Apr 1 - Apr 2, 2025
UCDA Creative Summit 2025
Live Virtual Event
2025 UCDA Creative Summit
Tuesday, April 1 & Wednesday, April 2, 2025
The 2025 UCDA Creative Summit is a two-day virtual event providing inspiration to refill your creative fuel tank. Programming is curated to spark your imagination and facilitate ideas that can help be a catalyst for your next project or even give you the inspiration to seek out and try new techniques or embark on a new creative path.
Attendees engage virtually in a casual, friendly setting with creative professionals across North America and beyond. Illustrators, photographers, designers, and creative thinkers will share their inspiring work and stories. We also include workshops and hands-on activities as well as time for open discussions to share experiences and ideas. The virtual format makes it easy to attend from your office, studio space, or home. Come prepared to learn, share, and grow your creative potential—you will walk away with new ideas, fresh perspectives, and inspiration to fuel your next creative endeavor.
The UCDA Creative Summit is an opportunity to discover, create, and connect.
WHO SHOULD ATTEND?
While UCDA’s programming is designed for creative professionals working in education, design faculty, and students, the Creative Summit is for anyone who needs a creative boost. If you’re a writer, marketer, creative manager, illustrator, photographer, or any other creative professional (or student), this event is for you!
TOP REASONS TO ATTEND THIS SUMMIT
Education: Carefully curated presentations and workshops over two days
Community: Connect and exchange ideas with the folks who do what you do
Affordable: Without the need for travel or lodging, the UCDA Creative Summit is budget-friendly.
AGENDA
The Creative Summit takes place over the course of two days. All times are in North America Central Standard Time (CDT). We start mid-morning at 10 a.m. CDT (we have found this is the best overall time to allow those in different time zones to join us). Given this start time, we have only scheduled short breaks between sessions (no long lunch break), so plan to have water, coffee, and snacks on hand.
We’ll begin each morning with a keynote presentation with an opportunity for Q&A with the speaker, followed by casual conversation with fellow attendees and exercises to get your creative juices flowing. We’ll round out the day with a hands-on workshop to help you flex your maker muscles.
SCHEDULE
Join us for two fulfilling days of creativity and inspiration:
Tuesday, April 1, 2025: 10:00 a.m. – 1:15 p.m. (CDT)
Wednesday, April 2, 2025: 10:00 a.m. – 1:15 p.m. (CDT)
TUESDAY, APRIL 110:00 AM -11:00 AM 11:15 AM - 11:45 PM 1:00 PM - 1:15 PM |
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 210:00 AM -11:00 AM 11:15 AM - 11:45 PM 12:00 PM -1:00 PM 1:00 PM - 1:15 PM |
SPEAKERS & SESSIONS
| Reginé Gilbert James Weldon Johnson Professor, New York University |
Megan Roy Author & Illustrator |
Jon Stapp Founder & Creative Director, atomicvibe design lab |
Peter Donahue |
Reginé Gilbert | Keynote Presentation
The Access Blueprint: Where AI Meets Humanity
Join Reginé Gilbert as she unfolds a fresh approach to designing digital spaces that celebrate human ingenuity and welcome everyone to participate fully. Through lived experiences and practical insights, she'll share how designers and creators can build bridges between diverse human needs and emerging technologies, ensuring our digital future remains richly accessible, intentionally inclusive, and deeply rooted in human connection.
Megan Roy | Workshop
Breaking the Block: A One-Hour Creative Reset
This workshop session is your all-access pass to busting through creative blocks with flair and fun! Using The Endless Art Challenge card deck, we’ll shake up your routine, spark fresh ideas, and prove that creativity is always just a shuffle away. All you need to bring is your imagination—because this hour is all about turning “stuck” into “sparked”!
Jon Stapp | Keynote Presentation
Delta Ducks Brand Development: Process Overview
In mid-2023, Delta College, a community college near Bay City, Michigan, partnered with atomicvibe design lab to reimagine their athletics and spirit brand, culminating in the creation of Duck, a vibrant and unifying mascot. Over the course of six months, we strategically developed Duck’s persona and designed the character’s look, along with a cohesive brand tone and voice, and a comprehensive visual identity system. This presentation offers an inside look at our thoughtful process, showcasing how we brought this dynamic symbol to life and fostered a deeper sense of pride within the Delta community.
