2024 UCDA Design Conference

Thursday, September 26 - Sunday, September 29
JW Marriott  |  Indianapolis, Indiana

Join us for the 54th UCDA Design Conference at the beautiful JW Marriott in Indianapolis, Indiana. Known as the Crossroads of America, this centrally located, mid-size city is a great place for members from all over the country to converge and engage in professional development programming, networking, and the exchanging of ideas and best practices.

In the spirit of recognizing the value of engaging with professional associates and friends, the theme of our conference this year is Interchange—referring to the action of freely communicating and exchanging ideas and information between two or more people. 

Benefits of Attending

Every year, designers and other communications professionals, as well as design educators and students, look forward to connecting with one another at the conference to enjoy the numerous benefits. The annual conference provides a forum for taking an in-depth look at the latest design and communication trends, issues, and developments that are especially pertinent to designers who work within academic institutions. We also take a look at issues and trends important to the design profession and design-adjacent professions on a broader scale. We gain insight and inspiration to spark our creativity, increase our motivation, and improve our collaborations. The conference provides vital in-person professional development, education, networking, and opportunity to expand our professional community. 

Programming

The 2024 conference will provide a balanced and broad menu of main stage and breakout session offerings that will cover four areas of focus: technology, inspiration, professional practice, and education. We will also feature the Design Awards Show and the popular silent auction, as well as plenty of opportunities to network and socialize with fellow conference attendees.

Technology: Technology sessions provide attendees an opportunity to learn about new technologies relevant to the design role within an institution; see how new technology or software can be used to their advantage, or to learn what can be expected in the near future, and how it will impact their colleges or universities.

Inspiration: Inspiration sessions involve engaging your intellect and sparking your creativity. These sessions inspire us to look at our work or our lives in a different way, help us see things in a different light, or rejuvenate our senses. 

Professional Practice: Professional Practice sessions provide practical learning, hands-on experiences, or "how-to" type sessions on design and design-related topics, these are “Steps to do this…” or “How to....”, this can also include information on developing soft skills such as communications, ethics, schedule management, and project management as well as guidance for career advancement, building a freelance practice, or other professional topics. 

Education: Education sessions provide content rich offerings for educators, especially those seeking a tenured track position. Topics may include research, writing, pedagogy, and curriculum. Education sessions may also cover educational topics for professional designers who are looking to deepen and broaden their knowledge of design. 

Who Should Attend

• Design and communication professionals at all levels of their careers from all departments within university and colleges.
• Designers in communications professionals who work in other sectors.
• Design educators and design students.
• Newcomers to the profession.
• Creatives who would like to connect with their peers across the country.
• Companies who would like to build business relationships with our attendees.

Use our Convince Your Boss letter to advocate for your professional development by attending the UCDA Design Conference. https://www.ucda.com/membership-convince-your-boss/

Registration

Register online now to get the best rates and secure your spot. Choose your rate and click on the Register button on the right column of this page. 

 Plus! $200 DISCOUNT OFFER CODE: 2024INDY
Offer good thru August 30. Good for professional member and non-member registration only. 

Lodging and Travel

Conference Site:
JW Marriott
10 S West St
Indianapolis, IN 46204
317-822-8554
MarriottIndyPlace.com

Discounted Hotel Rate: $199 standard room rate available between Sept. 23-30, 2024. Standard rates apply outside of these dates. To receive the discount and ensure a room, reservations by attendees must be received before Friday, August 23, 2024, at 4:00 PM EST. The hotel stay is not included in the conference registration fees. You are responsible for making your own hotel reservations. Room blocks may fill before the hotel deadline and have sold out the last few years, so please make your reservation immediately to ensure the discounted rate and availability.

Use this link to make your reservations under the conference discount:  https://book.passkey.com/go/UCDAAnnual2024

Insider Tip: Book your room and flight early. 
UCDA has a limited room block at the conference hotel, so you are encouraged to book early.

