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Category: Clubs

  • Drexel CHI UX Club: Where Design Meets Community

    The Drexel CHI User Experience Club stands as a vibrant hub for students passionate about user experience, human-computer interaction, and design. As an official campus chapter of ACM SIGCHI (Association for Computing Machinery’s Special Interest Group on Computer-Human Interaction), the club connects Drexel students to the broader professional UX community…

    The Drexel CHI User Experience Club stands as a vibrant hub for students passionate about user experience, human-computer interaction, and design. As an official campus chapter of ACM SIGCHI (Association for Computing Machinery’s Special Interest Group on Computer-Human Interaction), the club connects Drexel students to the broader professional UX community while fostering collaboration and skill development on campus.

    A Mission to Empower Creative Minds

    Since its founding in 2019, the Drexel CHI UX Club has dedicated itself to showing creative students how they can translate their passion into sustainable careers. The organization provides a supportive community where members can share ideas, collaborate on projects, and develop professionally in the rapidly evolving field of user experience.

    The club aims to bridge the gap between creative passion and professional practice by offering specialized workshops that promote good practices in UX while building a community of like-minded individuals who support each other’s growth.

    Inclusive by Design

    True to the principles of good user experience, the Drexel CHI UX Club embraces inclusivity in its membership. The club welcomes students from all majors and academic levels, including undergraduate and master’s students. This interdisciplinary approach creates a rich environment where diverse perspectives contribute to more innovative thinking about design and user experience.

    Learning Through Doing

    The club’s calendar features a variety of engaging events designed to build both technical skills and professional networks:

    • Design Slams: Fast-paced creative challenges that push participants to apply design thinking under time constraints
    • Educational Workshops: Including sessions on Dark Patterns in UX that reveal how apps and websites can manipulate users and how to recognize these tactics
    • Technical Skill Building: Hands-on workshops with industry-standard tools like Figma that help members build practical skills
    • Portfolio Reviews: Opportunities for members to receive feedback on their work from peers and sometimes industry professionals
    • Social Events: Regular gatherings like picnics that strengthen the community bonds beyond the classroom or lab
    • Annual Carnival Fundraiser: A creative way to engage the broader campus community while supporting the club’s activities

    Connected to the Broader Community

    The Drexel CHI UX Club maintains strong connections that extend beyond campus. Their affiliation with ACM SIGCHI provides members with access to resources, publications, and events from the world’s leading organization for professionals involved in human-technology interaction.

    The club regularly collaborates with their sister organization, Philly CHI—another chapter of ACM SIGCHI open to UX/UI professionals and enthusiasts throughout Philadelphia. This connection offers students valuable networking opportunities and insights into the local industry landscape.

    On campus, the club has built partnerships with other student organizations, including:

    • Drexel UXID Program: Collaborating on events that complement classroom learning
    • Drexel Hack4Impact: Partnering for JavaScript workshops that build technical skills
    • Drexel AI: Engaging in discussions about artificial intelligence and its relationship to user experience

    Leadership Development

    While the club operates as a collaborative community throughout the year, it opens applications for Executive Board positions every spring. These leadership roles offer students the chance to develop organizational and management skills while shaping the direction of the club.

    Join the Community

    For students interested in exploring user experience or building on existing skills, the Drexel CHI UX Club offers an accessible entry point into both the discipline and its professional community. The club demonstrates how UX extends beyond the classroom, creating opportunities for students to apply their knowledge in practical, creative ways.

    Whether you’re a design major looking to refine your UX skills or a student from another discipline curious about how user experience might connect to your field, the Drexel CHI UX Club provides a welcoming community where creativity and technology intersect.

    Stay connected with the club:

    Instagram: @drexelchi

    DrangonLink: Drexel CHI UX Club

  • Step Right Up to the Drexel CHI UX Carnival

    When winter quarter arrives at Drexel University, the lobby of Westphal’s URBN Center transforms into a festive escape from academic pressures. Cotton candy swirls, popcorn pops, and laughter echoes as students line up for games, treats, and the chance to pie a club officer in the face. Welcome to the annual Drexel CHI Carnival—a spirited tradition that has quickly become one of campus’s most anticipated community events.

    Not Your Average Fundraiser

    Since its inception in 2022, the Drexel CHI Carnival has redefined what a student organization fundraiser can be. Rather than taking the conventional route of partnering with local restaurants or hosting a simple bake sale, the CHI UX Club’s Executive Board decided to create something more engaging and memorable.

    The carnival represents a refreshing departure from typical fundraising approaches. Instead of merely collecting donations, the event creates a genuine experience that brings people together and offers students a welcome break from the intensity of classes while supporting the club’s activities throughout the year.

    The result is an event that combines free offerings like cotton candy and popcorn with ticketed attractions including a bake sale, original artwork created by club leadership, face painting, and themed carnival games. In past years, brave E-Board members have even volunteered for the popular “Pie a CHI” booth, where students could purchase tickets for the chance to deliver a whipped cream pie to a willing club officer’s face.

    Creating Campus Connections

    While the carnival serves as a crucial fundraiser for the club’s year-round programming, its impact extends far beyond the financial. The event has become a community touchstone that brings together students from across disciplines and programs.

    In one particularly heartwarming instance, a Drexel professor paused class 15 minutes early to bring their entire class to the carnival, purchasing tickets for each student to enjoy the festivities. These kinds of spontaneous connections exemplify the community-building potential of the event.

    The timing of the carnival—typically during winter quarter—provides a welcome respite from both academic pressures and Philadelphia’s chilly temperatures. By transforming the URBN Center lobby into a colorful carnival atmosphere, the event creates a pocket of joy during one of the most demanding periods of the academic year.

    Funding Future Experiences

    Proceeds from the carnival directly support the Drexel CHI UX Club’s diverse programming throughout the year. The funds help provide refreshments for meetings, materials for hands-on workshops (like paints and canvases for design-themed social events), and resources for educational sessions focused on user experience and design.

    By attending and participating in the carnival, students not only enjoy an afternoon of fun but also invest in future opportunities to learn, connect, and develop professional skills through the club’s activities.

    A Tradition in the Making

    Though relatively young as campus traditions go, the CHI Carnival has consistently met its fundraising goals while drawing impressive attendance numbers. The event’s success demonstrates the power of creative thinking in student organization management—an approach that, fittingly, reflects the design thinking principles at the heart of the CHI UX Club itself.

    Rather than viewing the carnival as a direct application of user experience principles, the club sees it as complementary to their more focused professional activities. The carnival provides a needed counterbalance to the seriousness of classes and career-oriented workshops, reminding everyone that play and creativity are essential elements of a well-designed university experience.

    Mark Your Calendars

    For Drexel students looking for a break from routine or simply craving cotton candy on a winter afternoon, the annual CHI Carnival offers a perfect opportunity to connect with fellow students while supporting one of campus’s most active organizations.

    Keep an eye on the Drexel CHI UX Club’s Instagram @drexelchi during winter quarter for announcements about the next carnival date. Whether you’re drawn by the sweet treats, the chance to discover student artwork, or the opportunity to pie someone in the face for a good cause, the CHI Carnival promises an experience worth stepping away from your studies for.