Thursday, February 26 | 6 PM
One Design / Two-Thirty
230 W. Superior Ave, Fl 3
Details
The Chicago Graphic Design Club and One Design invite you to attend the third installment of our series, Confronting Design.
In uncertain times, designers have a unique role to play. This year’s Confronting Design explores how we use “Danger”—risk-taking, experimentation, subversive statements, bold ideas—to bring people together, challenge conventions, and push our practice forward.
Rather than a traditional panel, this event centers on small group discussions led by practitioners working outside the mainstream design bubble. Our moderators each bring distinct perspectives on community-building, material exploration, and transforming spaces. Through guided conversation and hands-on activity, we’ll examine what it means to work in the spirit of “Danger” and why that isn’t always negative, it can propel us in new directions.
The evening includes introductions, breakout discussions around themes of Responsibility, Contribution, and Disruption, collaborative exercises, and group sharing. You’ll leave with new connections, fresh perspectives, and practical ideas for challenging norms in your own work.
Moderators
Francis is an enigma. An invisible nothing who was born in 2017: the year the world cherished likes, followers, and trends instead of graphic design. Francis makes graphic design work that no one cares about. Francis is an outcast, and they’re fine with that. They don’t want any friends anyway. Francis despises normalcy, tradition, and the same ‘ol thing. But Francis also hates AI. And beets. Francis thinks you should challenge more, fight more, and reject mediocrity at all costs; there are millions of average designers in the world already—a world that needs your unique voice. Francis thinks you should go make something right now instead of reading this. Francis hates writing in the third person. Francis doesn’t exist. Website Instagram
Eric Hotchkiss is an interdisciplinary designer and design-build practitioner based in Chicago. He is an Assistant Professor in the Designed Objects department at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and the founder of Made in Englewood, a design-build practice grounded in what he describes as transformative design. His work focuses on long-term, place-based projects that explore how design can create systemic and cultural change through sustained relationships, shared authorship, and public use. Hotchkiss’s practice spans permanent installations, furniture, outdoor kitchens, and experimental public infrastructure, often developed in close collaboration with local artists, organizations, and neighborhood residents on Chicago’s South and West Sides. His projects have been featured in the Chicago Cultural Center, the Chicago Architectural Biennial, and a range of civic and community spaces. Across his practice, Hotchkiss is interested in how design extends beyond discrete objects to shape social systems, cultural narratives, and conditions for care. His work prioritizes accountability, long-term presence, and stewardship, positioning design as an ongoing commitment rather than a one-time intervention. Instagram
Nekita Thomas is a designer, researcher, and educator stewarding design’s power for social impact. Her research develops frameworks, artifacts, and interventions facilitating critical thinking, creative collaboration, and futuring among diverse stakeholders at the intersection of race, well-being, and urban design. This work manifests as placemaking solutions, public installations, and design workshops combining art, design, and social practice to empower people toward healthy environments and futures. Her work frequently explores the specific histories and futures of American Blackness on Chicago’s south and west sides. Thomas’s practice has helped steward projects with the National Public Housing Museum, the Chicago Sukkah Festival as part of the 2023 Chicago Architecture Biennial, SkyART Chicago, and Quilombo Chicago in reimagining the future of cities. Thomas holds a BFA in Graphic Design from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and an MFA in Visual Studies from the University at Buffalo New York. Nekita is an Associate Professor of Graphic Design and Design for Responsible Innovation at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. Website Instagram
Jordan Campbell is the driving force behind the creative energy that pulses through Alt Space Chicago. With a passion for innovation and an eye for design, Jordan has transformed Alt Space into a thriving hub for artists, entrepreneurs, and visionaries alike. Although Jordan wasn’t born or raised in the Windy City, Jordan’s passion for Chicago’s vibrant culture and history has greatly influenced Alt Space’s mission. He believes in harnessing the city’s rich artistic heritage while pushing boundaries to explore the frontiers of creativity through art, faith and community. Instagram
Agenda
Doors Open (Socializing/Check-In)
5:30 – 6 PM
Introduction to Confronting Design & Moderators
6 – 6:45 PM
Interactive Breakout Groups
7 – 8 PM
Group Discussion & Findings
8 – 9 PM
Location
One Design Company / Two Thirty
230 W Superior, 3rd Floor
Visual identity for event by One Design.
Special thanks to Jeffrey Hitchens, David Sieren, Cheryl Bever and Christian Solorzano for organizing