Air Travel: Indianapolis International Airport (https://www.ind.com/) is accessible by all major airlines. 

Keynote Speaker: Stefan Mumaw

Stefan Mumaw: Director of Narrative Strategy and Senior Creative Director, First Person

Keynote Presentation: Creative Boot Camp

We typically think of creativity as an external force that we don’t control or an artistic talent that we don’t have. The reality is that creativity is a procedural, programmable characteristic of problem solving. It is a habit, and as such, creativity can be trained. We can improve creatively. All of us generate ideas and we do it every day. Some of us generate design or headline ideas for a client or maybe concept ideas for a new program or even activity ideas for our kids. If creativity truly is a habit, if it’s a skill that we can perform, that means we can control our own creative improvement. Creative Boot Camp author Stefan Mumaw is going to prove it to you. He’ll not only show you what makes us all creative and what simple changes in our creative lives can have the greatest effect, he’ll run you through a series of creativity exercises that will prove that a few small creative steps will have you generating ideas in greater quantity and quality.

Plus: Workshop Session: (work)Shoppe of Curiosities

Mumaw is going to show you how to get your curiosity mojo back in a fun, exercise-filled workshop. He’ll break down the role curiosity plays in the creative process, lay out the trouble with “knowing enough,” and use creative exercises to illustrate the Five Shoppe Stops that reengage your curiosity muscles as you peruse this conceptual (work)Shoppe of Curiosities.

Stefan Mumaw is the Director of Narrative Strategy and a Senior Creative Director at First Person, a digital agency headquartered in San Francisco. Previously, he peddled his wares as Creative Director for DEG, Callahan Creek, The Brainyard and REIGN. He's led creative efforts on brands large and small, including Roland, Pioneer, Cisco, VMware, Coca-Cola, Sony, Hurley, Tyson, Tennisset.com, SAP, Google, Elanco, Chevrolet, and Hallmark. He has authored six books, the most recent being Creative Boot Camp: Generate Ideas in Greater Quantity & Quality In 30 Days. Previously, he authored Chasing the Monster Idea, co-authored Caffeine for the Creative Team and Caffeine for the Creative Mind with Wendy Lee Oldfield, and penned Redesigning Websites, and Simple Websites.

Mainstage Speakers: 

Jen Lara, Wendy Puffer, Kelly King-Green, Elias Martinez

Jen Lara: Thriving Through Interchange

Join us for an interactive mainstage presentation with "The Coaching Professor" Jen Lara. The presentation will delve into three essential themes: embracing agility in your work, prioritizing self-care to fuel success, and fostering strong partnerships and collaboration. Let's come together to share insights, learn from each other, and build a more connected community as we thrive through interchange together.

Plus: Breakout Workshop: Foundational Coaching Skills

In this interactive workshop, participants will acquire foundational coaching skills to complement and support their work. Key skills include how to ask powerful questions, listen “like a coach,” and design more productive relationships - all skills connected to the International Coaching Federation’s (ICF) Core Competencies. This workshop is ideal for designers, creatives, leaders, and support staff who want to improve their communication and deepen relationships.

Wendy Puffer: Presence Changes Perception

Wendy Puffer is the CEO of Marion Design Co. Her passions include creating custom design thinking sessions for teams, classrooms, and businesses. In 2021 she shifted from the college classroom to the studio after teaching Interior Design and Design for Social Impact for 21 years. She’ll share her story of being nimble through the journey of empowering her community by bringing students, designers, and community stakeholders together. She’ll provide principles for recognizing impossible problems and leveraging their power to become assets for good design.

Elias Martinez and Kelly King-Green: Building a Next Generation Brand

Texas State University has transformed with student demographics that mirror the state's growth and diversity. This sea change created an exciting opportunity for TXST to revitalize its brand and meet the next generation of Texans. In this session, Elias Martinez and Kelly King-Green will share their strategies and learnings while leading the university's first rebranding effort in more than 17 years. 

