Class of 2012 Youth Designers attend How Design Conference
On June 23rd, a group of lucky Youth Designers had the opportunity to attend the HOW Design Conference 2012 in Boston. Below you can find some words from the Youth Designers themselves.
Shirley Fang – Intern at IDEO
Design. Youth Design. HowDesign. That is how I got to go to the conference. It was as exciting and unexpected as it could get. There I felt that I learned design; it became real to me as though I could touch it. I observed and learned from these designers, already out in the field trying to get themselves recognized.
When I was alone exploring by myself, I could not help but feel overwhelmed by this new environment, this new adventure. However, this did not inhibit me from reaching out and using thisopportunity to learn not only about design but also what it means to me. The first speaker I heard during the conference was Chip Kidd, who definitely knows how to run a show. He was funny, charming,and innovative. He didn’t let himself or his work to be restricted at all. He used colors, ideas, and images to make the best impressionsand to evoke the wanted emotions for a book (also I did not realize there was really a career for this so I was in awe for quite a bit). He inspired me to think outside the box and taught me how to do so,I’ve always heard people say, “Be creative. Think outside the box!”,but not many really know how to do so. Through Chip Kidd’s stories of his working process, I learned that when you are thinking of a new design concept, you need to understand what your message, audience,color scheme and etc. are. And if your concept or anything goes wrong,you may possibly have to start from scratch. Personally, I know it will be difficult to gear myself through this quick and on the spot thinking required for design, but with dedication or practice, it can be done. Just as Chip Kidd’s works inspired me, I want my future works to do the same for others.
The last speaker I heard was Stefan Mumaw who taught me about chasing the monster idea. The topic itself immediately captivated me. I always have great expectations for myself and all my works, but I do not have much experience with design. This lecture taught me the key things I need to be aware of when forming a concept.The most important thing I learned from him is that thinking big may seem big, but it can be as simple and small as changing the color scheme. I know that I over think scenarios a lot of the time, so this really hit me and allowed me to reflect upon my own thinking process, which is exactly what I needed. HowDesign marked the rocky path of my new adventure. Like the name of the conference itself, it showed me exactly how design works.
Aaron Clanton – Intern at Opus Design
My time at the HOW Design Conference was phenomenal. The fact that I
was given an opportunity that people twice my age would dream about
was surreal in itself. I felt as though me being at the conference was
a right of passage into the design world; I was surrounded by
designers of different backgrounds and here I am, still wet behind the
ears in design and I’m learning alongside them as equals. It was
unbelievable.
The actual seminars that I attended were very informative
and changed my way of thinking all at once. In each seminar I took
as many notes as humanly possible. There were key points
in each of the seminars that I’ve taking away and that will stay with me as a designer.
Along with experiencing the design world for the first time, I also
created a friendship and networked with the Youth Design team. This
conference was an astonishing start of the summer as a Youth Designer.
I have so many ideas that I want to put to life, and so many things
that I’ve yet to learn. This summer at Youth Design is going to be the engine to power the ideas and the yearn to gain knowledge.
Josheph Soto – Intern at Boston Children’s Hospital
This day delivered yet another unique experience with Youth Design Boston. The HOW Design Live conferences were very significant: I experienced other’s personal skill and practice of design. These conferences went in their own directions: from “Color Management for Designers”, to “Becoming a Design Leader”, and “Learning the Do’s and Dont’s of The Alternative Design Career”.
Although I have learned much about design already, these conferences discussed how design can be utilized to create change: something that everyone seeks to demonstrate. I’ve learned that design can be family matter, and should always run on ambition, tuition, and skill. A designer should focus on their customers, competition, sales, trends, and even technology, to make it in the big world. Youth Design’s last conference with Sappi Ideas that Matter was gratifying, to say the least. Design in this circumstance had the opportunity to reach out in the community and give back to education and tutoring younger children across the country. The HOW Design Live experience was incredible!
Jeffrey Dubuisson – Intern at McMahon Architects
Wow! I don’t think I could have spent my Saturday any better than at the HOW Design Live Conference. The wealth of information was overwhelming, and I feel as though I have truly grown as a person and a designer from the experience.I learned what it meant to keep color consistent between different mediums and what it meant to “chase the monster idea” we all have inside of ourselves.
