Join the AIGA NY board for a conversation about the real struggles and challenges that come with launching a career as a designer. Students and emerging creatives will have the opportunity to ask questions about navigating the NYC design landscape. There is no one, or right, way to become a designer. While the awards, dream jobs and big clients will come, what about the very stressful job search? Or getting ghosted by recruiters? Or comparing yourself to every designer you’ve ever come across? Let’s be real!  

Speakers

AIGA NY board member Ana Rice is a New York City-based designer and creative director. She has worked with companies like Afropunk, Droga5, Chase, Apple, Hennessy, the Africa Center, and the Poetry Foundation to champion, uplift, and amplify marginalized voices and stories. Rice holds a Masters in Branding from the School of Visual Arts and is a graduate of Virginia State University, where she earned her BFA in Design and a minor in Photography. To her, visual problem-solving is such a welcomed challenge. Combining strategy, branding, and rising, she creates solutions that are thoughtful, inclusive, and inspiring. Outside of full-time work, she’s passionate about building brands for minority and women-owned businesses, groups that are often overlooked and underrepresented. 

AIGA NY board member Katie Henderson is the founder of Hondo Creative, a dynamic creative studio that partners with clients and agencies to develop strategy-led design for environments, advertising, and branding. Her work has spanned rebrands for international companies; immersive experiences for award-winning entertainment properties; and political campaigns for progressive candidates. Prior to going out on her own, she cut her teeth at agencies like Pentagram and Huge. Henderson co-authored Typography, Referenced from Rockport Publishers and has taught at the Rochester Institute of Technology. Henderson holds a B.F.A. in Graphic Design from Rochester Institute of Technology and an M.F.A. in Design Criticism from the School of Visual Arts.

AIGA NY board member Heather-Mariah Dixon is an incessant maker of things, from typography to photography. Her work is an eclectic blend of vernacular & historical type, traditional graphic design, and sensorial photography. Dixon is the founder of Studio HMVD, an award-winning agency that delights in expressive visual identities and photographic campaigns, all with a strategic approach. Dixon has designed at various agencies and brands, including TODA, School House, M·A·C Cosmetics, and Prophet. Dixon holds a BA in Design and Printmaking from Western Washington University and has completed continuing education courses through Type@Cooper and the School of Visual Arts.