We invite you to join the Chicago Graphic Design Club in our studio on Thursday, July 13th from 6–9pm CT as we help them kick off their Confronting Design series with a panel discussion and workshop focused on AI and its impact on the field of design.
Confronting Design: Artificial Intelligence
Panel Discussion & Workshop
July 13, 2023
6–9 PM CST
Register and reserve your spot
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly shifting how designers and creatives approach their craft and processes, but what does this actually mean? And should we be concerned or enthusiastic? Is it another tool, or does it possess greater potential? And most importantly, how will it shape the future of design?
Together we will explore AI’s applications, both positive and negative, engage in thought-provoking conversations with panelists from various practices and dive deep into topics of ethics, creativity, agency, intelligence, and more.
Following our discussion, participants will engage in interactive small-group sessions facilitated by our panelists. Through role-playing and exploration of real-life scenarios, we will examine how AI can be integrated into our practices and its broader implications. By the end of the activity, attendees will gain a deeper understanding of how AI can manifest in their own work and larger, broader contexts.
Afterward, we’ll come back together to share discoveries and collectively craft a group declaration of intent on using AI responsibly and ethically as a Chicago design community.
PANELISTS
- Heather Snyder Quinn (DePaul University)
- Ashley Lukasik (Murmur Ring)
- Sharlene King (Salesforce)
- Steve Ryan (Substance Collective)
- John Pobojewski (Span)
MODERATORS
- David Sieren (One Design)
- Christian Solorzano (Chicago Graphic Design Club)
LOCATION
One Design
230 West Superior Street
Third Floor
Chicago, IL 60654
Register and reserve your spot today
Spaces are limited
Event proceeds go to support Chicago Graphic Design Club programming.
About the panelists
ASHLEY LUKASIK
Murmur Ring
Ashley Lukasik views tangible, real world experiences as a necessary antidote to the digital everything. Strategist, Filmmaker, Founder and CEO of Murmur Ring, she curates immersive experiences that help creative leaders and organizations reconnect with their purpose. She has built her career exposing organizations to human-centered design as a means to respond to complex challenges for which they do not have a preexisting roadmap. Ashley spent several years at the visionary design school, IIT Institute of Design, which inspired her to launch and co-produce The New Bauhaus feature documentary with Opendox. Murmur Ring's global immersive experiences and multimedia content connect design pedagogy with emerging technology and culture. Ashley is Co-Chair of the Auxiliary Board for the Design Museum of Chicago and holds an M.A. in Anthropology from the University of Chicago. Her work has appeared in Architectural Digest, Design Milk, New York Times, Forbes, and more.
HEATHER SNYDER QUINN
Design Futurist, Educator, Author
Heather is usually where she “isn’t supposed to be.” You will find her playing in unexpected places, physical or virtual, and collaborating with people from an array of backgrounds. Her work uses design fiction to empower communities to imagine possible futures and understand technology’s impact on human freedoms. The World Economic Forum, MIT Press, Yale Law School, The Washington Post, Hyperallergic, and NASA have recognized her work. Currently, she is editing Technologies of Deception, a publication bringing together art, design, technology, ethics, futurism, and policymaking.
JOHN POBOJEWSKI
Span
John Pobojewski is a partner and design director at Span. Pobojewski focuses on intermedia and the blending of brand, interactive, sound, motion, and environments.
In 2022, John was named one of Newcity Magazine’s Design 50 in recognition of those who shape Chicago’s design community. John has also received professional recognition from the Type Directors Club and AIGA among others, and has presented at numerous conferences including SALT Istanbul, the Mas Context Analog Conference, and TEDx. He continues to lecture at colleges and universities around the U.S.
As an intermedia artist, John has been part of several group exhibitions including All Together Now at the Design Museum of Chicago. His digital projections for Chicago Repertory Ballet’s production of Macbeth brought “a contemporary look” and were “especially potent” according to the Chicago Tribune.
From 2003–2019, he was a designer and later partner at Thirst.
STEVE RYAN
Substance Collective
Steven is a distinguished design leader, with 30+ years of experience consulting clients across the consumer goods, fashion, and technology brands landscape. His multifaceted career journey includes a 21-year tenure at an internationally recognized design firm in Chicago, co-founding a business specializing in digital fabric, costume, and apparel manufacturing, and a role as VP of Design at Cooler Screens. Today, Steven is a founding partner at Substance Collective, a Chicago-based firm adept at merging branding and technology to develop strategic narratives and marketing communications for a broad spectrum of clients, from not-for-profits to Fortune 500 companies.
Steven has been a visible community leader, serving in key positions with AIGA Chicago and as an adjunct professor at the Institute of Design, IIT, where he also earned his Masters of Design Methods. His career, originating in the performing arts as a dancer, show designer, and choreographer, infuses rhythm, movement, and storytelling into his design philosophy. Beyond his professional pursuits, Steven spends personal time exploring compelling creative tools, such as 3D animation, Processing, and generative AI software, continually expanding his personal application of technology in image, audio, and video creation. His enduring commitment to the arts and lifelong learning continues to underpin his innovative endeavors, fueling industry growth and leaving a positive imprint on the communities he serves.
SHARLENE KING
Salesforce
Sharlene King is an innovation consultant at Salesforce, leveraging human-centered design for digital transformation. Her diverse experience spans product design, brand strategy, and typography, working with entities ranging from global agencies to Chicago boutiques. She actively volunteers in local youth mentorship programs like those at Chicago Public Schools and the Adler Planetarium. Passionate about behavioral science, she often applies its principles to economics, systems, or observing her dog's behavior — despite her allergies.