Exploring the exhibit halls was another pleasure. Each different booth was like a hidden gem just waiting to give me an understanding of what they do and help me build a list of places that I will definitely check out.I particularly enjoyed the keynote on Monday entitled “Release Your Brilliance” delivered by Simon T. Bailey. He provided me with much needed steps and guidance to better my creativity and unleash my brilliance into a world that desperately needs it.
2012 Youth Design Pre-Summer Adobe Workshop
The 2012 class of Youth Design met for the first time at MassArt for the Pre-Summer Adobe Workshop on June 2nd.
Program Coordinator Jasmine Daniel and Youth Designer Daniel Smelansky
Students were divided into two groups for a workshop in Adobe InDesign or Adobe Photoshop. Each session lasted three hours. After their first session Youth Designers travelled off to lunch at the MassArt Cafeteria.Students arrived promptly at 8:45 A.M. for check in and began participated in the first half of a daylong training on the Adobe Creative Suite.
Youth Designers in the Photoshop workshop
When they came back they switched rooms for their second workshop.
Patrick Bibbons, a senior level designer from Children’s Hospital Boston, led the Indesign workshops and Nat Jabbawy, a highly skilled photographer and Art Director at Joss & Main, led the Photoshop sessions. Students were enthralled, engaged and vested in their learning. One Youth Designer, Daniel Smelansky, stated, “ I learned so much, in such a short time!” Patrick and Nat made learning fun, meaningful and relevant. Youth
Design Volunteer Peter Weatherbee helps Youth Designer Daisy Mejia
Design volunteers were on hand to serve as teacher’s assistants and made sure students absorbed the material being presented.
At 4 P.M. the Pre-Summer Adobe Workshop ended with Youth Designers feeling ready to experience success
during their summer design immersion. The Pre-Summer Adobe Workshop was an amazing success!
Youth Design thanks all of the teachers, teaching assistants and students for their hard work and dedication.
Stay tuned for updates on the 2012 Youth Design program during the coming weeks!
Until then…
Jasmine Daniel
Youth Design Program Coordinator
Korn Design Selected as a Finalist for the 16th Annual Rosoff Awards in Honor of its Work with Youth Design
Korn Design, a leading brand strategy and design firm, is honored to be selected as a finalist for the 16th Annual Rosoff Awards for its work with Youth Design. The Rosoff awards is one of New England’s premier diversity award shows created to recognize companies with meaningful diversity, mentoring and inclusion programs.
In 2003, Principal of Korn Design, Denise Korn, and her business partner Javier Cortes embarked on a mission to provide access and opportunity to disconnected youth in Boston to the world of design.
Guided by their vision to shape the next generation of design professionals, through the creation of a pathway for urban Boston Public High School students to explore the design industry through their participation in a paid, seven week summer internship where they are paired with a senior level design mentor at a leading design firm or in house creative department for an area nonprofit or organization; Youth Design seeks to meet the most critical social economic needs of Boston area youth.
Fast forward to 2012 where to date Youth Design has placed more than 90 students stemming from some of Boston’s “high-risk” neighborhoods at more than 45 participating design mentor firms and organizations throughout the city.
“Economic development is at the heart of what we do at Youth Design,” says Denise Korn, Executive Director. “We are fueling the creative economy and equipping our students with marketable design skills in order to empower their pursuits of viable and productive future through the lens of design.”
Over the years, Korn Design has played an instrumental role in the success of the organization. Through its innovative and cutting edge design work, Korn Design has effectively supported the brand development and strategy of Youth Design, which has supported the organizations tremendous momentum around its national “call to action” to the design community at large to roll-up their sleeves and mentor the next generation of diverse design professionals.
Check out this link to past Rosoff Award Winners!
Tucker Gaye Youth Design Class of 2011 Runs the Boston Marathon
Hello everyone my name is Tucker S. Gaye, and I ran the Boston Athletic Association’s 116th Boston Marathon on April 16th 2012!
The DREAM Program and the office of District 7 City Councilor Tito Jackson developed a marathon-training program that prepared me. Training was thorough and extensive and time management was key. Time management was especially hard while coaching track and field, committing to Urbano Project’s “SPEAK OUT. ACT UP. MOVE FORWARD” program about trust, protest, and making your voice heard, attending Youth on Board steering committees and running miles with L Street, and my running partners, Miguel and Seth, early on Sunday Mornings. During the whole preparation for the marathon, I was constantly on the move being challenged both mentally and physically.
