Summary

I organized a Design for America (DFA) event in which I invited and moderated a panel of four design experts from the Chicago area to talk about careers in design, design skills and the future of design.

Role ― Panel Organizer and Moderator

I reached out to four designers to participate in the panel and booked the room for the event. With my Design for America (DFA) members, I marketed the event to the broader Northwestern University community. Finally, I brainstormed with other students to come up with questions and moderated the panel.

Skills

Organization

• Communication: Reached out to panelists
• Room and Supplies: Booked the room and got the supplies
• Marketing: Reached out to various design groups at Northwestern University

Moderation

• Brainstorming: Created the questions for the panel
• Moderation: Introduced the panelists and asked questions

Challenge

One of the struggles I personally felt as a student who is learning the design process is that I am not sure what careers are out there for me. Many of my fellow students felt the same way. So I wanted to get insights into design beyond school for fellow students like me.

How can we use design in our jobs after we graduate from college?

Solution

I wanted to make a panel of speakers that were designers, but designing was not necessarily their primary jobs. Rather, I wanted people who used design in their regular jobs because it would relate well to a variety of students pursuing different majors. I named the panel "Design in the Real World".

The Panelists

• Sara Aye:
  • Co-founder of Greater Good Studio, a design firm focused on social impact
  • Perspective: Design to make social impact
• Nicholas Evans:
  • Director of UX at Reverb.com
  • Graduate of Northwestern's Engineering Design Innovation (EDI) Program
  • Perspective: EDI program and UX Design
• Dr.Elizabeth Gerber:
  • Breed Junior Chair of Design and Founder of DFA
  • Perspective: Design in academia and DFA
• Maura Shea:
  • Senior Director of the Strategic Innovation group at YMCA of the USA
  • Perspective: Using design in work, rather than as a career

The Panel

I was very fortunate that the panelists knew each other beforehand, which helped greatly with the conversation. I focused on three broad questions and let the panelists drive the discussion. Students were able to ask questions as well, which was a great opportunity for them. Audience members came up to me afterwards and told me they learned a lot and enjoyed this event. Huge thanks to all my panelists!

Next Steps

I am planning on organizing a panel or similar learning event for DFA this year. Moving forward, I want to partner with the Segal Design Institute at Northwestern University to increase the marketing and turnout for the panel. There are few logistical things I want to improve such as having a video recording of the panel and getting more audience feedback.