On Saturday, March 8 industrial design professionals gathered at UIC campus to share insights with design students from around the Midwest. Local professionals representing Radio Flyer, Sanford, Octonorm and a variety of consulting firms graciously donated their time to share their experiences as young design professionals with local students. The goals was to foster interaction between the professional design community and students of Chicago to give local students an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of what it takes to be an industrial designer. This gathering drew local and distant students to UIC to hear a panel discussion on beginning a career in industrial design and also gave students an opportunity to get direct feedback on their portfolios. Copco Design Director David Starr organized the event and began the panel discussion.

The panel discussion was lively and covered a variety of topics. Designers from around the Chicago area spoke to students about, honesty, professionalism, resume layout, enthusiasm, organization, earnings, team work and expected skills. Students also got to hear about some of the often unexpected tasks of an industrial designer in today's work environment providing them a realistic view of life as an industrial designer. The panel's broad range of work experience including, design consultancy, corporate design, product and exhibit design provided a wide base of knowledge.

Following the panel discussion students ranging from sophomore undergraduates to graduate students sat down to discuss their work and gain valuable feedback. In small groups, students were able to share insights with each other and get professional feedback on their portfolios and presentation skills. By the conclusion of the event both students and professionals were energized and we are already planning a similar event for the fall semester.