AIGA Jacksonville’s Design Sidekicks was an incredible success this year. With seven different participating agencies and eleven excited students, we started off with a breakdown meeting at Robin Shepherd in the morning. We were able to get everyone introduced, enjoyed a light breakfast, and sent the students off for their first session of the day.

Students received the opportunity for one-on-one instruction from printers, designers, and creatives learning the craft hands on. Welcoming agencies, firms, and shops allowed students to see an array of professional expertise and insight from the process of coding a website, to project development, to printing processes first hand.

After their first session, several students had lunch with their agencies, while others convened up at High Tide Burrito to discuss their mornings with other students. After discussing the morning’s events, students later became involved with additional hands on learning during their afternoon sessions. As the day concluded, everyone met at Kickbacks for dinner to discuss their experiences; agencies, students, board members, and friends gathered around the table to encourage their enthusiasm of the day’s events. To learn more about this event and other events with AIGA Jacksonville, please visit aigajacksonville.org.

Quotes from the students:

All quotes are directly from students themselves, and have given permission that their words be used.

“I learned how an agency works, and to always be yourself in your work – after all in the end that’s why you are hired. I liked the fact that Caroline really loves what she does and it shows.”

-Laura Marshall

“Dagher Printing was a really good opportunity for me, since I go to school online it was a great fieldtrip of sorts to see the ins and outs of printing. Joseph was really knowledgeable and loves printing and sharing the knowledge to the future graphic designers. I was made to feel welcome everywhere, it was a great experience as a newbie.”

-Laura Marshall

“I experienced awesomeness. That is all.”

-Susan Jang