PHOENIX DESIGN WEEK EVENTS

Phoenix Design Week is WAY bigger than just the two-day conference! It's a week full of creative events all over Arizona. Registration is now open for these events presented by AIGA Arizona and community partners. Check them out and grab your spot now!

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MONDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2023

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Designing for Profit

OCTOBER 2 @ 6:00PM | MULTISTUDIO | PHOENIX

A business of design workshop to guide and inspire anyone working for themselves presented by Matt Adams.

Need a little inspiration? Whether you just started your business, or have been at it awhile and need to recalibrate, we’ll share books, tools, and best practices to meet you where you are. Join us as we find your price point, learn to track sales and contracts, and measure what matters before you even make your first move.

Come ready with questions! Admission is free, but space is limited so make sure to RSVP.

Calligraphy Boot Camp: Part One

OCTOBER 2 & 9 @ 6-9PM | GRAND CANYON UNIVERSITY | PHOENIX

Learn calligraphy skills that will take your lettering and typography to the next level in this TWO-NIGHT workshop with Alison King & Ashley Jo George. Calligraphy is timeless! Gain a better understanding of both historical and contemporary letterforms, while deepening your appreciation for the evolution of the western alphabet. You'll never look at letters the same way again.

Workshop fee of $130 includes TWO 3.5 hour studio sessions and a kit of all the tools you’ll need ($125 value), including pens, brushes, paper and ink. The kit also includes a 66-page packet of printed exemplars developed exclusively for this course. It's a textbook for lifelong learning!

Drink & Draw: West Side

OCTOBER 2 @ 7-9PM | EASY TIGER | GLENDALE

Join host Charith Denson at Easy Tiger and enjoy a drink as you doodle and connect with others. It's a great leveling event — all skill levels welcome. Bring your own ideas and projects, or take drawing prompts to get you started. No registration required, just show up and have fun with new friends!

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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2023

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Get the Gig: Hiring Panel

OCTOBER 3 @ 5:30PM | LAVIDGE | PHOENIX

The past few years have brought shake ups throughout the industry and an ever-changing “rule-book” for what you should and shouldn’t do while on the job hunt. We’ve compiled a panel of hiring managers for small solo shops, in-house design teams, and agencies to offer up what they look for in candidates and their portfolios.

Moderator Anika Bausom will talk with Bob Case, Jen Flaks, John Huber, Lindsay Kinkade, and Will Mejía providing insight into what you should be looking for when you apply and interview. Got a burning question for our experts? There will be plenty of time for Q+A (or mingling if that’s more your thing).

Free food, non-alcoholic drinks and underground parking. Space is limited so make sure to RSVP. Sponsored by LAVIDGE.

OCTOBER 3 @ 6PM | HAZEL & VIOLET | PHOENIX

Start printing with wood and metal type and our giant stash of images. Set up your project on our Showcard Long Master; Vandercook 01 or Potter presses. Use our paper, ink, and supplies to print your own posters, cards, coasters, and more.

We'll give a brief tour of our 6 presses, with demos and printed samples, plus orientation regarding the type, images, paper, and ink that are available to use.

Participants then set their own type (with ongoing instruction) and set the forms up to be printed. Get a little inky! We supply the aprons.

No experience is required! Most of our guests have never done this before. This is a PRIVATE WORKSHOP at a special AIGA AZ price of $40.00 per person. Reservations are required. This same workshop will also be offered on Thursday, October 5.

OCTOBER 3 @ 6PM | MEGAPHONE PHX | PHOENIX

Create your very own book with Diana Calderon using the Coptic chain link bookbinding method.

All skill levels are welcome. Workshop fee of $45 includes all materials. You may bring any scrap paper for your covers, and/or your own craft knife/blade.

What is Coptic Bookbinding? Check out this example: Coptic Bookbinding Tutorial

 

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2023

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Creative Sips In-House Happy Hour

OCTOBER 4 @ 5:30PM | SALT TACOS Y TEQUILA | GLENDALE

Take the night off and join Arizona’s in-house design community for some sips, snacks, and sharing of ideas between colleagues and friends—both old and new! Not an in-house creative? No problem! Join us and share your tales and insights about the exciting challenge of navigating creativity within a single brand.

This event is free and sponsored by AIGA Arizona. Appetizers will be provided. Beverages will be available for purchase, and as always, please drink responsibly. Space is limited so make sure to RSVP.

