CDW26 Schedule

Drawing from LPK’s experience evolving iconic brands, we will explore the tension between preservation and progress: what equity is worth protecting, how far an identity can move before it stops feeling familiar, and how history can become creative material rather than a constraint. Along the way, we’ll reveal three hypothetical refreshes for iconic CPG brands, using each to spark discussion around what to preserve, what to amplify and how far is too far.

Join Grit & Pearl as we unpack the intersection of design, psychology and sensory experience that drives successful packaging design. Through hands-on discussion and comparative packaging examples, we will examine how leading brands build shelf presence and create packaging systems designed for long-term brand impact. We’ll also touch on some history that lead where we are today and what’s next for the packaging industry. Discover why the most impactful packaging goes far beyond printed design.

Behind-the-scenes tour of the newly transformed Cincinnati & Hamilton County Main Library. Hear directly from the multidisciplinary design teams behind the project as we explore how architecture, interiors, environmental graphics, and experiential design came together to reimagine one of Cincinnati’s most important civic spaces.

Come ready to move around, make a secret handshake with a stranger, discover the room’s reigning typeface trivia champ, and follow a conversation somewhere unexpected. We may not have chairs. We definitely won’t have traditional networking.

How long has it been since you’ve updated your LinkedIn profile or written a new bio for your website? Yep, too long. Visit Xavier University’s beautiful campus (with accessible parking!) for a professional headshot and a short, guided course about crafting a bio that represents you.

Pecha what!? PechaKucha!!! 20 slides, 20 seconds each. Super fun! Join us at Swell Art Cafe for a fast paced, highly visual evening of local designers, artists, and theatermakers telling creative stories of all kinds.

Bringing together a current co-op student, educator, practitioner/employer, and academic leader, this conversation offers perspectives from different points along a creative life. Together, we’ll challenge the idea that students are the learners while seasoned professionals have all the answers. We’ll explore how curiosity prompts us to take risks, change direction, reconsider what we know, and keep evolving throughout our careers.

How do you bridge the gap between a 180-year-old telescope and today’s modern audiences? The team at the Cincinnati Observatory is doing exactly that. In this session, we will explore the intersection of physical and digital product design, diving into how the Observatory masterfully connects historical preservation with cutting-edge user engagement.

This workshop focuses on the importance of giving the communities we serve a voice in the work that shapes their world. In this session, the MSA team will share how community voices shape the design process and influence solutions to key issues affecting the places where people live, work, learn, and gather.

Join us Friday morning for a coffee chat & presentation from one of the local creatives in our community.

This is an evening celebrating creativity & community, highlighting the many ways to stay creative outside of work! We will bring together a variety of local creative groups, clubs, and organizations for a school club fair–style event where attendees can discover new ways to get involved. Each group will have a table to showcase what they do, meet fellow creatives, and invite others to join their community.