October 11–15: AIGA Chapters to Host 2nd Annual Midwest Design Week to Celebrate Impactful Midwestern Innovation

CINCINNATI, OH — From Monday, October 11 to Friday, October 15, nine AIGA chapters will host the AIGA Midwest Design Week. In its second year, this annual event is a virtual place to celebrate the power of design and diversity both in and outside of the Midwest. The conference will include workshops, virtual hangouts, and insights from top cultural workers.

“Connecting with our community is always the best part of any design week, whether they are in-person or virtual. Presenters from the Midwest and beyond will share their unique perspectives on the theme of Access to Design. We hope to inspire everyone who joins us to reflect on the barriers they’ve had to overcome and how we might break them down for others. Throughout the week, attendees will have opportunities to connect with each other in addition to learning about accessibility, diversity & inclusion, career navigation, and how design can make a meaningful impact,”—AIGA Cincinnati.

WHAT: The 2021 Midwest Design Week, an annual design conference hosted by AIGA chapters from the Midwest region to celebrate the power of design and diversity. 

WHO: The week will be hosted by nine AIGA chapters: Cincinnati, Detroit, Indianapolis, Louisville, Northwest Arkansas, Saint Louis, Toledo, West Michigan, and Wisconsin and feature a diverse lineup of designers, directors, educators, and advocates:

• Mia Cinelli, Assistant Professor of Art Studio and Digital Design at the University of Kentucky
• Katrina Lenzly “King Cooley”, Art Director
• Alex Haagaard, Founding Member of The Disabled List
• Liz Jackson, Founding Member of The Disabled List
• Marty Maxwell Lane, Associate Professor and Director of Graphic Design in the School of Art at the University of Arkansas
• Brandon Parker, Product Designer at Kroger
• Chris Ritter, co-founder of C-90
• Kelsey Simpson, Founder and Managing Director of Gluestick Indy
• Jacinda Walker, Founder and Creative Director for designExplorr
• Sadie Red Wing, Advocate for Tribal Visual Sovereignty from the Spirit Lake Nation of Fort Totten, North Dakota
• Jordan Wong (WONGFACE), Artist and Designer

WHEN: Monday, October 11, 2021 - Friday, October 15, 2021

Opening Keynote: Advancing Our Industry: The Power of Creative & Cultural Diversity

October 11 @ 6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. EST / 7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. CST 

Join rapper-art-director-advocate Katrina Lenzly, a.k.a King Cooley, as she explores how we limit ourselves by compartmentalizing our passions and discusses ways we can advance the Graphic Arts Industry through vulnerability and community support.

Closing Keynote: Thank You for Your Feedback

October 15 @ 12:00 p.m. - 1: 00 p.m. EST / 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. CST 

In Hyphen-Status, whatever follows the hyphen is systematically uncompensated and rendered powerless. When Co-Designers, Co-Creators, and User-Experts are told “Thank you for your feedback,” it essentially means we have lost control over how the information we provided (oftentimes the knowledge of lived experience) will be used. In this presentation, Alex Haagaard and Liz Jackson will discuss how their modes of resisting Hyphen-Status has led them to design against systems that rely on it.

For a full schedule of programming, please visit the Midwest Design Week website.

WHERE: The conference will take place virtually. For more information about the AIGA Midwest Design Week, and to register, visit https://midwestdesignweek.com. 

Note to Press: For media registration, please contact Jacqueline Lara at jlara.mpactpr@gmail.com