A Day in the Life Baltimore Design Conference

A Day in the Life

PLAY: CREATIVE BRAINSTORMING FOR DESIGN
Insight, creativity and discovery perform essential roles in the birth of new ideas, but they are also indicative of the act of play. We will look at the ways in which traditional brainstorming techniques often fail to provide truly genuine and creative results and how to overcome those limitations through the introduction of play. The session will introduce some of the primary forms of play and thinking, as well as new tricks and techniques that can be used to stimulate and enlighten the creative process. Plato may have stated, “you can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation” but we believe through play one can discover more not just about a person, but about anything.

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TYPE OUT LOUD
In today's design, the way words are portrayed hold just as much weight as the images often used to convey meaning and emotion for a particular project. Ultimately, typography is one of the most important aspects of visual communication – it affects how and what you read, and even how you think about what you read. Even with this knowledge, many graphic designers have difficulties effectively using type. This session will explore the creative use of typography in graphic design as well as provide neat tactics to help exercise your type muscles and keep your designs fresh.

THE CREATIVE BUSINESS - BEHIND THE SCENES
So you want to start your own business or take your current freelance/studio business to the next level. If you’re not sure what happens next or about the action steps required to help you become successful, this is the session for you. The Business of Design will explore the brainstorming, thought process, and action steps required to help you establish yourself as a viable entity in the creative profession. Discover what makes you unique and build from there. Find out what it takes to stay in the game. Start thinking differently about yourself as a creative professional and what you have to offer. Gear up with the tools you need to be successful.

GREEN IS THE NEW BLACK
Design is increasingly recognized as an important corporate asset. You can find it everywhere, delivering messages and making points through visually connecting with an audience. But design also plays a major role in the vicious cycle of consumption (and waste). Regardless, there are many ways that you, as a professional communicator, can use your skills and abilities for good. This session explores the green movement and its effect on the design industry and ciphers through ways to offer eco-friendly options to clients/corporate customers. This session openly presents the creativity and challenges involved with sustainable design, and how to develop award winning campaigns with the environment in mind.

HOW TO CONTROL THE MONEY CONVERSATION WITH CLIENTS
Talking to clients about money can be one of the hardest topics for creative professionals to tackle. But the process will go smoothly once you learn to take control of the conversation. This session addresses every aspect of the money conversation, from targeting the right clients (the ones with budgets) all the way through closing the sale. Attendees will learn many invaluable tips on how to chose and approach the right prospects, plus how to talk numbers, both before and during a project, including the language to use – what exactly to say! -- to get their budget, even if they don't have one!

FOLDED INSPIRATION
Creatives, it’s time to get your fold on! This presentation will address folding and scoring techniques and show you how to use different folds to create the highest impact and improve response rates. The do’s and don’ts of folding will be discussed, as well as a display of exotic folding approaches and an explanation of how folding can elevate a printed piece from interesting to memorable.

EMAIL MARKETING: THINKING OUTSIDE THE INBOX
On average, people receive 20-300 emails per week between their personal and work inboxes. That means it takes more expertise and strategy than ever to create email campaigns for your clients that stand out amidst all the newsletters, personal correspondence, and so on. You have to be clever! Learn strategies for developing effective, stylish email marketing designs/campaigns.

WHAT I DIDN'T LEARN IN DESIGN SCHOOL
As a design student, you learn the ins and outs of the design profession (from software to studying the experts). Or do you? All to often what falls through the cracks is the real world information you need to know in order to survive in the creative profession. This session will cover topics such as the importance of networking (strategy/tactics), why effective communication skills are just as important as your design abilities when it comes to landing a job, and how to approach employers and sell yourself as a creative professional.

TRENDSETTING: WEB DESIGN AND BEYOND
As our industry changes and evolves, what are some of the current and future design trends on the rise with web design and how can you leverage them for your benefit? This session will discuss what's new and current with web design, what works and what's effective. Learn how to think creatively when it comes to web design, deliver stellar websites and offer real time solutions for your clients. Also discover the importance of trends on the industry and their impact on the user experience.

GET PROTECTION: DO YOU PRACTICE SAFE TAX?
When you decide to take on a couple freelance projects on the side or start your own business, suddenly the 1040EZ form you used to use for filing taxes no longer qualifies. And there are a lot of questions that come up when attempting to file yourself or to use one of those electronic filing programs. You may be asking yourself "Does my printer count as an office expense?" or "What's the scoop on the new laws for Form 1099-Misc income?" Get the inside scoop on what you need to do to have a cohesive relationship with Uncle Sam. Learn about the tax laws and how they are changing for small businesses and freelancers, and understand what you should be doing to prepare all year round so that when April hits, you are smooth sailing.

THE CLIENT IS ALWAYS RIGHT
How do you work with a difficult client? We’ve all had the experience of working with a client that has outrageous demands. This session addresses how to approach these types of situations in a professional manner, how to stay creative and positive with respect to their demands, and still keeping your high level of design within the means of what the client is looking for.

NETWORKING FOR THE ANTI-SOCIAL CREATIVE
You mean you didn't think you would have to leave the comfort of your iMac or iBook and actually venture outside to meet people? Shake hands, make small talk, eat hors d'oeuvres? The creative industry is a "who you know" industry, meaning that the more people you know, the more opportunities become open to you. This session addresses the importance of networking as a way to promote business, worth, and establish strategic business connections. Gives tips for people who may be apprehensive about initiating conversation in a room full of people, and re-evaluates the way we look at first impressions.