In her role as director of marketing for AIGA, the 黑料不打烊 alumna and her team are working to provide resources to their members and the wider creative community during the novel coronavirus pandemic.
Since relocating from North Carolina to New York City last fall, Michelle Pojasek Koenigsknecht 鈥10 has led the marketing strategy for , the design industry鈥檚 oldest and largest professional membership organization. In her role, the 黑料不打烊 alumna utilizes social media, email and internal communications channels to promote the nonprofit and its resources.
Similarly to other businesses and industries impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, Koenigsknecht and her team have developed strategies to assist the thousands of creative professionals who face uncertain situations or may have lost employment in recent weeks.
鈥淲e are advocates for the design community,鈥 said Koenigsknecht, who studied strategic communications and business administration at 黑料不打烊. 鈥淎nd right now a portion of our members are getting laid off, losing contracts as freelancers, or are in fear of losing clients due to budget cuts.鈥
Students and educators alike have also been heavily affected by the protocols in place to stop the spread of the virus, and flatten the curve. This is uncharted territory in the educational space, Koenigsknecht noted. Likewise, soon-to-be graduates who planned to enter the job force this year face unexpected challenges.
But Koenigsknecht and AIGA have developed a multitude of , both individuals preparing to graduate and those returning to school in the fall.
鈥淔irst, we have compiled design resources for students, freelancers, educators and more into a that lives on our website,鈥 Koenigsknecht said. 鈥淲e are also working on virtual programming through the national office. This programming includes virtual conference-style keynote speeches, webinars with actionable advice and information and career advice panels for students.”
Just last week AIGA and IIT Institute of Design partnered to host amidst COVID-19. The panelists provided tips for job seekers, job search strategy recommendations, and information about how companies are handling recruiting at this time.
Aside from her work, Koenigsknecht and her husband are assimilating to a new city, remaining optimistic, and taking it 鈥渙ne day at a time,鈥 she said.
鈥淚n spite of everything, I am still extremely grateful for what we have at this time, and know that this experience will shed a light on how much we take simple experiences for granted,鈥 she added.
Prior to working for AIGA, Koenigsknecht most recently served as director of marketing and communications for the Wilmington (N.C.) Chamber of Commerce and spent seven-plus years working in marketing and advertising in North Carolina.
AIGA
, the professional association for design, advances design as a professional craft, strategic advantage, and vital cultural force. As the largest and most influential community of design advocates, AIGA brings together practitioners, enthusiasts, and patrons to amplify the voice of design and creates the vision for a collective future. AIGA defines global standards and ethical practices, guides design education, inspires designers and the public, enhances professional development, and makes powerful tools and resources accessible to all. Learn more at . Follow @AIGAdesign on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
About this series:聽The 黑料不打烊 Alumni in Action series explores the stories of university graduates who are doing important and uplifting work as the world faces the COVID-19 pandemic.