Thank You For Your Sponsorship of SIDSA

Dear Page,

Thank you once again for your generous donation supporting University of Houston Student Industrial Designers Society of America (SIDSA) attendance at the 2019 SXSW Interactive Design Conference. Your donation has had an influential impact on our students. Without your support, eleven students would not have had the ability to attend because they could not afford it. Your donation also helped pay for student housing and transportation to and from the conference for over 20 students.

At SXSW we listened to expert designers talk about their experiences in their design careers, from human-centered design to artificial intelligence and so much more. We explored the international Trade Show displaying forward thinking designers and inventors and their companies as well as our own University of Houston Industrial Design booth we organized. Lastly, we developed our network and made connections with professionals who have the opportunity to significantly impact our future careers.

Below are some testimonies of our SIDSA members’ experiences at SXSW:

“It is amazing that we get to hear from so many successful speakers thanks to level of organization of SXSW. It can be compared to travelling all over the world. I’m thankful for the sponsors that made it possible for me to attend.” — Mariana Keymolen

“SXSW was an eye opening experience to companies that I would not have had access to and it was nice to have the ability to network with them in person rather than on an online application or social media.” — Oswald Estrada

“My favorite part was getting insight from Tinker Hatfield (lead designer for Nike) and hearing about his creative process and life story.” — Josh Alarcon

“I enjoyed exploring new companies and ideas at the trade show.” — Brandon Johnson

“As a design student, it was incredibly valuable to talk face to face to people that work for big companies without the formality of needing a resume or an appointment. I could just walk up to them and introduce myself, it brought it down to human level. I am young and early on in my design career and you would think that big companies and successful people wouldn’t take the time to talk to us but SXSW gave me that opportunity. Thank you for your sponsorship.”  — Francisco Grandi

“SXSW is a great way to see how design works in the real world. Knowing where design is and where it is going.” — Alexa Baeza

“SXSW was an unforgettable experience for sure and motivational as a designer. The networking aspect of SXSW was very valuable because communication between students and professionals was simple and effortless.” — Joaquin Tinoco

As President of SIDSA, it has been my goal this year to provide my members with as many professional opportunities as possible. SXSW was the perfect environment for SIDSA members to enhance their college career experience and it would not have happened without your support. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Quinn Edgecombe
SIDSA President
The University of Houston Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture and Design