The Chicago Graphic Design Club is a community for designers who believe that what we make matters — not just how it looks, but what it means and who it serves. We started in 2020 with a simple conviction: that designers in Chicago deserved a place to gather, ask hard questions, and grow in the company of people who take the craft seriously.
We bring that conviction to life through programming, conversation, and publishing. Our events gather the community around ideas — talks, critiques, and the occasional long table where the real thinking happens.
Behind-the-scenes access to notable design spaces and practices throughout Chicago.
Interactive conversations and lectures from the unique perspectives of visiting designers.
Community showcases of digital and print work from a range of local designers.
Inclusive conversations with designers at various stages of their practices.
Exploring the craft, theory, and practice of design through thoughtful conversations with designers.
Discord and Substack platforms that enable connection and friendship through conversation.
We embrace community members with various viewpoints and perspectives. We recognize that these differences enrich our collective understanding and lead to true diversity — and we build equity by ensuring our community can access and participate in our offerings.
We strive to be an organization where people with differing opinions can coexist and connect through their shared interests and similarities — and, most importantly, create spaces that foster a positive attitude and a sense of belonging.
When the Chicago graphic design club began in 2020, it felt like the clear and obvious shift in the community’s participation of our craft via the dedication, commitment, and involvement of this club through events, publications, broadcasts and other activities thru the guidance and vision of Christian Solorzano
Carlos Segura
Christian Solorzano is the Founder of the Chicago Graphic Design Club, which he created as a way to build community focused on curiosity, belonging, and conversation. He thinks critically about design’s role within the landscape of culture and society. He draws inspiration from Zen Buddhist philosophy, martial arts, music, and nature.
Cheryl joined the Chicago Graphic Design Club to give back to the community that reignited her own creative energy and has since grown into one of its most active voices. As VP, she leads community engagement across the club’s programming: writing the monthly newsletter, nurturing conversation in Discord, and helping produce events that bring Chicago designers together. Outside the club, Cheryl is the founder of Tandem Creative Works, a Chicago-based design studio.
Sean Fermoyle joined the club in 2024 to give back to the graphic design community in Chicago. Having worked in the industry for nearly three decades with an emphasis on branding, he now focuses on mentoring and assisting the CGDC with business development. He’s inspired by experimental type exploration and publishing.
Barry Deck is a designer, educator, and writer best known for Template Gothic, the 1990 typeface that quietly rewired a generation's visual language. He brings to CGDC the same belief that drives all his work — that imperfection holds more truth than polish, and that design is an act of listening. He tends to the club's image and reach with patience and care.
Jeffrey Hitchens joined the Chicago Graphic Design Club to take part in and contribute to a community that asks questions and has conversations about what graphic design is and what it can be. He’s inspired by creative and dedicated spirits, nature, physical movement, and meditation.
Alexis Gonzalez joined the Chicago Graphic Design Club in 2024 to cultivate spaces through in-person events and social initiatives. She loves that the CGDC brings empathy, amiability, and discovery to the Chicago design space. Outside the club, you can find Alexis pixel pushing, listening to records, and playing soccer.
Tori Webb is a senior at Loyola University Chicago studying Visual Communications and Psychology. She is a narrative-driven designer interested in how visual storytelling can shift perspective and shape emotional responses. She volunteers with Loyola’s Food Recovery Network and loves traveling to gain new perspectives.