Guest post by Sarah Garrison
AIGA Orlando’s March 2016 community meeting was a bit of a change in pace for us. Rather than being held in our usual location, we met in Envy Lab’s hip and cozy lounge area for a night of community fun and design talk.
To kick things off, Lynda Decker of Decker Design, video called in to talk about women in the design world with us. Lynda is the Co-Chair of AIGA Women Lead and a perfect guest speaker for this March, which is Women’s History Month. She informed us of what different AIGA chapters around the country were doing to celebrate and promote women this month, as well as what AIGA National has been working on. She also highlighted that this is more than just a push for women’s equality, this is a push for equality of all sexes and orientations. Women Lead is a great representation of national’s efforts. As described by their website:
The AIGA Women Lead Initiative (WLI) is committed to empowering women in design and advancing the vital discourse on issues facing professional women today without generalizing or segregating women designers. Instead, they aim to address persistent biases and inequities inclusively and constructively through programming around three goals:
• Celebrate the achievements of women in design.
• Cultivate awareness of gender-related issues, while building knowledge and leadership skills.
• Connect by facilitating relationships within and beyond the design industry.
Lynda encouraged each of us to get on board with these efforts and to our your part. If you’d like more information or to contact Lynda directly, please speak to AIGA Orlando’s president, Devon Hoernschemeyer.
After Decker’s conversation with us, we were also lucky enough to have a second guest speaker, Liz Schmidt! Liz (@lizign) is the Senior Community Manager at Adobe and a coordinator for Adobe’s Creative Jams. Last night our very own Full Sail hosted Adobe’s first collegiate level Creative Jam, which was a rousing success! The Jam began with 3 speakers: Kelly Farmer, Nick Sambrato, and Douglas Berger; all of whom gave fantastic talks about their experience with the creative industry. The main event, however, consisted of 10 teams of 2 Full Sail students interpreting the classic Walt Disney quote, “It’s kind of fun to do the impossible.” For more information and to see the winners visit https://www.behance.net/gallery/34574593/Full-Sail-Creative-Jam
Liz’s presentation for us was a discussion of different creative cities across America and the dynamics and aesthetics of which they consist. Her extensive travels her given her a unique perspective, some of which she was able to share with us. Her biggest recommendation for creatives interested in moving to a different city was to check out their design communities and get connected to member there to see how they might fit in. It was very enlightening to see just how varied our sister creative cities are!
Upcoming Events
CreativeMornings Orlando – Wednesday, March 16, 8:30am -Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts
Free Tickets are live now for the March event on CHANGE with Red Bull athlete Steve Fisher. Immediately following Creative Mornings we hope you’ll join us for Red Bull Wings At Work — an opportunity for downtown workers to break out of their everyday routine and work in an unique outdoor location that fosters creativity and productivity. The day will include speakers, reverse pitch groups, networking opportunities as well as space to get work done. More information here.
Dribbble Meetup – Tuesday, March 22, 6:00pm – The Iron Yard
Speed Mentoring: Illustration. In partnership with The Iron Yard and AIGA Orlando, we’ll have an exciting panel of local professionals sharing their experiences with young illustrators. Think of it as a fast-paced, one-on-one opportunity to peek into the core and learn what it’s like to be a professional creative 24/7. More information here.
Drink and Draw – Thursday, March 24, 6:30pm – Barley and Vine
You bring your drawing skills, design knowledge and creativity, and we supply a rousing game of “design nerd” Pictionary. Put it all together for a fun night of drinking, drawing and world class people. Everyone is welcome to play or just come and mingle, whatever you fancy. Bring a friend or 5! More information here.
Orlando Solar Bears Night, Wednesday, March 30, 7:00pm – Amway Center
Join us for AIGA Orlando Appreciation Night at the Orlando Solar Bears! Together we’ll cheer on the Bears as they face off against the Florida Everblades on Wednesday, March 30th. We have a club level section reserved for us, and everyone will receive an exclusive Orlando Solar Bears gift. Plus we’ll get in-game recognition, and a chance to make a scene when they call us out. More information here.