THE DAY OF THE MARATHON!
On racing day the air was hot humid with the temperature hitting the mid 80‘s. I ran wearing my blue marathon shirt which contained the “DREAM” logo which I decorated with black permanent marker signatures of friends and supporters and words of inspiration. I ran as a Boston Latin Academy student representing Youth Design, Boston Student Advisory Council, Urbano Project, Brian J. Honan Fellowship, Teen Empowerment, Young Africa, A.I.B Lesley, Write Boston, ICA Teen Art Council, Twelfth Baptist Church, and many more of Boston’s youth enrichment programs. Ironically, I was running as a minority for a majority of what the great City of Boston has to offer, and that in truth, was the motivational push I needed to get to the finish line! Yes, I finished, with a half marathon time of 1:57:23, and a finish time of 4:52:41.
THE EXPERIENCE!
It’s funny; before all of this I hated running. I ran my turf around Roxbury, Dorchester and Mattapan. I ran nonstop at track practice, and again at L Street. After track season was over, my legs were exhausted. I could barely walk! The L Street runs were becoming a burden and strain on my health. There were days I took breaks just to ice and stretch. Then, I started healing. The Reggie Lewis Center, White stadium and the Tobin Community Center gym all became places of comfort, and recovery. The L street runs gradually became easier, and I started to understand my body more. I became so mentally relaxed, and confident that as the race was nearing, I couldn’t help but focus on the present and smile at the great task ahead.
The Day of the marathon, I was given the go-ahead to leave without my running partners, Seth and Miguel. At 5:45 my mentor Torli Krua picked me up and took me to Park Street where runners and buses waited. I saw no one in my age group. There was an enormous racial gap between all participants; the majority of the runners were White. I automatically stood out. Laughing to myself I knew my “DREAM” logo shirt kind of said it all. To my relief, I met my schoolteacher, Ms. Gentile, and we wished each other luck. Then, our numbers were called and we were on the move.
During the race, my mind was running as fast as my feet. I ran 15 miles nonstop and then cramped up in pain. I stood as still as possible, looked down at my “DREAM” shirt and read my family and friend’s messages, “Go Tucker!” …”You can do it!”… “Si se puede!” … “We’re so proud!” After reading my shirt, I made up my mind that quitting was not an option. After ten minutes of stretching and recovery, I started running. Yes, Charlie horses ran the rest of the miles with me, but Charlie was ignored till I crossed the finish line.
Wesley Korir from Kenya pulls away from Levy Matebo to win the 2012 Boston Marathon.
I was running for my life, those I represent and the cheering crowd of supporters. There’s a quote I heard from Life Togetherness that says, “When you go alone, you go much quicker, but when you go together you get much farther.” I made it beyond the 26.2mile finish line because of my supporters.
The Lesson!
I’m grateful for those who support The Dream Program, the City Councilor’s office, Youth Design and urban youth. With support, mentorship and guidance, Boston’s urban youth can accomplish anything. Keep up the Dream!!
Tucker S. Gaye
Youth Design Meets the SESC Brazilian Delegation
Hello Youth Design Alumni, Supporters and Friends!
My name is Jasmine Daniel and I’m the new Program Associate at Youth Design. Today Dhakir Warren (Youth Design Program Manager) and I had the honor of meeting with a Brazilian delegation at the World Council Boston office. IT WAS AMAZING! The program started off with a short introduction from the 10 Brazilian delegates. They were all leading officials in the Social Service of Commerce (SESC) Brazil.
Essentially, they run programs dedicated to involving urban underserved youth in culture, arts, physical activity and health education. They wanted to know how similar at risk youth oriented programs in the United States functioned, garnered support and performed outreach.
After explaining the premise of Youth Design and our organizational objectives, we exchanged ideas, goals and contacts with the delegates.
One of the delegates wants Youth Design students to design a campaign for the SESC!! Continue reading with us to find out what happens in the future.
Ciao! (Goodbye in Portuguese)
Jasmine
Introducing the “Time to Design” 2011 Competition Winners
Youth Design is proud to announce the winners of its 2011 Time to Design competition. The contest took place during the summer of 2011 as Youth Design students participated in their 7-week internships with one of our many participating mentor design firms.
27 youth designers entered the contest and were asked to create an original design which best represents a political view, social justice issue, thought or idea related to the state of their community, the environment, education or the world at large.
