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The conference schedule is evolving and speakers continually being added. Check back for the most up-to-date information.

Additional conference information or to register.

FRIDAY—OCTOBER 1

ALL DAY
Time to visit museums and explore Denver on your own.
See Visit Denver for ideas.

TBD
Informal get together for conference attendees

SATURDAY—OCTOBER 2

MORNING
Time to visit museums and explore Denver on your own.
See Visit Denver for ideas.

9 A.M.-12 NOON
Pre-conference Workshop (optional add-on)
Boom! Bang! Brush! Adobe Illustrator Workshop
Jeremy Slagle, Slagle Design
An interactive workshop for illustrators, letterers, and designers who want to add truly unique style to their work in Adobe Illustrator.

This custom Illustrator brush workshop is an in-person, hands-on class where you learn how to make unique, one-of-a-kind, hand-created textures and turn them into custom brushes. We also explore the many ways to use them in your work.

The content is drawn from what Jeremy learned while illustrating the children’s book Chin Up, Chinchilla. He sought to create a unique style within the vector-based Adobe illustrator platform while still achieving a hand-drawn, analog style.

This three-hour presentation covers:

• Getting our hands dirty! We supply paint, brushes and some unexpected drawing tools.
• Ways to import your hand-made brushes. No laptop is required but you’re welcome to bring one and work alongside us.
• How to take those digital assets and create various types of brushes in Adobe Illustrator.
• How to use and integrate brushes in your work to create linework, texture and transparency.
• Downloadable step-by-step reference guide that walks you through the process—so you can spend more time making, and less time taking notes.
• Downloadable demonstration files to pick apart and practice on.

Cost: $50 (includes supplies)
Space is limited. Pre-registration required.

3:30-4 P.M.
Volunteer Meeting

4:30-5:30 P.M.
We're Back!
Welcome Dinner Reception

5:30-6:30 P.M.
1. Welcome and Main Stage Presentation
Now Boarding: Creative Teams and Culture
Sonia Avila, Southwest Airlines
Culture is often considered the “secret sauce” of happy and cohesive teams. But why is it important? And how to you begin to integrate or develop culture in an organization that doesn’t currently have a pro-culture mindset? In this session, learn more about how five decades of culture have given the Southwest Airlines Creative Studio team a foundation of success.

6:30-7 P.M.
UCDA Design Awards

7-9 P.M.
UCDA Design Awards Show Opening and Dessert Reception
UCDA Foundation Auction

SUNDAY—OCTOBER 3

7-7:45 A.M.
Board Walk, Coffee Talk, and Instagram Meet-up
Why not enjoy an early start with a walk around downtown Denver? Join UCDA leaders, colleagues, and friends for an invigorating beginning to your day. 



More interested in coffee at that hour? Sit back with colleagues, friends, and UCDA leaders for some down-to-earth coffee talk.

Or, perhaps join the UCDA InstaMeet? These are typically very casual and lots of fun. Stroll through 16th Street Mall and Union Station with fellow attendees, explore Denver, and instantly share your visual treasures. #ucdadenver2021 

7:45-8:15 A.M.
Continental Breakfast

8:15-9:15 A.M.
2. Main Stage Presentation
The Art and Science of Storytelling in Higher Education
Donna Talarico, Hippocampus Magazine and Books
Part feel-good, part practical, Donna will cover the art and science of storytelling. First, we’ll cover why we, as humans, crave narrative. What it does to our brains, for instance. We’ll explore effective campaigns that span mediums and industries—not just the web and not just higher ed. After covering the science of stories, we’ll dive into the art of crafting compelling narratives for your individual institutions—and all its strategic goals. Finally, since storytelling is a team effort, we’ll address how you can manage ideas and content within your team or across campus. You’ll leave with a list of several story “formulas,” plus countless resources to help you continue to build your storytelling skills.

9:30-10:30 A.M.
3. Main Stage Presentation
Always in Tandem
Jeremy Slagle, Slagle Design
Whether working at an educational institution or for yourself, have you ever wished you could align your work with those who share the same values and goals? Five years after starting his own studio, Jeremy took a month-long international trip. Upon his return, he saw his business with a clarity he hadn’t seen before. The pivot Jeremy made at that point changed the way they do business as a design studio as well as their approach to working with clients who best fit their culture and values. It helped them to define the real meaning of fulfilling creative work and how, when we do what is best for our institutions and clients, we can help them achieve their goals and find the same level of joy and fulfillment.

10:30-11:15 A.M.
Design Pods

11:15 A.M.-12:15 P.M.
4. Main Stage Presentation
How to Stand Out on a Shoestring Budget
Trey Laverty, Slate Group and Carrie Phillips, Arkansas Tech University
Budgets are tighter than ever before—but that doesn’t mean you can’t still create epic print pieces. 

Carrie Phillips at Arkansas Tech is a self-proclaimed print perfector, while Trey Laverty at Slate Group is an ideas guy. Together—they’re embracing creativity to solve problems one print piece at a time…on-time and on budget. 

This session is packed with pro tips about working with a budget, finding inspiration, design alternatives, creative content, variable data, and assessing your work. Plus, we’ll get creative and solve some of the print challenges we’ve all faced as designers.

We’ll bring the tape, glue, and the scissors. And you’ll leave with loads of new ideas to enhance your print designs without breaking the bank.

12:15-1:45 P.M.
Break for Lunch (on own)

1:45-2:45 P.M.
5. Main Stage Presentation
Creating Award-winning Videos and Promoting Your School at the Same Time
Jeff Bagley, University of Utah and Brian Rasmussen, University of Utah
Videos have become an even more powerful form of communication in higher education marketing. Especially during the pandemic. University of Utah Marketing and Communication leaders, Brian Rasmussen and Jeff Bagley, will discuss how they create their award-winning videos that drive the university brand. They will share their creative brief form that anchors their work in a solid strategy. They will discuss different styles of videos, production processes, gear and how to build a great production team. All along the way they will show examples of their videos and answer your questions. It should be an informative and entertaining discussion.