Figma 101: The Fundamentals

OCTOBER 4 @ 6-7:30PM | ASU POLYTECHNIC CAMPUS | MESA

IN-PERSON OR VIRTUAL

Whether you're a beginner looking to master the basics or an experienced designer seeking advanced techniques, our two-part Figma Workshop Series has something for you. Join one or both sessions.

In Workshop 1, we'll dive into the core principles of Figma, a powerful collaborative design tool. This workshop is perfect for beginners who want to get started with Figma or designers looking to reinforce their foundational knowledge. Our expert instructor Soundharya Muthukrishnan will cover topics such as:

  • Introduction to Figma's interface
  • Creating frames, text, shapes, etc.
  • Working with components
  • Introduction to FigJam

By the end of this workshop you'll have an understanding of Figma's core features and be inspired to continue designing. Ticket options range from $5-20 per session for students, AIGA members, and general public.

Downtown Doodles Tucson

OCTOBER 4 @ 5:30PM | BORDERLANDS BREWING COMPANY | TUCSON

Join us for a special Urban Sketching session! Chris Carls will share perspective basics, techniques on learning how to see, as well as some drawing tips, that will elevate your sketching skills and enhance your life. We’ll meet at Borderlands Brewing Company for a quick presentation, then we’ll stroll the streets of Downtown Tucson to practice the techniques. Everyone is welcome to this FREE event.

Be sure to catch Chris’ “Hi! How do you Doodle” breakout session at the PHXDW conference in Phoenix on Saturday, October 7th for a deeper dive into turning off the left side of your brain and releasing the creative right side—promoting mindfulness and allowing you to truly “draw what you see, not what you know.”

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2023

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Tiny Tips, Tricks & Tools that Make a BIG Difference

OCTOBER 5 @ NOON-1PM | VIRTUAL

Join Erica Brooks for an online event that will help you become a more efficient designer! Discover a treasure trove of tiny tips, tricks, and tools that can have a big impact on your productivity and efficiency. From nifty shortcuts to must-have apps, this lunch-n-learn is packed with valuable insights to help you level up your skills.

Have a favorite tool or trick you love? We'll open the floor for attendees to share their own quick tips with industry experts and fellow designers.

Whether you're a seasoned professional or just starting out, there's something for everyone. Grab your spot now and get ready to take your work to the next level!

Please RSVP so we can plan for how many to expect! Zoom link to be provided with registration.

Design & Fine Art Unite

OCTOBER 5 @ 5:30PM | THE TUCSON GALLERY | TUCSON

Discover how your design skills have the power to transcend traditional boundaries, helping you not only create captivating artwork but also effectively present and market it. Gain invaluable insights into crafting an artistic brand, both in-person and in the digital sphere, and learn how thoughtful design can play a pivotal role in selling your art in a gallery or online.
5:30-6:30 pm | Networking Happy Hour with Tucson Gallery Artists
6:30 pm | Discussion & QA with Artist Julie Bonner
7:30 pm | Event Wrap Up
Located within the Proper Shops, The Tucson Gallery is at the corner of Congress and 5th St. Local beer, wine, and snacks are available for purchase from the bar.
This event will empower designers, artists, and creative enthusiasts to forge meaningful connections during Phoenix Design Week! Free to attend with RSVP.

Flagstaff Creative Mixer

OCTOBER 5 @ 6PM | GRAND CANYON BREWERY & DISTILLERY | FLAGSTAFF

As part of PHXDW, the AIGA Arizona team based in Flagstaff is hosting a creative mixer to connect creatives in any discipline to discuss ideas, insights and inspiration.

Join us at Grand Canyon Brewery & Distillery: 1800 South Milton Rd, Flagstaff, AZ 86001. Appetizers will be provided. Beverages will be available for purchase, and as always, please drink responsibly.

Come grab a drink, meet like-minded creative folks, and share and discuss ideas. Space is limited so make sure to RSVP. We hope to see you all there!

Figma Advanced: Mastering Figma

OCTOBER 5 @ 6-7:30PM | ASU POLYTECHNIC CAMPUS | MESA

IN-PERSON OR VIRTUAL

Whether you're a beginner looking to master the basics or an experienced designer seeking advanced techniques, our two-part Figma Workshop Series has something for you. Join one or both sessions.

In Workshop 2, we'll explore tools and strategies that will help you create and showcase professional-grade designs. Our expert instructor Soundharya Muthukrishnan will cover topics such as:

  • Managing design systems
  • Creating prototypes
  • Presenting using Figma

By the end of this workshop you'll have the confidence to use Figma's complex tools in your next project. Ticket options range from $5-20 per session for students, AIGA members, and general public.

