Organizer Spotlight: Alison K. Mason from AIGA Atlanta: Design Recess

Behind every event is a human. This is the first in a series where we hand them the mic.

Alison K. Mason is president of AIGA Atlanta, the local chapter of the professional association for design, and one of the volunteers behind Design Recess, the chapter's first full-day design conference. It happens Saturday, October 17 at the Goat Farm in Atlanta, and tickets are on sale now through Eventrise.

We asked Alison what the day is, who it's for, why Atlanta needed it, and what ten months of volunteer planning actually looks like.

Running an event of your own? Create your Eventrise account. It's free to start, and you only pay when you sell a ticket.

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What is Design Recess, and what happens when someone shows up at the Goat Farm on October 17?

Design Recess is AIGA Atlanta's first full-day design conference, built by designers for designers around the theme Process & Play.

Walk into the Goat Farm's B6 space on October 17 and you'll find a day of case-study, process-driven talks, hands-on sessions, and a room full of Atlanta creatives who don't usually get a reason to all be in one place to learn and play together.

Where did the idea come from? What was missing for Atlanta designers?

Atlanta's creative community didn't have a space built around a simple idea. Designers need both substance and play to feel reinvigorated. Design Recess was built to convene a cross-section of that community so that every designer leaves feeling practically equipped, creatively inspired, and genuinely seen.

We promise you won't hear any fluff from the mainstage. Speakers will share the real techniques and philosophies behind their work through a case study lens at the beginning and end of the day. In between, the space transforms into a playground of led activations and games, with room to interact, network, and experience design in a way that reinvigorates.

Who is Design Recess for?

Designers who want to get away from their desks (and out of their heads!) to see something, do something, and experience something new in a room full of smart creatives who understand them, because they are more alike than they are different.

Who makes it happen?

This is a volunteer-run team made up of a big chunk of the AIGA Atlanta board and other AIGA Atlanta volunteers. Shoutout to TJ, Elaine, Julian, Cyprus, Sharmia, Morgan, Kim, Ashley, Saron, Mia, Mar, and Liz!

Tell us about this year's brand system. Where did it start, and how did you land on the final look?

Julian and Elaine were the masterminds behind this look. They pulled inspiration from the Saturday morning vault, the character illustrations and playful typefaces of 1960s and '70s educational cartoons and vintage book covers (hello, Schoolhouse Rock nostalgia). We wanted something human, a little imperfect, and free of corporate fluff.

Hours of playing with layouts, fonts, and colors later, we landed on a clean, vibrant system. Bold typography, retro-modern colors, and a character roster that carries our official "No Fluff Guarantee."

What's the hardest part of planning an event like this that someone on the outside would never realize?

Everything is happening at once, all year, mostly through volunteers doing this on top of full-time jobs. The event itself is one day. Getting there is ten months of a hundred small decisions.

When you were deciding how to sell tickets this year, what mattered most to you?

Making sure price wasn't the reason someone missed it. That's why we built in a healthy early bird window and student pricing alongside member and general pricing.

What would Atlanta's design community be missing if Design Recess didn't exist?

A day that's just for them. Design conferences often come from outside Atlanta or outside the community. This one is local, hands-on, and made by the people who'll actually be in the room. We designed the conference we always wanted to attend.

Lightning round

Coffee, tea, or something else on event morning?
Tea at home, matcha if I'm out and about.

The thing you're most looking forward to this year.
My girls' trip vacay with my sister.

Dream speaker or activation, no budget limit.
Tracee Ellis Ross breaks down her signature style, closet walkthrough included.

A local spot every attendee should hit afterward.
Big Softie, for the soft serve.

One word for when doors open. One for when they close.
Electric. Satisfaction.

What's next after October 17?

Design Recess becomes an annual thing. This year is about proving what it can be. Next year, we learn, iterate, and expand!

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A note from Eventrise… Design Recess is the kind of event we built Eventrise for. A volunteer crew, ten months of small decisions, and a ticket page priced so nobody gets left out. AIGA Atlanta runs more than one day a year!…see all AIGA Atlanta events.

(Interview conducted September 2026 and edited for length and clarity)