3-4:30 P.M.
6. Business Meeting and Krider Prize for Creativity Keynote Presentation
Specialize in Giving Back
Jamal Collins, Creative Kids Group
Wondering what steps you can take to make your design project socially relevant, presuming you want to use your abilities to change the world for the better? Design and social change design leader Jamal Collins tells designers to ‘specialize in giving back’ because big ideas that make a stand also generate discussion.

Jamal Collins is a Visual Design Consultant who teaches at risk youth graphic design throughout the inner city of Cleveland, Ohio. Jamal provides these youth with the beneficial resources to develop the necessary skills that will introduce them into the creative field. 

As this year’s UCDA Foundation Krider Prize for Creativity recipient, Jamal encourages designers to contribute to the process of change in society using their profession to become someone’s “Design Mentor.” Based on moderation, inspiration, and engagement we can encourage young people to change and reshape their opinions and stimulate them to take action. Youth with mentors have higher rates of graduation and are less likely to drop out of school. They have a positive self-image and are able to create big goals for themselves. Mentors help children grow and close the social and/or economic opportunity gap.

Being a graphic designer actually has an incredible role to play in creating solutions for social impact. And if you’re a graphic designer wondering what you can do to make the world a better place right now, it’s a powerful way to apply your skills.

4:45-5:45 P.M.
Publication Swap Shop (optional activity)
Share your work and pick up some samples for inspiration in this limited-time event. Doors will open for one hour, and once the samples are gone, they’re gone! Bring or send ahead approximately 30 samples (or as many as you can spare). This is a run and get ’em sample exchange. The doors open, and it’s a free-for-all. Those bringing or sending materials for the swap will receive a “priority pass” to be at the head of the line!

MONDAY—OCTOBER 4

7:30-11 A.M.
Resource Center with Breakfast

11 A.M.-12 NOON
7. Main Stage Presentation
An Introductory Ethic for Designers
Rick Griffith
Design as a human action in the creation of many things—including products which require industrial manufacturing, curricula which educate people, systems whose purpose it is to  create wealth and care for human lives’—is happening at such a scale that it is likely that these actions are led by policies and an ethic which is aware of its role within the various system it encounters. Systems of (for example) labor and finance, human rights, and to some more recent extent, our ecology. These systems and their various intersections should be an area of vast concern for designers. Rick will introduce us to (the work of having) concerns, as individuals—already in systems—with assumptions and biases.

12 NOON-1:30 P.M.
Break for Lunch (on own)

1:30-2:30 P.M.
8. Main Stage Presentation
Creatively Making a Difference
Jesse Wilson, For the Win Project
Hear the story of how Jesse Wilson, a designer and creative director in Hollywood, teamed up with fellow creatives that were passionate about using their talents to make a difference. Their collaboration resulted in the creation of a non-profit, The For The Win Project (FTW). Focused on children in special circumstances, FTW turns heroes into their favorite heroes, allowing them to be the star of their very own movie poster and movie trailer. FTW often works with celebrities and movie studios to enhance the experience for these deserving children, resulting in an amazing experience and renewed sense of hope, while ultimately raising awareness and funds for the battle they are facing. This session will encourage and inspire you to use your skills (and connections) to creatively make a difference in the world around you.­­­­­

2:30-3:15 P.M.
Design Pods

3:15-4:15 P.M.
9. Main Stage Presentation
Taking Your Brand from Inception to the Street
Marty Gregg, Arthouse Design
ArtHouse Design is an award-winning full-service branding studio that specializes in creating brands for products, businesses, and the built environment. As a veteran of experiential graphic design, Marty highly values—and has built—an engaging studio environment where accomplished professionals are empowered to get excited, grow their talents and work together. This engaging presentation will be an overview of their 28 year old process in extracting information with our clients while creating and expanding memorable brands throughout the environment.

4:15-5 P.M.
UCDA Foundation Auction Reception and Closing

TUESDAY—OCTOBER 5

8-9 A.M.
Continental Breakfast and Silent Auction Pick-up

9-10 A.M.
10. Main Stage Presentation
Digital Nomad (or, How I came to Live in an RV)
Jess Moore, Simple and Sylvan
After Jess' third layoff from professional service firms, a chance position that she took in the summer of 2015 changed her career path and her life. Happiness looks different to everyone, and she shares her particular flavor of living life in the now, not waiting for retirement to see the country, making art, and teaching design.

• Does your life look the way you want it to? Jess flipped the live/work balance on its head.
• Engaging your passions, shift what you're doing now to get to where you want to be.
• A crazy idea now may just be the best decision ever.
• And yes, she can tell-all with the inside scoop of living in an RV

Learn how Jess learned to embrace the leap, and the nets that appeared along the way.

10-11 A.M.
11. Main Stage Presentation
Inside InDesign
Keith Gilbert, InDesign Certified Expert
There is always more to learn about our design tools! Take your InDesign skills to the next level in this fast-paced, fun session. Master InDesign trainer and consultant Keith Gilbert will show intermediate-and advanced-level techniques that will help you:

• Increase your efficiency and get more done, in less time, with less effort
• Learn new ways of working to automate repetitive tasks
• Find useful scripts and plugins to make you more productive
• Learn “must know” keyboard shortcuts.

No matter your skill level in InDesign, you will not want to miss this session!

11 A.M.
Conference Concludes