2016 SEGD ACADEMIC SUMMIT

June 18, 2016

On June 8th Joell Angel-Chumbley represented kolar and went to SEGD’s Academic Summit in Seattle. She was accompanied by UC senior Jordan Sowecke and Jeff Everson from Daktronics. The Academic Summit is a free and open event to educators, students, and the design community. It is an opportunity to be involved in innovative research spanning academic projects, curriculum development, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and dialogues on the future of experiential graphic design education. The day is organized around panel presentations and deep dialogues with both educators and students. The summit gives insights on where education is heading, and how can we get ahead of what’s coming.

The SEGD Academic Summit is an international conference with students and presenters coming from all over the world. The reach of presenters included Rochester Institute of Technology, University of Cincinnati, Fashion Institute of Technology, Sheridan College, and Art Center College of Design. SEGD’s 2016 issue of Communication + Place focused on research and curriculum development related to integration of digital technology, user-centric interactive experiences and experimentation in Experiential Graphic Design (EGD).

While there, Joell, along with Jordan and Jeff, presented on the project (re)Vision Cincinnati: Transforming Cities through Civic Engagement. (re)Vision was made up of two transformative projects aimed at developing strategies for re-envisioning Cincinnati’s urban and historic core. Through a unique collaboration between University of Cincinnati’s DAAP students, adjunct faculty, the community, and key civic stakeholders, the projects brought to light the possibilities for creating a best-in-class visitor experience and transforming a derelict urban district once celebrated as the center for brewing in Cincinnati.

The projects titled “(re)Vision Cincinnati,” (Summer 2014) and “New Visions for the OTR Brewery District,” (Summer 2015) explore the value of environmental graphic design as a mechanism for elevating the civic brand experience within the urban landscape and serving as a change agent for urban renewal. The student design solutions utilize EGD strategies and principles as a method for bridging the gap between civic brand identity, economic development, and urban planning.

Students utilized proven research methodologies to understand and discover the unique historic and cultural assets of the city, identify real or implicit problems, and develop a strategy to solve a problem by using design as a change agent. The student’s final deliverable was a conceptual design documented in a professional form such that the deliverables can be used for other purposes.

Joell’s experience in Seattle is an example of how Kolar as a brand adds to the conversation within design. Conferences like these are just one way that design firms can educate and share ideas on the current makeup of the market and industry. Her presentation on (re)Vision Cincinnati helps educators, students, and industry heads understand where the market is heading and how they stay on top of the latest trends and ideas. Conversations that occur at summits and conferences like SEGD’s are why design is continuing to progress and evolve through the years. Kolar approaches opportunities like these as a thought leader in the industry to shed light on some of the upcoming strategies and thought processes in the community.

(RE) VISION CINCINNATI: TRANSFORMING CITIES THROUGH CIVIC ENGAGEMNET – PRESENTATION