If you are a design or marketing professional, active student, or recent graduate and are actively looking to grow your career, you’ve likely noticed a growing trend in the job descriptions that pique your interest: designers require more marketing skills and marketers require more design skills. 

Momentum, a new program from AMA Pittsburgh, was designed to quickly (and affordably) give both designers and marketers relevant and practical skills in a meaningful and memorable cohort experience. Take what you learn (from experienced industry professionals and AMA members) in each workshop and apply it to your work the next day.

As technology and practice continue to evolve, so do the disciplines and industries behind them. The future creative professional is both a marketer and designer and can flex between these two overlapping skill sets. To address this need of professionals with multiple skillsets, AMA Pittsburgh and Point Park University are collaborating to provide two unique concentration tracks each built for designers and marketers. 

The 4-part Marketing for Designers track bridges the divide between design and marketing. Intended for marketing students and professionals, the Design track builds a working knowledge of design principles, practices, and software solutions that participants can implement into their work immediately. 

The 4-part Marketing track, intended for designers, strengthens the core skills designers bring to their work and enhances them by layering in foundational and advanced marketing concepts and practices. Participants will build and enhance critical skills for in-demand positions in both the marketing and design fields.

Both concentration tracks of the Momentum program run simultaneously and occur online in four Tuesday and Wednesday-night sessions throughout April. Each session is three hours. Sessions are recorded if you are unable to attend.

Tuesday Nights, 6-9 pm, April 4, 11, 18, 25

If you are a practicing designer needing to develop marketing skills, this is the track for you. Apply your design skills to the marketing context and level up your career.

Session 1: Marketing Fundamentals

• Hour One: Fundamental Marketing Principles
• Hour Two: Digital Advertising
• Hour Three: Story and Content Marketing

Session 2: Digital Strategy 

• Hour One: Brand Strategy
• Hour Two: Content Strategy
• Hour Three: Social Media Strategy + the National Institute for Social Media

Session 3: Data-Driven Practices and Principles

• Hour One: Data Analytics
• Hour Two: SEO SEM, PPC
• Hour Three: Website Optimization and Content Management Systems

Session 4: Practicum Experience

The Practicum clients will be announced in the coming weeks.

Wednesday Nights, 6-9 pm, April 5, 12, 19, 26

This is the track for you if you are a practicing marketer needing to develop design skills. Apply your marketing skills to engaging design projects and literally show the world how talented you are.

Session 1: Interactive Design Foundations

• Hour One: Interactive Foundations
• Hour Two: Typography
• Hour Three: Digital Media for Social

Session 2: Creative Exploration

• Hour One: Creative Problem-Solving Strategies
• Hour Two: Creative Coding
• Hour Three: Accessibility

Session 3: Advanced Practices 

• Hour One: User Experience Design 
• Hour Two: Design Thinking
• Hour Three: Usability and the Web

Session 4: Practicum Experience

The Practicum clients will be announced in the coming weeks.

• 3-hour experience
• Program completion celebration

Complete the Momentum program and
receive a verified badge for your social profiles.

AMA Momentum badges are issued by AMA Pittsburgh and can be verified by employers to confirm your participation in the program. 

View AMA Pittsburgh’s page on the Badgr platform.

Instructors will be announced in the coming weeks!

Students, staff, and faculty of CCAC are granted free entry to the program by way of the John Dziak Faculty Development & Engagement Fund awarded to CCAC faculty RJ Thompson and Richard Helfrich.

Momentum program cost for existing AMA members: $300

Existing AMA members will benefit from the membership discount. If you are not a member of the American Marketing Association, consider joining! Membership is currently at an all-time low of $150 annually. 

Momentum program cost for existing PSMA, MPI, PRSA, and AIGA members: $350

Existing PSMA, MPI, PRSA, and AIGA members will benefit from the membership discount. If you are not a member of the American Marketing Association, consider joining! Membership is currently at an all-time low of $150 annually. 

Regular Momentum program cost: $400

Regular Momentum program cost: $550

Interested in Momentum and becoming an AMA Member? When registering for the program, choose “Momentim + Membership.”

Discounted Momentum program cost: $300
Membership cost: $119
Total: $419

Purchase your program and membership at the same time and save on both with our group rates. 

For any student, undergraduate or graduate, regardless of membership: $50 

Scholarships are available for those who may have financial needs. Please apply HERE.

Complete one track and get a discount to complete the second in the future.
E-Mail RJ Thompson, AMA Pittsburgh President, for more information.