Instructor: Noreen Morioka Chief Creative Officer, Storied Sports

Design is undergoing its biggest shift in decades. As automation and AI reshape production, the value of designers is moving beyond craft toward strategy, systems, and cultural insight.

As new technologies automate production and accelerate execution, the designer’s role is shifting from maker to strategist, storyteller, and architect of brand ecosystems. Craft still matters—but it’s no longer enough.

Instructor Noreen Morioka explores the evolution of design practice through examples from technology, media, and sports. We’ll learn:

• Where design jobs are actually growing
• What brands now expect from designers
• How AI and automation are reshaping creative wor
• Why strategic thinking, storytelling, and cultural awareness are becoming core design skills
• How to position yourself to stay relevant in a rapidly changing field

For AIGA members who want to understand how design is changing and where the opportunities are next.

Step into the next stage of your design career with confidence at the AIGA Connecticut Emerging Professionals Workshop, created specifically for graphic design students and recent graduates preparing to enter the professional world.

This full-day event brings together industry professionals, educators, and emerging designers for an opportunity to learn, receive feedback, and make meaningful connections within the design community.

The day begins with portfolio review sessions, where participants will meet one-on-one with creative professionals for personalized feedback on their work. Each student will meet with multiple reviewers during timed sessions designed to help refine both their portfolio and presentation skills.

After lunch, the event continues with a panel discussion featuring experienced designers from a variety of creative fields. Panelists will share insights into their professional journeys, discuss how they approach their work, and offer practical advice about navigating the transition from school to the design industry. Attendees will have the opportunity to hear firsthand perspectives on portfolios, hiring, collaboration, and career development.

Come prepared with your work in print or on your own laptop or tablet. We recommend bringing 5–10 pieces of work in a clear portfolio or PDF presentation. These conversations are a valuable opportunity to receive professional critique, gain insight into industry expectations, and expand your network.

The workshop concludes with time to network with panelists, reviewers, and fellow designers, creating space to build relationships within Connecticut’s design community.

About This Event

Burnout isn’t the problem. It’s the signal.

Creative leadership today carries a specific kind of pressure. We are being pulled in every direction, expected to be endlessly adaptable, and are often the ones holding it all together while feeling completely exhausted. When trust and clarity are low, leadership must be intentional, not assumed.

Hosted by AIGA Connecticut and facilitated by Frank Lockwood, this session is a path toward creating meaningful behavior changes. We aren’t here to add more to your plate; we are here to help you remove what no longer serves you and learn to lead with clarity.

The Reality of Modern Leadership

• Only 23% of employees strongly agree they trust their organization’s leadership.
• 52% of workers report burnout, with lack of clarity being a primary cause.
• 86% of workplace failures are cited as poor communication rather than misaligned intent.
• Trust breaks only when leaders fail to translate expectations and reduce ambiguity.

What You’ll Learn & Do

This is an applied working session focused on the Psychology of Trust. You will explore:

• The Trust Triad: A diagnostic for identifying trust gaps in Credibility, Reliability, and Intimacy.
• Self-Orientation: Understanding how your focus on your own “win” can erode relationship safety.
• Behavioral Translation (DISC): How to recognize the behavioral styles of others and adapt your communication to reduce friction.
• Victor vs. Victim Framework: Moving from deflecting responsibility to owning your influence in any outcome.
• The Forge Card: A 90-second habit-forming tool to shift your emotional response and course-correct in real-time.

Who This Is For

This session is exclusively for those carrying real responsibility.

• Design & UX Leaders: Creative Directors, UX Leads, and Design Managers.
• Copy & Narrative Leaders: Copy Chiefs, Senior Copywriters, and Editorial Directors.
• Agency Principals: Owners, Founders, and Brand Strategists.
• Decision Makers: Anyone whose instincts shift under stress and impact the work of others.+1

What You Walk Away With

• A 30-Day Leadership Reset Plan: An experiential behavioral intervention plan.
• The Digital/Printable Forge Card: To use in moments when trust feels fragile or you feel defensive.
• Leadership Code: An anonymous way to track your own behavioral patterns over time.
• Clarity: A way to turn burnout into alignment.

Event Details

• Date: Wednesday, April 22nd, 2026
• Time: 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM EST
• Investment: * Early Bird (First 7 Days): Members: $75 | Non-Members: $125
• Standard: Members: $95 | Non-Members: $145
• Format: Live, interactive online session.

Seats are limited to preserve discussion quality.