On behalf of the IDEEC 2019 (International Design Education Expo & Conference) organizing committee, I am honored and delighted to welcome you to the 1st International Conference and Exhibition on Visual Communication Design at Hammer Theatre in San Jose, California.

IDEEC is an innovative, dynamic, motivating event that is developed through global design institutions. Our global perspective, diverse culture, and wide-ranging specializations are what makes our conference unique. We have gathered the best designers in the educational community and academia to speak on methodology, professional practice, and relevant topics that will make a vital impact on the conversation about design and education. The IDEEC is designed to inspire designers, educators, and students working in the field of visual communication and information design around the world by delivering relevant programs and benefits in a personal and thoughtful way. Through this event, participants will experience professional and personal growth, and play a part in sharing the desire and responsibility of shaping future aspiring minds in the field.

The first IDEEC (International Design Education Expo & Conference) will be held in August 2019 in San José, the heart of Silicon Valley. Each year the member institutions will alternate hosting the annual event, during the summer months. This year’s event will take place at Hammer Theatre in downtown San José, California near the San José State University campus. Hundreds of faculty and student groups from international universities are invited to display their design research and projects along with leading industry professionals.

This event consists of three parts: a conference, an exhibition, and a workshop. The conference will be held for three days at the Hammer, a state-of-the-art arts theatre with a capacity of 500 seats, located in San Jose, the heart of Silicon Valley. It is known as a global hub of digital and technological innovation with its wealth of tech monuments and incubators of new ideas, and will provide an inspirational setting to the first IDEEC conference. At this conference, let us celebrate what we, as a professional design education community, have achieved. There will be presentations on design education by professional designers and educators in the subjects of visual design, typography, information design, UI & UX design, animation, and illustration spanning 11 keynote speeches, 23 lectures, special sessions and featured schools’ portfolio exhibitions from all around the world. Through this conference, we will share our thoughts and exchange ideas on how to chart our journey forward to reach future visions that will bring higher value to both the individual and to the global community.

To put a conference of this magnitude together is no small task. To that end, I would like to close this welcome with a round of thanks for everyone who has made IDEEC 2019 possible. I want to thank all of the partnering and sponsoring organizations for providing their generous support. San José State University is partnering with the Granshan Foundation (non-Latin typography research and practice organization) and AIGA SF (American Institute of Graphic Arts) to host this exciting conference free of cost to further the value and encourage the diversity of design education along with the invited international educational institutions.  

I also would like to thank the invited speakers, my fellow educators, and professional designers, for agreeing to take time out of their busy schedules to give us their perspectives on a broad-ranging set of topics. Their passion, incredible wisdom, the remarkable journey will certainly inspire make a lasting impression on young and curious designers.

Lastly, I would like to thank all of the IDEEC event staff who are my beloved BFA Graphic Design students for their endless efforts and contributions, which are the foundation of this conference.

I look forward to welcoming you all for what promises to be an outstanding educational event.

Best Regards,

Prof. Chang Kim,
Professor, San Jose State University
Chair, IDEEC 2019