Letterpress Workshop with Nancy Hill (Repeat)

OCTOBER 5 @ 6PM | HAZEL & VIOLET | PHOENIX

Start printing with wood and metal type and our giant stash of images. Set up your project on our Showcard Long Master; Vandercook 01 or Potter presses. Use our paper, ink, and supplies to print your own posters, cards, coasters, and more.

We'll give a brief tour of our 6 presses, with demos and printed samples, plus orientation regarding the type, images, paper, and ink that are available to use.

Participants then set their own type (with ongoing instruction) and set the forms up to be printed. Get a little inky! We supply the aprons.

No experience is required! Most of our guests have never done this before. This is a PRIVATE WORKSHOP at a special AIGA AZ price of $40.00 per person. Reservations are required. This same workshop will also be offered on Tuesday, October 3.

Life is a Design Project

OCTOBER 5 @ 6PM | ASU FUSION ON 1ST | PHOENIX

In this hands-on workshop hosted by Lindsay Kinkade and Casey Francis, attendees create together using collage to unite seemingly unrelated objects to envision our future selves and community. Participants will make collages out of materials gathered by ASU creative teams, including printed materials, photos, library collections and art ephemera.

Relief Printmaking

OCTOBER 5 @ 6PM | MEGAPHONE PHX | PHOENIX

In 2.5 hours you will learn Relief Printmaking with assistance from Diana Calderon. Draw & carve your own image, then print using a large printing press!

All skill levels are welcome, ages 18+. Workshop fee of $65 includes all materials. 

Experience this unique class @MegaphonePhx where there are working studios of 15 independent artists.

Unflubbify Your Advertising

OCTOBER 5 @ 5:30PM | HIGHNOON | PHOENIX

Our friends at AAF PHX invite you to "unflubbify" with Sara Rosinsky, a longtime copywriter who frequently uses incomplete sentences, emojis, and made-up words to serve her purposes. But she’s also a passionate student of English and believes you should understand the rules before you break them. Her book, Unflubbify Your Writing: Bite-Sized Lessons to Improve Your Spelling, Punctuation, and Grammar, is an entertaining approach to avoiding English’s most common errors.

Sara will share and clarify the mistakes she sees most frequently in advertising (“everyday” instead of “every day,” apostrophe abuse, overcapitalization, etc.) and tell you about several “rules” that don’t really exist (yes, you can end a sentence with a preposition). She’ll show you some horrifying error examples, but also give you tips that will save you from making the same mistakes. Whatever your job title, you will gain clarity and confidence in your writing, whether you're using it in ads, social media posts, emails to customers or colleagues, or award entries.

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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2023

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Creative Mornings | Phoenix

OCTOBER 6 | 8:30AM | PARKWOOD STUDIOS

Join coach, facilitator, strategist, and entrepreneur Stacy Fischer for a discussion on the global topic of Endurance—the unwavering flame that burns within us, illuminating a path through darkness and uncertainty. It is the quiet strength that emerges when challenges test our limits, urging us to push beyond what we thought possible. Endurance is not a mere moment but a relentless spirit that whispers, “keep going” when the world feels heavy.

Stacy Fischer is a coach, facilitator, strategist, and instructor navigating emotions and entrepreneurship, blending her decades of business with emotional intelligence to create more emotionally aware leaders.Stacy’s work is a mix of strategy + consciousness. It’s about creating emotions that work and using them to start, grow, and partner in business.

Coffee With Creatives

OCTOBER 6 | 2:00-3:30PM | FILLMORE COFFEE CO | PHOENIX

An Intimate Dialogue on Creative Entrepreneurship & the Arts hosted by Ashley LaRae Sampson. Connect with fellow creatives, exchange ideas, and fuel your creativity with a cup of delicious coffee!

This event features Commissioner on the Arts, Angelia Hill, who will engage the group in conversation, insights, and inspiration.

PHXDW Pre-Conference Reception featuring Downtown Doodles

OCTOBER 6 @ 5:30-7PM | PHOENIX ART MUSEUM | PHOENIX

Attending the PHXDW Conference? Skip the long registration lines on Saturday morning and pick up your badge & bag on Friday evening, grab a drink at the cash bar, catch up with friends, get the lay of the land of the conference location, and enjoy a fun "Downtown Doodles" First Friday urban sketch walk with Chris Carls.

Mix and mingle starting from 5:30PM, then we'll gather at 6:30PM for an optional 20-minute doodling presentation with Chris. At 7:00PM when the reception ends, we'll meet in front of the Museum and head out down Central Avenue toward Roosevelt Row to see what we can see and create together!

