Almost 40 people attended the recent AIGA/ACC membership party. Former VisCom student Ben Humphreys got the event started with information about AIGA and described how helpful his involvement with this design group has been to his career. AIGA is the oldest and largest professional association of designers in the world and joining ACC’s student chapter provides opportunities to connect with Austin’s creative community.
The next speaker at the event was Dave Claunch, Founder & President of Liaison Creative + Marketing, who described the state of the local design industry. Dave calls Austin the “most creative town in America” with an excellent economy and a great environment for job seekers.
In a presentation filled with advice and stories culled from his years of industry experience, Dave kept the crowd’s attention with useful tips on how to prepare for a career in design — from training and work ethic suggestions, through stressing the importance of an online portfolio that effectively showcases your best work. In the Q&A following his presentation, Dave had valuable suggestions on how to approach finding a job: what to do and what not to do!
“Getting connected” is at the top of both Ben and Dave’s advice on how to get started as a designer. A membership with AIGA allows designers to create relationships with other designers in Austin while belonging to a national community of more than 22,000 dedicated colleagues. Plus it offers a bevy of opportunities and resources, such as members-only job listings, local and national events and exposure through the AIGA member gallery.
To join the AIGA/ACC Student Group, simply create an account at aiga.org/join. As a student you can join at the $50/year Contributing level. As you are guided through the registration process, be sure to choose Austin Community College as your student group.
Not ready to commit to membership? Ben suggests volunteering at upcoming AIGA events — an inexpensive way to see what this group is all about.
And be sure to follow the ACC student chapter on Facebook for information about upcoming events:
AIGA /Austin Community College
If you have questions or would like more information, please contact an AIGA/ACC Faculty Advisor:
Breanna Whitener – breanna.whitener@austincc.edu
or Kim Greyer – kgreyer@austincc.edu
photo credit: Ben Humphreys