The top 10 winners of the contest will see their designs represented on printed notecards, three of which will be silkscreened onto T-shirts that will be available for purchase on Karmaloop.com
Congratulations to our Youth Design 2011 Time to Design winners! Stay tuned for more information on how you can purchase your very own set of 2011 Time to Design notecards and T-shirts. All proceeds will benefit Youth Design.
YOUTH DESIGN shoots Public Service Announcement with Karmaloop.TV
Gathering Youth Design alumni from the past 10 years has been a hoot! What a tremendous group of kids, full of passion, energy and eccentricity.
I was so excited to reconnect with Lydia Kardos, our first Youth Design intern at Korn Design just 10 years ago! After graduating from the Boston Arts Academy Lydia went on to receive her Bachelor of Fine Arts from School of Visual Arts (SVA) in New York City, where she has been working as an art director and photographer. Here’s a shot of us on the set of the New York shoot for the Youth Design PSA shot at Karmaloop.TV’s NY studio last week.
Lydia Kardos Youth Design Class of 2003 & Youth Design Founder, Denise Korn
Below is a shot of Carlos Alonzo, Youth Design Alum from the summer of 2010 at the Boston shoot for the Youth Design PSA, shot at Karmaloop.TV’s Boston studio last week.
Carlos Alonzo Youth Design Class of 2010!
Marietta Esquerdo Youth Design Class of 2010 Boston PSA Shoot Karmaloop.TV
Stay tuned to see the final cut!
Team 10 Who Mentor visits the James P. Timilty Middle School
Team 10 Who Mentor made their way to the James P. Timilty Middle School in Roxbury last Friday for a morning filled with inspiration and empowerment centered around the value of mentorship and its impact on student success. The team, which consisted of Denise Korn, author of 10 Who Mentor, Neal Kane co-author, along with Robert Lewis Jr. and Martha Jones, two of the ten individuals profiled in the book, rallied students by reminding them of the importance of “showing up and working hard” in order to achieve their dreams.
Denise Korn, author "10 Who Mentor" addresses students at the James P. Timilty Middle School in Roxbury (seated left to right: Martha Jones, Robert Lewis Jr. and Neal Kane, co-author "10 Who Mentor")
It was a dynamic morning, filled with optimism and hope for the students in the audience who are too often undervalued and overlooked in our city and beyond due to the harsh realities of life in urban communities. If there was ever any question about the desire and ambition of our young people, one would have only had to look around the auditorium this morning to see the desire in the eyes of these incredible students and their excitement to learn about the abundance of limitless opportunities before them.
Students from grades 6-8 learned first hand from the personal accounts of Team 10 who Mentor about the impact that mentorship has played in their own lives both as children and adults. With each presenter sharing his or her reason for making mentorship apart of a life-long commitment to future generations of youth in Boston and beyond.
Robert Lewis Jr., Vice-President of Programs at The Boston Foundation and one of ten extraordinary individuals profiled in "10 Who Mentor"
The assemblies were made possible through the partnership between the Timilty Middle School and Simmons College Scott Ross Center’s Promising Pals Program, which chose 10 Who Mentor as the dedicated resource to help encourage dialogue between Timilty Middle School students and their adult pen pal mentors.
Neal Kane, co-author "10 Who Mentor" addresses students at the James P. Timilty Middle School around the importance of being able to communicate through writing.
Aimed at increasing literacy, writing skills, self-expression and role modeling; the Promising Pals Program was founded at the Timilty Middle School in 1986 by then Principal Roger Harris. 2012 marks the 26th Anniversary of the program, which currently serves more than 690 Boston children, each of whom is paired with a pen pal mentor.
Throughout the year students and their pen pals exchange letters where they discuss topics ranging from personal accounts of life lessons to the importance of academic persistence as it relates to pursuing and securing a successful future both academically and personally. Denise and the Team 10 Who Mentor look to visit more schools and youth groups with these conversations. The energy was amazing!
Click here to view footage of Team “10 Who Mentor” during their visit to the Timilty Middle School.
Youth Designing For The Real World: Alumni Conrad Ennis Takes A Look Back While Moving Forward
I graduated from Youth Design in the summer of 2008 between my junior and senior year of high school. Probably like most amateur designers, I went through high school sketching and doodling in my notebooks, occasionally making collages or coming up with t-shirt designs. I had an eye for aesthetic, communicative design but no one had ever demonstrated how I could apply my interest and skill in school, let alone as a profession.
