I’ve been working closely with the HOW Design Live team, both as the program director for The Dieline Conference and leading the design group for this year’s identity. I can’t wait to walk into the Hynes Convention Center in Boston May 12–16 and see all of our hard work pay off in the form of a life- and career-changing event for creatives.
Since HOW Design Live has opened up the event to let attendees mix and match from across the entire program, I’ve put together my own personal must-attend list of the sessions and networking events I’m keen on, plus some of my favorite Boston locations.
Read on for my HOW Design Live, and then let us know how you’re customizing your HOW Design Live on Facebook and Twitter. #HOWLive
Reminder: The Early-Bird Deadline is less than two weeks away. Register by April 1 to save $200!
Monday, May 12
11:00 AM – 12:00 PMA CUP OF JOE:Pavement Coffee House, 1096 Boylston St.As an avid coffee connoisseur, I can’t function without a good cup of coffee. I will be stopping by Pavement Coffee House to enjoy a light snack before heading to the conference. The best thing is that it’s walkable from HOW Design Live.
1:00 – 4:00 PMWELCOMING A FIRST-TIME DIELINE SPEAKER: Designing Sustainable Packaging Step-by-Step with Candace Hodder, Clean AgencyThe Dieline Conference Candace’s company, Clean Agency, develops and manages sustainability initiatives for major brands including Nestlé, Disney, Liz Claiborne, Asics and Mattel. This is our first time hosting Candace at The Dieline Conference, so I’m looking forward to learning her step-by-step approach to designing a more sustainable package in this fun, interactive workshop.
8:00 – 10:00 PMTACO MONDAY!Lolita Cocina & Tequila Bar, 71 Dartmouth St.All-you-can-eat tacos. $7. Half a dozen salsas. Si, por favor.
Tuesday, May 13
10:15 – 11:15 AMBIG MONEY. NO WHAMMIES:How to Get Rich in Graphic Design with Brian Singer, FacebookHOW Leadership Conference For most people, graphic design doesn’t spring to mind as career choice that will make you rich. Is Facebook’s Brian Singer about to pull back the curtain and let us in on the secrets of his personal journey to wealth? At the very least, we’ll walk away with step-by-step instructions to a better life in design, and that’s nothing to sneeze at.
4:30 – 5:30 PMDO’S AND DON’TS:35 Things to Avoid When Building a Design Firm with John Nunziato, Little Big BrandsThe Dieline Conference John Nunziato will reveal the sometimes funny, always true pitfalls and triumphs he and his colleagues have witnessed—and committed themselves. I will be taking notes!
5:30 – 6:45 PMNET-WORK-IT:Networking Kick Off sponsored by The Creative GroupThis is HOW Design Live’s first networking event, and by far my favorite place to mingle with all of the speakers and meet you! I will have a fresh stack of business cards ready to go. Say hello to me and my team and we will give you a sticker! (Seriously, we will.)
7:00 – 8:00 PMDOES THIS WOMAN EVER SLEEP?7 Things I Learned In 7 Year of Reading, Writing, and Living with Maria Popova, Brain PickingsHOW Design Live General Session I am an avid follower of Maria Popova’s BrainPickings.org and her über-active Twitter feed, and I can’t wait to hear what she has to say.
Wednesday, May 14
10:15 – 11:15 AMBLUE STEEL:Fashion Branding: From Inspiration to Logo and Packaging with Tadeu Magalhães and Jacqueline Sullivan, RoAndCoThe Dieline Conference Branding in the fashion industry is a world of its own. For this reason, my team and I decided to bring RoAndCo to The Dieline Conference. In this session, find out how you can balance conflicting goals to create engaging branding for up-and-coming fashion labels and lifestyle brands.
5:30 – 6:45 PMCHEERS TO NEW CONNECTIONS: Exhibit Hall Happy Hour sponsored by 123RF.comDrinks, music, and fun are the best words to describe the exhibit hall happy hour. See you there!
6:45 – 7:45 PMRETAIL GENIUS:How to Start or Grow a Unique Biz, Passion, or Idea with Little to No Start-Up Money with Johnny Earle AKA Johnny CupcakesHOW Design Live General SessionI met Johnny Earle at last year’s conference in San Francisco. Beyond being a brilliant and hilarious person, Johnny will wow you with some magic and inspire you with creativity.
8:00 – 10:00 PMPASTA IN MY BELLY:Sportello, 348 Congress St.My team and I will be enjoying some fancy pasta at Sportello for dinner with a nice glass of wine.
Thursday, May 15
10:15 – 11:15 AMBETTER PITCHING, WITH SCIENCE: Selling Ideas with Sam Harrison, Author and SpeakerIn-House Management ConferenceWherever you are in your career, a refresher on pitching and presenting is always useful. And I want to hear what Sam means by “building a missile defense system!”
4:30 – 5:30 PMTHE METHOD BEHIND THE MADNESS: How to Design Sustainably with Deena Keller and Saskia Van Gendt, Captain Planet, Method ProductsThe Dieline ConferenceMethod is such a loveable brand, thanks to its humorous brand voice and its “green” philosophy. I’m looking forward to hearing how Deena and Saskia work to keep sustainability intrinsic to everything they do.
6:45 – 8:15 PMTHE BEST OF THE BEST:The Dieline Awards 2014 Ceremony & Pop-up ExhibitSee it here first! We will be announcing the winners of the fifth annual The Dieline Awards, for the world’s best consumer package design. Come meet the winners and take a look at their award-winning projects on full display, in a one-hour-only, not-to-be-missed pop-up exhibit!
9:00 – 11:30 PMPARTYING IS SUCH SWEET SORROW: Closing Party sponsored by Neenah PaperIt’s time to celebrate another great conference, and my team and I will be letting loose!
Friday, May 16
8:30 – 9:30 AMMARKETERS ARE FROM MARS, DESIGNERS ARE FROM VENUS:Creative Strategy and the Business of Design with Douglas Davis, The Davis Group LLC & NYC College of TechnologyCreative Freelance Business ConferenceThis should be an eye-opening look at bridging the divide between marketing-speak and design-speak.
11:00 AM – 11:30 PMGeneral Session: A Celebration of Authenticity: What I Learned About Brand Minimalism with Andrew GibbsHOW Design Live General SessionYup, that’s me! This is my totally shameless plug. I am truly honored to take the big stage just before the great Stefan Sagmeister. I’ll be sharing my personal journey to authenticity, and how I learned that brand minimalism is a celebration, not a cleanse. I’ll reference great brands that have gone minimal, some better than others. I’ll share what I learned when redesigning the identities for The Dieline and HOW Design Live. See you there!
