Life & Work with Chandler Johnson of Kansas City, MO

Today we’d like to introduce you to Chandler Johnson

Hi Chandler, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Let’s move past the origin story, past graduating from Kansas State University and Illinois State University, past getting my first design gig at a local international nonprofit, and basically past the first nine years of my career. While those elements are essential, and I’ve been fortunate to share my origin story in various ways, I feel like I’m entering chapter two of this adventure. So let’s focus on that:

I am the art director for the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce and AIGA KC’s President. Additionally, I’m a freelance creative working with small and large organizations. I am also the Creator/Curator of a personal project called Pick Progress, www.pickprogressproject.com, which celebrates the Black experience with over 100 posters from creatives worldwide and 30+ featured interviews.

Don’t get me wrong… I am proud of these titles and opportunities that have emerged from my decade-long run in this industry. But at the same time, I try to keep my highs low or be humble (as Kendrick Lamar suggests) and stay focused on the idea that I just love creating in whatever way that comes. It’s truly a fantastic thing to be able to have a career based on one’s passions.

So now, in my 10th or so year, my goal is to be a strong pillar for creativity in our local community and a constant advocate for Kansas City design abroad. For example, I recently got the opportunity to be on the KC2026 task force to help decide on the poster that will represent Kansas City for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. I was honored to be amongst other Kansas City design community pillars to help showcase our city internationally. I’m so excited for the world to see our poster, and this is a perfect example of how I want to help tell the world that Kansas City is not a flyover area regarding where to find spectacular creativity. The heart of design can be found here! Kansas City has so many talented people that it’s awe-inspiring, and I hope to help lead the charge for this city.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The path that has led me here hasn’t been easy. Truthfully, I don’t think it will ever be easy. In some ways, I will always have to prove my value in the creative industry, but now, what I have to prove to people looks differently after a decade of work. Initially, I had to prove I was a creative because I didn’t major in graphic design. Now, I’m working to establish myself as a leader within the creative industry. Once you’re getting those opportunities to be in the room where it happens, you want to build the trust that you can take any idea and make it prosperous. One of my goals for this year and beyond is to develop that trust and have more freedom to be creative in whatever way I think is best for the end product.

I’m also learning how to be a leader. Being the president of AIGA KC has allowed me to take all my values in leadership and finally test them out as the go-to person and decision-maker. There are many factors when it comes to leading a team: navigating personalities, providing a vision for our future, balancing the budget, building trust, empowering the team, etc. It’s easy to get an ego when you’re the head person in charge, but this is not a vanity project for me. I really want to be a coach and not a manager. I hope I am creating a culture that empowers everyone on our board to do extraordinary things. I hope to adapt to everyone’s needs while believing in my vision, my blueprint for the team’s future. It’s all a balancing act. I’ve made some mistakes. There have been successes. I have been learning a lot, and the biggest thing I’ve learned is that when a great group of people surrounds you, your role as a leader becomes easier. Any of the successes that AIGA KC has had this year are due to those people around me and less because of my leadership. I’m just there to help keep us on the path to success.

One more random thing about challenges: It’s getting even more difficult as the landscape changes with the evolution of technology and how the industry sees creatives. AI plays a significant role in creative work and the best practices for marketing/advertisement. I know things will constantly evolve, but I hope we continually strive to make decisions for the good of the people, not because it’s easier or just for the sake of the bottom dollar. Creativity is extraordinary because of the heart it comes from; the last time I checked, computers didn’t have hearts.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
As the art director for the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce, I create designs for all of our programs in the organization. The KC Chamber does much brilliant work for the city, and I’m fortunate to add my creative essence to the marketing and educational materials. A day at the chamber is never dull. It’s honestly a whirlwind of everything. From brochures to programs to stage design and sometimes videos, I have done a little of everything at this organization. What I’m most proud of is trying to help encourage risk-taking within the organization. During my tenure at the chamber, I have tried to make designs relevant to the current trends and showcase that business design doesn’t have to be boring or plain. Our annual dinner has been around for over a century and hosts many movers and shakers in the Kansas City community. The past four yearly dinners I have participated in have allowed me to make some brilliant designs seen by CEOs and central city officials. It’s amazing.

As the president of AIGA KC, I took on this role head-on and challenged our board to think differently. One of the first conversations I had with the board was that the road paved can only get us so far because it’s familiar territory. While some of that familiarity helps us with sustainability, it also hinders us from growing and exploring the opportunities that might align better with an evolving society. I am so fortunate to work with talented individuals on this board who are unafraid to dream big and do the hard work. We are taking calculated risks. I’m building an entirely new structure unlike anything this chapter has seen and its 35-year history. It’s not a perfect model, but hopefully, we will walk away at the end of my tenure, leaving the organization in a better state because we explored the unknown.

Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
I’m a Taurus, and while I don’t dive too deeply into all the aspects of astrological signs, I will say that growing up, I was pretty stubborn like a bull. I’m still pretty hardheaded, or a mature me would describe me as pretty determined. As a kid, I was a talker and loved making friends with everybody. I played sports and eventually joined the speech team (which made all that talking worth it). But more than anything, growing up, I was a daydreamer. I was a tinker. I was constantly imagining and coming up with random creations. I remember writing stories or developing plays my siblings and I performed in. We also had PVC pipes that we would put together in the backyard, run water through the pipes via a water hose, and construct our waterpark.

My passion for creativity came from these analog experiences with my family and friends. Then, you add the emergence of technology via cable news, Windows 95, and AOL. I grew up with the digital surge. With every new piece of technology, from a CD Walkman to an iPod to an iPhone, my generation was one of the first tinkerers. So, I feel I can better balance the Yin and Yang of digital versus analog or the importance of digital being a tool versus a stimulus addiction because I know of life before the ‘whole world was in the palm of one’s hand.’ Yes, digital technology plays a massive role in my work. Yes, I still can get sucked into what’s trending on social media. Still, I’m constantly trying to ensure there’s a heartbeat or a connection that transcends the screen and helps people connect to their community better. I want the content I created to have some form of authenticity.

Pricing:

• Single Page Websites: $1000+
• Full Websites: $2000+
• Photograph: $350
• Graphic Design: $250+

Contact Info:

• Website: http://kalimizzou.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kalimizzou/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chandler-johnson-kalimizzou