UCDA Creative Summit

Inspiration can fuel your imagination, spark the next big idea, or be the catalyst to respond to change. But for that to happen, we need to allow ourselves the time to discover, create, and connect. The 2021 UCDA Creative Summit—spanning 3 invigorating days (mid-day hours)—will provide you that creative outlet.

Engage virtually in an intimate setting with design professionals across North America. These muralists, printers, illustrators, designers, and creative thinkers will be sharing their work and stories, and leading hands-on creative exercises. Roll up your sleeves and come prepared to learn, share, and grow your creative potential. You’ll walk away with unique keepsakes, new ideas, and a tight-knit community to support you along the way!

TOP REASONS TO INVEST IN THIS SUMMIT

Education—Seven carefully curated speakers and sessions over three days to help you engage and spark your creativity.

Networking—UCDA is your community. Connect with the folks who do what you do so you can charge your creative battery.

Affordable—Without the need for travel or lodging, the UCDA Creative Summit is very affordable. Without extra costs of an in-person event, along with shrinking or frozen institutional budgets, we are able to pass the savings onto you.

PROGRAM CO-CHAIRS

Wendy Sheaffer, Director of Creative Services, Elizabethtown College
Matt Hansen, Photographer/Graphic Designer, University of California San Diego

SUMMIT PASS

The Summit Pass gets you access to all the scheduled summit presentations during the event; swag box with hands-on assignment supplies; and access to the Help Desk.

ALL ACCESS

In addition to everything included with the Summit Pass, the All Access (AA) add-on gets you access to the summit presentation recordings (through May 31) and a black canvas UCDA messenger bag.

“Creativity involves breaking out of expected patterns in order to look at things in a different way.”

- Edward de Bono


The schedule below can help you protect and preserve your time. Note that all times are in North America Eastern Time.

Monday, March 22 (pre-summit icebreaker)—7-7:30 p.m. ET
Tuesday, March 2311 a.m.-2 p.m. ET
Wednesday, March 2411 a.m.-2 p.m. ET
Thursday, March 2511 a.m.-2 p.m., 7-7:30 p.m. ET

We start mid-morning at 11 a.m. Eastern (we have found this is the best overall time to allow different time zones to join us). Given this start time, we have only scheduled short breaks (no long lunch break), so plan to have water, coffee, and snacks on hand.



Clark Orr, Graphic Designer and Illustrator, Clark Orr Design Co.; Co-founder, Hellcats USA
Doc Reed, Senior Graphic Designer, Premier Inc.; Founder, Reedicus
Donald Robertson, Senior Vice President and Creative Director, Esteé Lauder
Paige Stampatori, Illustrator
Victor Ving, Mural Artist, Greetings Tour
Ryan Wheaton, Owner and Designer, Craft Brew Creative
Megan Zettlemoyer, Graphic Artist and Letterpress Printer, Typothecary Letterpress

Full speaker bios can be found below.

MONDAY, MARCH 22

Pre-Summit Icebreaker Happy Hour (7-7:30 p.m.)
BYOB—Drink your beverage from a cup, mug, glass, or stein that has a history, story, or a place you visited. Show and share!

TUESDAY, MARCH 23

Communication Through Illustration—Paige Stampatori
Paige will present an inside look at freelance illustration and the power of visual storytelling. Taking us behind the scenes, she’ll share her techniques and creative process, what it’s like to collaborate with an illustrator, and the value of this versatile art form as a tool for communication. Join her in exploring all that illustration has to offer!

Play Within the Box—Doc Reed
As in-house designers, we often feel like we are designing in a box. The toys we have to play with feel tired. How many ways can you use the same colors, fonts, and visual elements without losing your mind? Let's take some time to think differently on the big events down to the turn-and-burn direct mailers. Look for possibilities while taking calculated risks. Elevate your organization's brand beyond a logo into campaigns while making the marketing and enrollment departments believe you live to make them happy.

The Diversity of Letterpress—Megan Zettlemoyer
Letterpress has been around for hundreds of years. Most of you may be familiar with it in one capacity or another, but today we’re going to take a look at a wider variety of its capabilities as a commercial print medium to a fine art outlet. We’ll explore how the different presses each have a niche of their own and how you may be able to incorporate this vintage printing technique into your modern workflow. We will take some of the principles talked about and try some experimental printing at home and walk away with a beautiful hand printed tote bag.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 24

Not Your Average Beer—Ryan Wheaton 
Take a step into the world of beer branding and package design. The beer market and industry is a very dynamic and competitive landscape with a variety of passionate consumers. How do you create a beer brand and product design that cuts through the chaos and makes a lasting impression? By creating a customer persona, we can see how to effectively design for a more successful brand.

The Original Postcard Mural Tour—Victor Ving
Muralist Victor Ving and photographer Lisa Beggs have been traveling full time out of their RV since leaving New York City in 2015. The artist duo started the “Greetings Tour” and have completed over 44 murals in 21 states, continuing their mission to paint in all 50 states across America. “Greetings Tour” creates landmarks through public art. Learn how using the classic large letter postcard style, they work with communities to create colorful murals featuring local landmarks, history, and culture. With everything that 2020 has thrown our way, the concept of community is more important than ever. Victor and Lisa treat each city and town that they work in as part of their local community. Therefore, the public art truly belongs to the neighborhoods they live in long after Victor and Lisa are gone. They want to provide a sense of hometown pride as well as a landmark for future visitors.

THURSDAY MARCH 25

Think Inside the Box—Donald Robertson
If you are ever asked to find a creative solution DO NOT “think outside the box!” Terrible advice. Actually go find a box. Put it over your head and limit your imagination! Get super specific. You can still be insane but be super focused. Cut your own budget! That’s how to make the best “idea babies.” I swear it works.
—Wise Oldish Canadian, Donald Robertson

Be A Self-Starter!—Clark Orr
We spend most of our time as creatives telling someone else’s story or making someone else’s idea a reality. But, it’s important to make something for yourself; big or small, physical or digital. Showcasing self-initiated projects is not only a way to possibly open up a new revenue stream, it also shows potential clients the type of work you’d like to take on. In this workshop you will learn strategies and tricks on how to ideate, stay motivated, and create personal projects that will renew your creative spirit and become an authentic extension of who you are as a professional. This session will help you tap within yourself to develop an idea that you can take and make all your own.

It’s a Wrap—Virtual Happy Hour 
(7-7:30 p.m.)
Come chat with other summit attendees to share what you've learned, or to continue conversations started during the summit.

For those who like the swag—be sure to register before March 12 so we can mail you a Swag Box full of summit goodies from UCDA, sponsors, and hands-on assignment supplies to arrive prior to the start of the summit. If you can't register by that date, don't worry; you'll still receive a swag box, but it may arrive after the event.

 
Swag box produced by our friends at Slate Group.

     
     
     
     

 

“You can”t use up creativity. The more you use the more you have.”

- Maya Angelou

SUMMIT PASS
(all prices in USD)
Early Bird
(by  March 12)
Regular
(after March 12)
All Access
Add-on
UCDA Member (Professional, Associate or Faculty)
Become a member
$97 $147
$47

UCDA Partner Member
(e.g. GDC members)
Call the UCDA Home Office to register as a Partner Member, or use discount code when using non-member pricing.

$147 $197 $47
Non-member/Subscriber $197 $247 $47
Student $97 $97 $47
UCDA Emeritus Member $97 $97 $47


See UCDA’s Cancellation Policy
See UCDA's Inclusiveness, Code of Conduct, and Anti-harrassment Policy.

Location: Live Virtual Event

Date: March 23, 2021, midnight - March 25, 2021, 11:59 p.m.