Peter Donahue | Workshop
Harmonizing Colors—with Science!
Join Peter Donahue for a hands-on workshop exploring fresh, research-backed ways to create beautiful color combinations. First, we’ll break down classic harmony rules (like complementary and triadic schemes) to see why they don’t always work. Then, you’ll discover how perceptual color intervals and a “character-first” approach can help you build palettes that convey mood, meaning, and style with confidence.
REGISTRATION
Registration Deadline: March 25
| SUMMIT PASS (all prices in USD) |
Live Event ONLY | Digital Recording Add-on | |
|
Early Bird |
Regular |
Order with your registration by March 25. | |
| UCDA Member Join UCDA Now |
$100 | $150 | $50 |
| Non-member | $200 | $250 | $50 |
| Student | $50 | $50 | $25 |
Digital recording available for a period of not more than one year.
See UCDA’s Cancellation Policy
See UCDA’s Inclusiveness, Code of Conduct, and Anti-harassment Policy.
Featured Speakers
Peter Donahue is a graphic designer, educator, and color theorist with a passion for making color science accessible. He is known for creating engaging video lessons on color perception, mixing, and harmony, earning him millions of views on TikTok and Instagram. Peter has consulted for major manufacturers, lectured for universities, and delivered keynotes on the intersection of design, education and color theory history. His work bridges historical systems with modern digital tools, helping designers refine their palettes with a deeper understanding of how color works. Peter is an active member of the Inter-Society Color Council’s Color Literacy Project, an international team of scientists, educators, and artists developing free resources for meta-disciplinary color education. He is also a full-time art and design instructor at a private school.
Reginé Gilbert is the James Weldon Johnson Professor at New York University, where she teaches and researches accessible and inclusive design. Her work connects digital accessibility, user experience, and emerging technologies in practical ways. She authored Inclusive Design for a Digital World: Designing with Accessibility in Mind (Apress Publishing) and is working on her next book Human Spatial Computing (Oxford University Press) with Doug North Cook. In her teaching and research, Gilbert focuses on making digital spaces work better for everyone, particularly in accessible design and immersive experiences. She brings a hands-on approach to creating digital environments that put users first, drawing from her experience in both teaching and practice to build more inclusive technological solutions.
Megan Roy is a digital illustrator & author with a unique ability to infuse personality and energy into her work. Her style is organic, layered, and textured, often balancing expressive and approachable elements that feel both imaginative and relatable. Her work is not just about creating art but also about connecting with people and creating accessible entry points for everyone to tap into their own creativity. By staying true to her inventive but approachable style, she aims to build a creative legacy that inspires others to embrace their own curiosity and imagination.
Jon Stapp is the Creative Director and Founder of atomicvibe design lab, a brand strategy and design studio specializing in crafting immersive brand experiences that tell cohesive, impactful stories. Jon helps businesses uncover and refine their voice while empowering them to communicate authentically and build meaningful connections with their audiences.
Over his career, Jon has developed strategic brands for a diverse range of clients across industries such as real estate, technology, sports, food and beverage, nonprofits, education, science, and public health. His approach blends creativity with strategic insight, ensuring every brand he develops stands out visually and creates lasting impact.
In addition to his studio work, Jon is a guest writer for UnderConsideration: Brand New, a platform dedicated to reviewing and critiquing the most noteworthy rebrands. Through these in-depth critiques, Brand New reveals trends in logo design, identity, and branding, serving as a critical resource for industry professionals.
Addons
2025 Creative Summit Digital Recording
| Price | $50.00 |
| Options | 2025 Creative Summit Digital Recording |
Event Files
Speaker Files
Date and Time
Tue, Apr 1 - Wed, Apr 2, 2025
Location
Live Virtual Event
A Zoom link will be sent to all registered attendees.
Pricing