Admission is included for PHXDW conference ticketholders; family and friends may purchase tickets come along. Kids are free. Register now, only a limited number of tickets are available.

OCTOBER 6 @ 7:30PM | TUCSON IMPROV MOVEMENT | TUCSON

Join members of the Tuscon creative community for an evening of storytelling and improv comedy.

Emily Pratt, Theresa Mary Fischer, Jennifer Mead, John Whalen will offer short stories from the stage, followed by improv performances based on these stories.

General Admission: $9, box office opens a half hour prior to show time. Beer, Wine, drinks, and snacks available!

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SATURDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2023

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PHXDW 2023 UNITE Conference: Day One

OCTOBER 7 & 8 @ 9AM–4PM | PHOENIX ART MUSEUM | PHOENIX

The PHXDW Conference is the main event during Phoenix Design Week — a two-day industry conference for graphic designers, illustrators, writers, UI/UX designers, content managers, marketing professionals and people who work with them. Themed "UNITE" for 2023, we're celebrating this 15th annual PHXDW with a salute to designers throughout the 15 counties of our beautiful state.

See speakers and sessions

The two-day PHXDW Conference pass includes:

  • Access to all main stage keynote talks and educational breakout sessions presented by national and local design leaders
  • Two full days, on both Saturday, October 7 and Sunday, October 8
  • Free admission to the pre-conference Meet 'n' Greet
  • Free gift poster

Ticket options range from $129-$359 with discounts for AIGA Members, nonprofits, groups, students and educators. Please note that the auditoriums are smaller than in past years, so the ticket quantities are very limited — make sure to REGISTER NOW so you don't miss out, and you'll avoid late registration ticket prices that increase on October 1!

Lunch Box Orders @ PHXDW Conference

OCTOBER 7 & 8 @ 11:45AM–1:15PM | PHOENIX ART MUSEUM | PHOENIX

Preorder a convenient and delicious boxed meal for lunch break on Saturday and/or Sunday during the PHXDW Conference.

Now you can relax and hang out at Phoenix Art Museum with your new PHXDW friends during the conference lunch breaks on Saturday and Sunday instead of racing out to find a restaurant nearby. Choose from 4 selections available each day, and we'll have lunch ready and waiting for you.

Each meal includes a sandwich or salad, plus seasonal fruit salad, kettle chips and cookie. Most dietary modifications can be accommodated, gluten-free bread and dessert can be substituted if requested. $25 each

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SUNDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2023

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PHXDW 2023 UNITE Conference: Day Two

OCTOBER 7 & 8 @ 9AM–4PM | PHOENIX ART MUSEUM | PHOENIX

The PHXDW Conference continues for a second day  of creative jumpstarts, inspiring presentations, hands-on workshops, and friendship.

See speakers and sessions

 

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MONDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2023

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Indigenous People's Day Phx Fest

OCTOBER 9 @ 10AM-8PM | MARGARET T. HANCE PARK | PHOENIX

Indigenous Peoples’ Day Phx Fest returns to “Indigenize the Valley” with a vibrant celebration of Indigenous Art, Music, Film, & Food. The event is hosted by Cahokia PHX in collaboration with valley partners such as the Heard Museum, the Phoenix Art Museum, the Burton Barr Central Library and a multitude of Indigenous creatives and entrepreneurs to provide festival go-ers with immersive experiences that celebrate the diverse culture of Indigenous people.

Located on the ancestral lands of the O’odham and Piipaash people, the festival transforms Margaret T. Hance Park with one main musical stage, a second cultural stage, a skateboard competition, arts market, food vendors, and the 4th Annual RISE Art Installation featuring a PVC geodesic dome.

See this year's festival lineup

Calligraphy Boot Camp: Part Two

OCTOBER 2 & 9 @ 6-9PM | GRAND CANYON UNIVERSITY | PHOENIX

Learn calligraphy skills that will take your lettering and typography to the next level in this TWO-NIGHT workshop with Alison King & Ashley Jo George. Calligraphy is timeless! Gain a better understanding of both historical and contemporary letterforms, while deepening your appreciation for the evolution of the western alphabet. You'll never look at letters the same way again.

Workshop fee of $130 includes TWO 3.5 hour studio sessions and a kit of all the tools you’ll need ($125 value), including pens, brushes, paper and ink. The kit also includes a 66-page packet of printed exemplars developed exclusively for this course. It's a textbook for lifelong learning!

Speakers and schedule subject to change.