What is DesignChat?
DesignChat is a weekly video and text-based conversation between and for creatives. Video chats start at 8pm CST on Wednesdays and last about an hour on our site. You can continue the conversation before and after on Twitter using the hashtag #designchat.
How do I participate?
Just go to the CHAT page and log in on Wednesdays at 8pm CST. Before/after and during off hours – you can follow the conversation on Twitter using the hashtag #DesignChat.
Now that we’re hosting the chat on our own site, we may broadcast at any time, so be ready! Follow me on Twitter to stay in the know! Also – Join our Facebook group!
Can I submit questions?
Of course! There’s a red “Submit a Question” button on the right side of that chat. You can type in a text question, or if you have a webcam, you can ask your question “face-to-face!” Otherwise you can just bark at us in the chat room and get laughs from all of the other viewers.
Why Wednesdays?
Because Wednesdays need more DESIGN!!!
Who does it?
RYAN McGOVERN, founder & host
In 2003, Ryan graduated from Northern Illinois University with a BFA in Visual Communication. Since that time he has worked for many design agencies throughout Chicagoland. He is currently an art director at Aspen Marketing Services in West Chicago, IL. Before he discovered design, Ryan studied architecture at the University of Illinois at Chicago. The drive for innovation and new ways of thinking has always been the force behind his career.
ANDREW TIBBETTS, tech & advisor
Since graduating in 2000 with a BFA in Graphic Design then living and working in the near north neighborhoods of Chicago, Andrew now works for smbolic as a web/app developer. He and wife Kim recently planted roots in the Dundee, IL area and continue to transform their house on an acre of woods into a sustainable, eco-friendly home.
JAMES GRAY, video production
James Gray holds a BA in Graphic Design from Eastern Illinois University. Since receiving his degree in 2008, James has worked as a production artist and graphic designer in the Chicago area. Currently, James is working as a graphic designer at ZGraphics in East Dundee, IL and pursuing an MBA with emphasis in marketing from Webster University. He has been an active member of AIGA since 2007 an has also been involved with the Ad Club of St. Louis since 2009.
E. SEAN HAMPTON-GROSS, consultant
Sean’s passion for good design and enthusiasm for our industry is both inspirational and contagious. With experience in several Chicago area agencies and a Bachelor of Arts in Visual Communication (2002) he continues to establish his creative presence in the Chicagoland design community. Sean is currently a senior art director at Aspen Marketing Services and occasionally produces freelance work through his independent studio ESHGdesign.
What is the # used for?
Hashtags are a community-driven convention for adding additional context and metadata to your tweets. They’re like tags on Flickr, only added inline to your post. You create a hashtag simply by prefixing a word with a hash symbol: #hashtag. Hashtags were developed as a means to create “groupings” on Twitter, without having to change the basic service. The hash symbol is a convention borrowed primarily from IRC channels, and later from Jaiku’s channels.
Why haven’t you approved my comment?
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