Cincinnati Design Week offers peek inside local creative scene

There is a mess of creative people in our city.

With design schools and branding companies in high supply, Cincinnati becomes a larger and more active haven for creative talent every year. And beginning on Monday, Sept. 28, these folks will emerge from their laptops and drafting tables to show off their ideas, their strategies and, of course, their designs.
 
Cincinnati Design Week is a yearly program sponsored by AIGA Cincinnati, a nonprofit organization that promotes design as a professional art form. By focusing on everything from ethics to education, AIGA strives to be a valuable resource to designers throughout Greater Cincinnati and beyond.
 
Next week's program promises a slew of events for designers and design-voyeurs alike. All events range from $5 to $40 per person, with a few free ones thrown in for good measure. Below is a quick preview of what attendees can expect from the week. For a more detailed rundown, visit the Cincinnati Design Week website.
 

Monday, Sept. 28
 
The Craft Brewment: The Branding Behind the Beer
Local beer brand designers will gather at Longworth Hall to sip, socialize and drop some knowledge about the art wrapped around your favorite craft brew.
 

Tuesday, Sept. 29
 
It’s Not About You: Who Should Be at the Center of Your Design
Learn how to make an impact with your designs, no matter how trivial, with guests from Epipheo, Kapture and We Have Become Vikings.
 
Iterative Development in Corporate Environments
This sold-out panel will discuss bringing startup approaches to the corporate world.
 
Distort the Panel
This free event features an art installation presented by creative agencies The Pharmacy Co and Such + Such.
 

Wednesday, Sept. 30
 
XGD: Experiential Graphic Design Presented by SEGD
Architects, industrial designers and branding experts will converge at the Art Academy of Cincinnati to break down their disciplines.

Cincinnati Design Awards 2×4
Attendees should stop by this free event to see Cincinnati's most recent cutting-edge design work. Awards will be presented in four categories: architecture, interior design, experiential graphic design and landscape design.Anna Diederichs, "Tech Leaders" panelist

OFFF
This inspirational talk at the Aronoff Center will bring together speakers from Mucho, Lo Siento and Moment Factory, among others.
 

Thursday, Oct. 1
 
Tech Leaders: Presented by WomanUp + Girl Develop It
This free panel discussion gathers artistic leaders in web design, social media and more. These five women will share their journeys to success in their respective creative fields.
 
A Different(ial) Startup Story
The web and mobile app experts at Differential will share their hard-earned wisdom with eager attendees.
 
Oen HammondsQCMerge Drinkup: Drink & Draw Edition
The name says it all, as willing participants drink up and take 30 minutes to draw according to a prompt. The resulting art pieces will then face a (semi-sober?) judges panel.
 
Oen Hammonds: People + Practice + Places = Outcomes
Designer, mentor and lead facilitator at IBM (and Northern Kentucky University alum) will present on the importance of building a human-centered experience.
 

Friday, Oct. 2
 
BLDG: Behind the Antlers
Learn more about the quirky Covington design shop/gallery at this free event.
 
Designing the Future: Ignite What’s Possible
Brand innovation agency Spicefire will outline its mission to challenge convention in Cincinnati's branding scene at this already-sold-out event.Brian Singer

Brian Singer: How to Get Rich in Design
As the week's featured presenter, the Pinterest design manager will share how he made it big (really big) in the creative biz.
 
Meet & Greet with Brian Singer
Cincinnati Design Week culminates with a meet-and-greet with Brian Singer at Barrio Tequilera. Drinks and appetizers will be provided, and presenters from throughout the week will likely be in attendance.