AIGA DC Creative Review is back this April! Join us to gain insights into the creative industry and have a one-on-one portfolio review session with a seasoned design professional from the DMV area. Whether you’re a design student wondering what it’s like to work in a creative field or a practicing designer looking for feedback on your work, this event will help get you ready for your next opportunity.
The day will kick off at 1:00 PM with a panel of local designer leaders who will share their experience navigating the design field, followed by a Q&A session where you can have your most burning career questions answered. Portfolio reviews will start at 2:00 PM. When you are not in a review session, hang out and get to know fellow creative professionals in our community.
This year, we are lucky to have portfolio reviewers coming from these companies: Brevity & Wit, Booz Allen Hamilton, Deloitte, Fathom Creative, FINRA, Forum One, Gannett (The USA Today Network), GEICO, HubSpot, Huge, HZDG, JPA Health, M2 Strategy, Maryland Institute College of Art, MSNBC Digital, Optoro, Publicis Sapient, Splunk, Studio@APCO Worldwide, The Washington Post, Top Shelf Design, Ultra Studio, Velir, Webflow, and World Resources Institute.
Creative Review 2021 Panel
Maxim Leyzerovich is a product designer and educator working on emerging technologies and design systems. Most recently he was a design manager at Capital One where he helped scale design teams and operations across products lines. Previously, he was the lead designer at DC agency nclud, creating interactive experiences for brands including Disney, Amazon, Wolfenstein, DeWalt, RAINN, Dole, The Marines, Doom, Rosetta Stone, and others.
He is also an adjunct professor at MICA, where he teaches courses focusing on advanced UX practice. Maxim loves the DC creative community and is the organizer of DCUX.org — an organization supporting local designers and organizations with events, job opportunities, and professional mentorship.
Chelsae Blackman is a product designer in Washington DC solving problems for users of digital products through design thinking, user research, and user experience design. Currently she works at The Washington Post as a senior product designer focusing on subscriber experiences and engagement. Prior to working at The Post, Chelsae started her career at DC-based startups bringing design thinking and user experience design to small engineering teams to create user-focused products in an Agile environment.
Chelsae graduated from the University of Michigan’s School of Art & Design. She is also a screenprinter and illustrator who, after experimenting with various media, discovered her love for ink and balancing illustrative elements in design.
David Sánchez is director of machine learning and artificial intelligence strategist with APCO Worldwide’s Washington, DC. David is a skilled storyteller, strategist and industry veteran with more than 20 years of experience in advertising and marketing. He provides a hands-on approach to conceptualizing insights that bring impactful brand experiences to life. His clients include multiple Fortune 500 brands and companies from a wide range of industries. Prior to joining APCO in 2005, David was the founder and owner of HyperBrand. Before HyperBrand, he was a senior technology director and product delivery for CHAT Agency, working on all aspects of web development, interactive marketing strategy and technology direction for a variety of clients. He began his career as an information technology group intern with Microsoft Caribbean.
Johnnie Gomez is a dog-lover, sticker collector, music aficionado, conference enthusiast, and a Senior Brand Designer at Webflow, working remotely from right outside Washington, DC. He collaborates with teams internally to create beautiful web experiences. Previously he co-ran his agency Cruz Barcelona for over a decade, based in Buenos Aires, Argentina, working on a diverse set of clients, ranging from fashion, branding, advertising, sustainability, magazines, store design, web design and development. Johnnie also mentors designers in all stages of their careers through ADPList. He is very invested in community and community-driven initiatives.
Rina Alfonso, RGD is the founder and owner of Studio Aorta, a small, woman- and minority-owned business and certified WMBE in the Washington, DC metro area. Her studio specializes in exhibit design, graphic design, illustration, and art direction. She founded Studio Aorta to pursue an independent design practice on a broader scale, integrating her art and design practices. Her multicultural, humanities-based background brings depth, dimension, and perspective to Studio Aorta's work while informing her vision. She is passionate about advocating for DEAI practices in all of her work, which aligns with her personal philosophy of service for others. Aside from her work at Studio Aorta, she is a part-time senior lecturer for the MFA Museum Exhibition Planning and Design program at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, PA, and serves on the American Alliance of Museum's Independent Museum Professionals (IMP) Network steering committee.
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Be a Sponsor!
AIGA DC is an all-volunteer organization. Support design in DC and consider sponsoring Creative Review. Contact kpham@dc.aiga.org or development@dc.aiga.org to learn more.
About AIGA EMERGE
AIGA EMERGE is designed to engage emerging designers in the first five years of their careers - whether it’s their first career or a new direction. This initiative is a tailored experience to engage with emerging designers with up to five years of experience in the field. EMERGE aims to provide content within the areas of employment, growth, leadership, entrepreneurship, and life skills. #aigaemerge
For any questions, reach out to kpham@dc.aiga.org to start the conversation.
Accessibility
The first part of the event, including a panel discussion and a Q&A session, will have closed captioning.
If you need any additional accommodations to fully access the event, please send an email to ing accessibility@dc.aiga.org.
Code of Conduct
All AIGA DC events adhere to our Code of Conduct.
Design Continuum Fund
10% of the proceeds from this and every event goes to the AIGA DC Design Continuum Fund (DCF) scholarship, fostering the next generation of designers through helping local design-minded and underrepresented students as they pursue their education.
