Access2Design

A2D Volunteer Team Cohort 1

Susie Perry | Graphic Designer | 17 hrs.

Why you took the time/chance to participate in this pilot

I try and devote a couple of projects a year to a cause I believe in, and I feel that this access to design pilot fits the bill. I’ve also always wanted to be more involved with AIGA.

What you took away from your experience (good/bad/meh)

I felt that the experience was pretty good. Wished I had more time to make it even better, but I understand deadlines and also understand that this process is new. Also, I think I would have had a better grasp if I was more a part of the initial discussion with the client. All told, I was happy with the outcome and the experience.

Whether you do this again or not and why.

I would do it again because again - I think the access to design model is very important and if I can support it in any way, I’m up for it!

Initial branding design Includes phone meeting and 6 concepts for overall branding. Design of speaker flier based off of initial branding. 11 hours

Speaker flier production 10 sized for Facebook/10 sized for Instagram 4 hours

PowerPoint event deck Design of event deck pages 2 hours

Eunice Choi | Graphic Designer, Illustrator, Photographer | 19–24 hrs.

Why you took the time/chance to participate in this pilot

Moving to a new city, I was most curious about the people and the community. I wanted to be involved and provide my talent to support their vision.

What you took away from your experience (good/bad/meh)

Something that I had to keep in mind was that we were working with NO marketing budget. It took a bit of effort and creativity to find a way to get around that, but I think we managed to pull through well. I was really grateful for such a responsive, hardworking team. Nothing would have been possible without a great teamwork. I did wish for a bit more of a collaborative work flow with the client, especially on the marketing side.

Whether you do this again or not and why.

I would definitely do it again. I loved working with such talented, passionate individuals to make a difference and make our work matter in the community.

Bernadette Smith | Marketing | 35 hrs.

Why you took the time/chance to participate in this pilot

Re-engaging in the Seattle design community after being gone for the last decade was my main objective in seeking volunteer opportunities. AIGA is such a reputable organization in any geographical market, so it felt like a great place to start.

What you took away from your experience (good/bad/meh)

• Be honest (with myself and others) about the time commitment – I would’ve liked to be more present and engaged throughout this process, but my professional priorities (namely, travel) got in the way.
• “Design for Good” as an initiative is something I am passionate about, and I will definitely prioritize any future volunteer efforts around this initiative. The opportunity to educate SMB’s on the importance of design thinking, in any capacity, is incredibly fulfilling.
• I learned a lot about social media campaigns during this project, which is a skill I hadn’t used much prior.

Whether you do this again or not and why.

I’d love to participate again if the scope, deliverables, and timeline are well-defined.

My approximation is ~35 hours, including planning, travel, meetings and actual tasks.

Kat Caro | Branding and Advertising Creative | 100+ hrs.

Why you took the time/chance to participate in this pilot

Personally, I think is better to at least try to do something rather than not doing anything.

What you took away from your experience (good/bad/meh)

For the specific SLFF project, unfortunately, got meh but not from AIGA's side. The client hasn't figured out how to be efficient within its own organization/structure but fortunately that's not our problem. (Before committing to a project, how can we test who will be a responsible/responsive "client" or not?)

Whether you do this again or not and why.

I'd definitely love to support more of the AIGA DEI initiatives, I feel we have an optimistic and high-performing team + volunteers that are willing to collaborate for the DEI cause in the city.

Christiana Wu | Producer, Designer, Engineer

Why you took the time/chance to participate in this pilot

I joined the team to provide consultation/background experience/perspective to help set the tone. I also did want to help underrepresented groups with their programs, projects, and other efforts because being in an underrepresented group myself has often meant adversity.

What you took away from your experience (good/bad/meh)

I was a bit removed from execution on any particular project and felt like I didn't contribute anything tangible. I did offer to be liaison for the overall film community during SLFF, but received no content/communication regarding that aspect of it, so SLFF felt a bit siloed again though it appeared successful.

Whether you do this again or not and why.

I may have to unfortunately step away from the DEI initiative & AIGA because of limited bandwidth. While its great to see some of the behind-the-scenes work, I had limited ownership, which is an awkward position to straddle.

Jessika Verduzco | Graphic Designer | 43 hrs.

Why you took the time/chance to participate in this pilot

I took the time to participate in this event because it would give more visibility to the Latinx culture in Seattle and it was an opportunity to use my skills to be apart of the Latinx culture. I have also been involved with AIGA since college and wanted to participate in an opportunity to show the importance of functional design, meet fellow designers and do a little bit of good.

What you took away from your experience (good/bad/meh)

As always, design and processes are evolving. I went in knowing it was a pilot team and we were the guinea pigs and essentially, flying the plane as we build it. I enjoy a good learning experience and had wonderful support. We all worked very well together. The bad was the poor organization of the client and the lack of resources. The meh was we needed more time and we also needed to implement a better system of relaying information and updates.

Whether you do this again or not and why.

I would do this again. I would be happy to be apart of fine-tuning and iterating a new process/foundation for the Access2Design team for diversity and visibility. If it is for SLFF, I will always want to take part in the Latinx culture and showcase around Seattle. And there is always the opportunity to learn something new.