Phoenix Design Week returns to the valley for the ninth year in a row with the Method + Madness conference on October 27th, and lasts until November 3rd.
Phoenix Design Week is an annual event that is presented by AIGA Arizona, who is one of the 72 chapters of the professional association of design. The idea for Phoenix Design Week originated in 2009 from Mark Dudlik, who urged designers to stand up and be rightfully recognized in order to help elevate Phoenix as a vibrant and successful city. The goal was to showcase the most creative parts of the city, thus creating what Phoenix Design Week is today.
Liz Magura, President of AIGA Arizona, stated in a press release that “The 2017 Method + Madness conference lineup and Phoenix Design Week surrounding events will be the main event of the year if you’re a creative professional, aspiring creative, or colleague of creatives.”
This year’s event will host many amazing speakers within the design community, including “Coca Cola’s Design Manager Alex Center, AIGA Medalist and founder of design lab CommonWise Cheryl Heller, and AIGA Diversity and Inclusion task force chair and youth design influencer Jacinda Walker, as well as amazing folks within our own community, such as Infusionsoft’s new Director of Product Design and User Experience James Archer. Additionally, we have had the pleasure of inviting many other talented, creative professionals to share stories, processes, and celebrate the talent in our community,” according to Liz Magura.
Phoenix Design Week will officially kick off its 9th year in the valley with the Method + Madness conference on Saturday, October 28th. However, October 27th will ring in the event with a kick-off party. More events will be added as the date approaches, so stay tuned!
Many events during the week are free, and simply require you to reserve a seat. However, some events, such as the Method + Madness Conference, will require a paid ticket.
In addition to professionals from across the nation, PHXDW will showcase work from local creatives. Individuals are encouraged to submit work they’ve done within the past year to be entered into the “BEST OF 2017” exhibit, which celebrates design in the Arizona community. The call for entries will begin in early September, and winning work will be showcased during the Method + Madness Conference. Kathy Morgan, Financial Director of AIGA Arizona and Phoenix Design Week, will be running this exhibit.
In addition, there will be a pop-up shop of local work available for purchase at the Method + Madness Conference.
For the third time now, Phoenix Design Week will include the National Poster Retrospecticus exhibit. This includes 350 hand-printed event posters from the 100 most distinguished poster designers in the country.
Early bird tickets for the Method+ Madness conference are currently available at phxdw.com. Early bird tickets include a free t-shirt as well.
The Method + Madness Conference will be held on October 28th and 29th from 9:00 am-4:45 pm. It will be located at the Phoenix Convention Center.
There will be plenty of volunteer options, especially for students! Be sure to check their website periodically to keep an eye out for opportunities and more information on how to get involved.
To become a sponsor of Phoenix Design Week 2017, visit phxdw.com; and check back often to see what other amazing events get added to the week!