Youth Design played an immense role in promoting my enthusiasm for design as well as in determining my direction for the future. I had not anticipated that one summer program and internship would be this beneficial for my design education. Interning with Catapult Thinking was influential in my understanding of design strategy, branding, and research based projects. It was an introduction to a holistic design approach, a primer for the skills and methodology that I would later learn at Carnegie Mellon.
Carnegie Mellon University School of Design
After almost three years of immersion in design school, it’s difficult to comprehend a time when design had little to no significance to me. And I think that a lot of design students are content completely forgetting that there was ever a stage in life when design did not play an important role in their way of thinking, acting, and making. However, students in public high school are less likely to realize the potential for design because the opportunity is rarely presented to them.
My future in design revealed itself one day when I came across a hi-lighter yellow flier for the Youth Design program unassumingly taped to the wall outside my history classroom. For the next month before interviewing for the program, I spent my free time creating and consolidating a portfolio of my best work. This process was my first experience compiling a portfolio, one that would prepare me for when I applied to Carnegie Mellon’s industrial design program the next year.
My Sanctuary "aka" My Design Studio
Now that I am a junior at CMU, much of what I have learned is beginning to culminate in the development and synthesis of integrated products and systems. It’s been a short time since I graduated from Youth Design and I’ve already witnessed the positive outcome that the program can offer students like me. That’s not to say that it doesn’t take some diligence on the individual’s part. All of the effort I put into my work is formative in my progress as a designer, and I have come to learn that (much like the Thursday YD sessions) an experiential and collaborative process is a substantial component of design.
Conrad Ennis is a Youth Design Class of 2008 Alum and is currently studying Industrial Design at Carnegie Mellon University. Click here to view his work.
Young Men’s Success Series: Fueling Your Success Through Healthy Living
I was pleased to have attended the Young Men’s Success Series seminar on “Fitness and Nutrition” held at the Mattapan Public Library on Saturday, January 14th. Yvel Joseph of Fitness Performance kicked off the session by sharing what motivated him to pursue a career in personal fitness. During his informative presentation on how vital exercise is to our overall health and wellness, I had the opportunity to participate in a “1 Minute Boot Camp,” which called on participants to complete 4 different exercises ( jogging in place, push-ups, sit-ups, and burpees) without stopping for an interval of 1 minute each. I am happy to say that I completed this activity successfully, but it was no easy feat!
Immediately following Yvel was a presentation on nutrition, which I found to be extremely informative. It was great to learn how easy it is to establish and maintain healthy eating habits. I also learned how to calculate my BMI (Body Mass Index), which for a guy as skinny as myself is easily done!
I walked away from this refreshing Saturday morning session feeling satisfied that it was time well spent especially given that I walked away with a deeper understanding of how being knowledgeable about fitness and nutrition enables you to make healthy life decisions.
As a designer I know how important it is to keep your mind focused, fueled and fervent. By making smarter choices about the foods you eat and getting regular exercise you will be able to establish and maintain a healthy lifestyle that will support peak performance at school and work. Fueling your mind and body so that you are able to live your life to the fullest while reducing your risk of diseases often associated with unhealthy diets and sedentary lifestyles; like diabetes and hypertension is the key to living a well balanced and healthy lifestyle.
Starting is easier than you may think! You can make a difference by simply taking a 30-minute walk around your neighborhood (3x a week) and by cutting back on your daily intake of foods, which are high in fat, sodium or sugar.
Take “baby-steps,” we all know that in most cases drastic changes never stick! As a designer, when I am presenting a client with a new idea or approach, I will often get them comfortable with a new idea by showing them a little bit of the concept at a time. This ensures that they are not confronted with such a drastic alternative to what they are accustomed to, ultimately scaring them into retreating to their old or familiar way of doing things.
The same can be said for your body. Instead of setting unrealistic goals that you are sure to fall short of meeting, take smaller more manageable steps. You can start by simply cutting back on your bad habits and slowly inserting those healthy habits we have discussed into your new lifestyle.
So don’t delay, get up and get moving and on the road toward a healthy tomorrow – today!
Until Next Time,
Ivan Richiez- Youth Design Class of 2010
