AIGA Cincinnati is changing things up for 2019 EMERGING Designer Portfolio Day.

With the help of presenting sponsor Landor, AIGA Cincinnati is excited to host the EMERGING Designer Portfolio Day. In addition to changing the event name, formerly Annual Portfolio Day, the event will be open to not only graduating college seniors, but also post-grads who have not secured their first full-time design role, and designers who have 1-2 years of experience who are looking for new opportunities. The change comes from the new EMERGE Initiative Director, Ashton Spann, and AIGA Cincinnati’s Co-President Kristen Pericleous.

“We decided that was time for a change, based on the feedback from previous student participants, and the new target audience for our new EMERGE initiative (an initiative focusing on designers with 0-5 years of experience),” said Spann.

Pericleous, who has lead the annual portfolio day in years past, noted “It can take up to a year out of school for a designer to secure their first full-time role, and even when a designer lands that first job—it may not be the right fit. We at AIGA Cincinnati believe that our portfolio day should reflect the needs of the emerging designers in our community.”

A solid portfolio may get your foot in the door, but what sets candidates apart is how they talk about their projects, problem solving skills, and themselves. So, another aspect changing for 2019 will be the event format, switching from a review of each designer’s work to a mock interview style. This means that reviewers will be encouraged to ask interview-style questions while the designer walks through their best work. Reviewers will provide feedback based on presentation skills, and verbal and visual storytelling. Emerging designers will attend 4 interview sessions where they will meet with professional designers and recruiters that represent some of the top companies and agencies in our area.

“We want the emerging designers in our community to be as prepared as they can be so that they can truly wow their future employers,” said Spann.

The EMERGING Designer Portfolio Day will be held on Saturday, April 13, 2019 from 9:30am-12:30pm at Landor, 110 Shillito Place. Emerging designers should register at cincinnati.aiga.org. For interviewees this event is FREE for AIGA members and $15 for non-members.

Portfolio reviewers will see the work of the freshest talent in the area and hopefully, find the right designer to fill their next job opening. E-mail ashton@aigacincinnati.org to register for FREE as a reviewer.

We hope to see you there!