group leader, and contact details for both. Submit this file via email by December 1st, 2021 at 11:59 pm to Kelli Evans, evans@chicago.aiga.org

Important Dates
Applications Open: October 1st, 2021
Application & Proposal Due: December 1st, 2021 at 11:59 pm.
Grant Recipient Announced: January 2022
Proposals will be judged by a committee of judges.

The awardees below address at least one of AIGA Chicago’s areas of civic engagement: diversity, women’s leadership, violence prevention, and education for all ages. Above all, the common denominator between the projects below is that they aim to harness the power of design to impact real change.

—

Winning Proposals
Artisan’s Passion Project – Closer Look Closed Caption (So A Ryu)

Labor of Love – Designing Society (Nicolette Stosur-Bassett)

Labor of Love – Amalgam Journal (Pouya Ahmadi)

Follow Your Heart – Perceptions can influence our ability to enact social change (Abigail Snodgrass)

Follow Your Heart – The Chicago Mobile Marketplace (Maya Bird-Murphy)

Heart & Soul – Typeforce (Will Willer, Kristin Lueke, Nermin Moufti)

Heart of Gold – El Arte de Hablar con Mi Reflejo (Jessica L Mueller)

—

Be on the lookout—in the coming months, we’ll be sharing more details and progress updates about each of these projects. We’d like to extend a big thank you to everyone who took the time to apply, too. We’re honored to give some love to our city and its brilliant hearts and minds.