What We Do
Seeks to expand the graphic design student bodies' knowledge of design outside of the university environment.
Studio Tours
Local - specifically becoming involved with the local design community.
Regional - touring top level design and ad firms in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area.
Blindsight
A biannual publication that SDO produces and sends out across the country to design firms. For each issue, a
faculty member chooses a theme, and entry is open to all SDO members to produce work which will be included in Blindsight.
Other Tours
Paper distributors printing facilities - specifically getting to know local printers with possible alumni connections
(i.e. Service Printers)
Additional Education
Software demonstrations - on volunteer basis by faculty, community members, and fellow students.
Industry instruction - on processes such as printing, duotones, bringing files to press, color matching, and freelancing.
Utilize speakers from the local area.
Fellowship opportunities - getting designers to do something peer to peer outside of class with a weekly get-together such
as meeting at Old Chicago and possible social events with ADMAR.
AIGA Events
Design Camp - fall
Design Show - November
Insight Lecture Series - March
Portfolio One on One - April
Student chapter / Student members
AIGA Newsletter
Encouraging attendance at UMD events
Art + Design Lecture Series (ADLS)
Design Dialogue
Provide additional resources
Subscriptions to magazines not in the library, example is CMYK, a student run magazine on student design.
Speakers
Bringing in current designers and others in related fields to talk about experiences to students. Possibilities
include past alumni and anyone we can convince to do it for gas money and a modest gift as well as professors presenting their
personal work (also for a modest gift). Past speaker Mike Cina would be a great annual or biannual speaker. Also speakers on
portfolio presentations and such. Other topics: resumes, job hunting, getting into grad school
Opportunity for internships
Tracking of announcements in local community and advertise to other firms if student body is interested. Come up with
design piece advertising SDO as location to go for interns.
Portfolio Review
Both for graduating students and for students looking to be accepted into the program. Grad review could be done by
volunteer faculty and community member board, as well as UMD alums or just through Portfolio One on One. Entering student review
could be done as a peer to peer process with upperclassmen to provide a less stressful atmosphere for incoming students and to
advertise SDO.
Evening with professors
A possible way for upperclassmen to get to know their faculty better on a personal level if the faculty show interest.
SDO could sponsor an evening out, treating professor and inviting smaller number of students.
Annual Design Competition
The design competition is co-sponsored by Kirby Program Board and the winners will be displayed in the lecture gallery in
the Tweed Museum of Art. The competition takes place in the first part of the second semester. The different categories for entry are
Event Poster Design, Poster Design for the Frozen Yeti Film Festival, Interactive Design, and Mixed Media Design. Prizes include:
iPods, flash memory drives, and much more.
Contact List
Creation and maintenance of list of contacts from past events/tours.
Creation and maintenance of list of Minnesota and Midwest design firms with names and addresses for internship applications and other.
Thank You Party
For those brave volunteers who've helped over the course of the year.
