AIGA New York and the Museum of Arts and Design invite you to join artist and designer Julian Alexander, Doubleday & Cartwright co-founder Christopher Isenberg, and visual artist Simi Mahtani for a conversation exploring the intersection of design, sport, and performance. The talk will be moderated by Anthony Harrison, the legendary designer for music, sport, and streetwear.

Bringing perspectives from across the creative field, the conversation will consider the shared practices of sport and design—from experimentation and repetition to movement, instinct, and performance. Like sport itself, the discussion invites participation, exchange, and the possibility of discovering something new.

At the heart of the conversation is flow state: a space of heightened focus where imagination and performance converge, and where thinking and doing become one.

About the speakers

Julian Alexander is a visual artist, GRAMMY Award-winning art director, and founder of both the Brooklyn-based design studio Slang Inc. and the Supremacy Project.

Very few people have defined graphic design across culture as Anthony Harrison. Born in London, raised in New York, with stints in Germany and Netherlands he is one of the foremost graphic designers and art directors of his generation.

Bones, as he is known, was one of a handful of black designers who defined the 90s design aesthetic through his work at seminal record labels including Arista Records and its subsidiaries Bad Boy, LaFace, and Rowdy. Working on now iconic campaigns for Whitney Houston, the Notorious BiG, Annie Lennox, Goodie Mob, Patti Smith and others. After leaving music he jumped headfirst into what later became known as global streetwear, working as an art director and designer for for brands such as Mecca USA and Akademiks / PRPS before spending the best part of the last decade working for both of the biggest sports brands on the planet, Nike and adidas in coveted design leadership roles. He is now focusing his attention on purpose-led design work and teaching. Passing his knowledge on to the new generation of designers whilst working with the next generation of brands who will come to define the future of design.

A born and bred New York sports obsessive, Christopher Isenberg has spent his career exploring the intersection of sports and culture as a writer, filmmaker, and entrepreneur. In 2004, he founded No Mas, an influential brand that unearthed sports’ secret histories through apparel, artwork, and media. He produced the animated short Dock Ellis and the LSD No-No, a film festival hit that drew more than six million views, as well as animated segments for Beats, Rhymes & Life, You Don’t Know Bo, and Straight Outta LA. He has also created original shorts for ESPN Films, Grantland, and The New York Times.

In 2010, Christopher co-founded Doubleday & Cartwright, a creative studio whose clients include Nike, Apple, Inter Miami, the Milwaukee Bucks, Utah Mammoth, and Unrivaled. That same year, he co-founded Victory Journal, a large-format magazine whose stories have ranged from water jousting in the South of France to El Duque’s escape from Cuba. Victory has earned a gold medal from the Society of Publication Designers, a Stack Magazine Award for best of Photography, and was named “Magazine of the Year” by Creative Review. In 2025, his puppet retelling of Jordan’s “Shattered Backboard” story won a Gold Clio. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife, Zoe, their children, Oscar and Sadie, and their dog, Salami. As both a youth baseball coach and a storyteller, he remains committed to chasing “the thrill of victory and the ecstasy of defeat.”

Simi Mahtani is a seasoned senior creative consultant and fine artist with experience creating art-forward branding, packaging, environmental, and retail design systems. A self-described “sports-obsessed” creative, she works at the intersection of sports and food & beverage, with clients including Formula 1, the Brooklyn Nets, Barclays Center, Nike, The National Football League, and Doritos. Known for her custom lettering, typography, and visual storytelling, Simi approaches design as a tool for creating meaningful connections and sparking dialogue. Alongside her design practice, she maintains a thriving fine art career as both an exhibiting artist and curator in galleries throughout New York City. When she’s not designing, you can catch Simi cycling around the five boroughs (if you’re fast enough).