Get into the upcoming election season spirit by watching local practitioners and pros go head to head in a classic panel discussion about everything design. The Design Debates are a part of Design Democracy, an AIGA national initiative to increase civic participation through design. At this event, signups for voter registration will also be available.

Happy Hour - Bierport (Next to Row House)

6:30 - 7:30

Design Debates - Row House Cinema

7:30 - 9:00

Andrew Twigg - Moderator

Andrew is Assistant Teaching Professor at the Carnegie Mellon University School of Design, where he has focused on web design and cross-media design systems, and is an independent designer focused on visual-verbal design strategy, branding and web design.

Prior to establishing Andrew Twigg Design Studio, LTD, he lived in Chicago where he worked at startups and in agencies on established and emerging consumer and business-to-business brand and content strategy, web strategy, and SEO. He is currently the Treasurer of AIGA National Board and serves on the Advisory Board of AIGA Pittsburgh.

Marisa Boevers - Debater

Marisa believes that there is little in life, and nothing in business, that can't be solved by good communication and a little grace. With a background in theatre and a degree from Carnegie Mellon University, blending storytelling in engaging formats comes naturally to Marisa. For the last 10 years, Marisa has been using her unique perspective to help ThoughtForm’s clients to shape and share their stories. Marisa has a keen understanding of how businesses can use visual design and design thinking skills to create clear and engaging explanations of business processes, products and services, and new initiatives.

Matt Griffin - Debater

Matt Griffin is a designer and founder of the web design consultancy Bearded. He's a speaker, writer, educator, and an avid advocate for collaboration in design. His writing has been published by net magazine and A List Apart, where he writes the regular column on How We Work. He's also a letterpress printer, and one of the creators of Wood Type Revival, a project which seeks out lost historic wood type and converts it into digital fonts for modern designers.

As if that weren't enough, Matt is also the director of the documentary film What Comes Next Is the Future.

Francine Gemperle - Debater 

Francine collaborates with teams and clients at MAYA Design to bring human experiences to the forefront of our design work on innovative technologies. She is an expert in human-centered design methods and their application in a variety of complex situations for MAYA’s healthcare, military, and industrial clients. She shapes better product experiences by building an understanding of users’ context, goals, and desires, then exploring and developing new forms for interaction with digital technology.

With 5 patents and more than 15 publications to her credit, Francine has exhibited and lectured about her work at schools and institutions around the world. Francine headed up MAYA’s training initiative prior to passing the torch to the team who founded LUMA Institute. She is currently leading the Human Sciences Group. Prior to working at MAYA, Francine spent 8 years teaming with engineers at Carnegie Mellon University’s Wearable Computing Group and Robotics Institute.

Paul Schifino - Debater 

Paul has been a practicing graphic designer since graduating from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh in 1979. His work has been honored by publications such as Communication Arts, Print, How and Graphis. His work has also been featured in Gestures #4 and #14 at The Mattress Factory, and AMPat the Andy Warhol Museum. His work is also included in the Mattress Factory's permanent archive. Paul is also a contributor to ReadyMade Magazine and am currently on the board of directors of Society for Cultural Exchange.

Kristin Hughes - Debater 

Kristin Hughes is a designer and educator whose innovative work in at-risk communities exemplifies the benefit of fusing design with community engagement to address complex social problems.

Kristin’s career in design practice and education spans more than 20 years. As an Associate Professor at Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Design, Kristin and her colleagues have developed interdisciplinary courses that blend design with informal learning, cognitive psychology, and more recently, public policy. These endeavors highlight Kristin’s personal mission: to demonstrate how design can be leveraged for social change.