Showing it Off Costs Nada, Making Connections is Invaluable
I created a four-hour experience for the University of Minnesota Duluth’s graphic design studio and marketing senior students. The event consisted of one-on-one portfolio reviews between students and professionals for the first three hours—the final hour was an open Q&A panel session for several of the reviewers to provide full event feedback and answer industry questions from the students.
As a ‘first run’ of this event my work with this project was not only creating the event structure and coordinating with local professionals to be reviewers and panelists; but to create and implement the visual branding of the event. Playing off the usual “portfolio review” title given to events such as this I wanted to raise the stakes a bit more playing with the psychology that often plagues young designers being hesitant (read: scared) to show and discuss their work directly to other human beings. So offering that neon and back-alley essence was a fun reverse psychology off the actual reality of the professional connections made. Definitely a good experience I wish to continue for graphic design and marketing students!