Concurrent Breakout Sessions & Workshop

(work)Shoppe of Curiosities with Stephan Mumaw
Foundational Coaching Skills with Jen Lara
Paper School with Hope Sowders, Neenah Paper
DAM Solutions for Education Design with Peter Krogh, Mediagraph
Done is Better Than Perfect with Daniel Swartz, Hoosier Type Co.
The Art of Direction with Kelly McMurray, 2communiqué, & Jodie Hein, Rapp Art
Creating Opportunities: Inspire Your Brand with Martyne Dubuc, HEC Montréal
Photoshoot Success! with Matthew Lester, Matthew Lester Photography, & Jonathan Ziegler, Penn State University
Navigating the Jungle of AI with Katie Kelly & Deon Foster, Michigan State University

Schedule 

Subject to change. Time Zone: Eastern Daylight Time

UCDA Design Awards Show Presented by Foleon

The UCDA 2024 Design Awards Show presented by Foleon will feature the winning entries from this year's design competition. Winning entries will be recognized on Thursday, September 26, 2024, on the main stage followed by the opening of the awards show, which will be open thru Saturday evening. For over 20 years, the UCDA Design Awards Competition has recognized the best of exceptional design and creative work as part of our mission to promote design excellence, support educational institutions, and drive the exchange of ideas and information relating to the unique role creatives play in education and the world. The UCDA Design Awards are judged by a hand-picked panel of peer jurors composed of designers, design educators, photographers, and illustrators working in or doing a significant portion of their work for educational institutions—they understand the environments in which you create.

Thank you to our 2024 Design Awards Show Presenting Sponsor Foleon for their comprehensive sponsorship in support of this year's UCDA Design Awards Show and Presentation, including digital content creation. Foleon is the #1 digital content creation platform for publishing stunning, high-impact content that drives results. 

Thank you to our 2024 Design Awards Sponsor Canto for providing the digital asset management platform used for design award judging and the winner's gallery. Canto empowers businesses with a platform to organize, find, and distribute digital assets, eliminating operational challenges and increasing efficiency. 

Design Conference Sponsors 

Design Conference Sponsorship Opportunities

Showcase your product or service and build business relationships with graphic designers and other communication professionals in higher education. Connecting with our group of influencers and decision makers is the best way to get your company connected with educational institutions and forward your brand.

There are four (4) branding exposure opportunities: 

Presenting Sponsor: This is available to only one (1) company. Put your brand above all others, stand out, and get noticed by making this the UCDA Design Conference presented by your company. Numerous points of access and promotional benefits above regular sponsorship including being featured at one (1) virtual Creative Conversation or Webinar.

Design Awards Presenting Sponsor: This is available to only one (1) company. Put your brand above all others, stand out, and get noticed by making this the UCDA Design Conference presented by your company. Numerous points of access and promotional benefits above regular sponsorship including being featured at one (1) virtual Creative Conversation or Webinar.

Event Sponsor: Three levels—gold, silver, bronze—each with benefits and a cost point to meet your company's marketing goals and budget. Sponsorship can be provided monetarily or as in-kind donation. 

Design Expo Exhibitor: Place your company's representatives directly in front and in conversations with our attendees. At an incredible value, you get multiple hours with our attendees, plus breakfast, at this lively and much anticipated exhibition event. 

Visit our Sponsorship page for more information.

Become a Design Conference Expo Exhibitor or Sponsor: Contact:
Sponsorship Director Stephen Russell at ucdasponsorship@gmail.com 
Executive Director Susan Matherne at susan@ucda.com.

Conference Chairperson and Co-Chairperson

Volunteer — Join the Design Conference Committee
To volunteer for the design conference committee, contact Leslie Ehler at ucdamembership@gmail.com. 

Past Conferences: https://www.ucda.com/past-conferences-1/

Special Accommodations
If you require special accommodations, please call the office at 615-459-4559.

Photos of Indianapolis provided with permission by Visit Indy.
Photos from past design conferences by Matthew Lester.