Merging local graphic designers with the business community and allowing both parties the opportunity to grow through education and inspiration was the mission of the INsight Design Conference Friday at Faith Church in Dyer.

The conference, featuring breakout sessions, one-on-one portfolio reviews and attendee showcases, was held at the church's state-of-the-art, 100,000-square-foot-plus facility, which includes theaters, lecture halls, coffee houses and studios.

INsight was founded by designer Joseph Gonzalez with help from his friend Kevin Bruinsma, who is the visual communications director for Faith Church.

"We had a conversation about how kids were coming out of school without the necessary skills, so we came up with the idea to put together an event where we can bring these folks in and talk to them about their work," Gonzalez said.

Guest speakers included Liz Dierbeck and Rachel Grimm, talent representatives for Artisan, a staffing agency with offices in Chicago, New York and Indianapolis that works with Web designers, coders, writers and multimedia specialists.

"From our perspective, this is a fresh chance to meet new people both on the hiring side and on the talent side," Dierbeck said.

Angela Spadoni of Crown Point just graduated with her master's in architecture from the University of Pennsylvania and saw the conference as a good way to network and job search, even though it was geared more toward graphic design.

"It's still helpful, because I've never had a graphic designer review my portfolio," she said.

For Martin Oleksy, the conference was two-fold. Acting as media coordinator for INsight, Oleksy also was looking to get his own career off the ground in public relations.

"I wanted to network with the local creative community," Oleksy said. "And it's also great to get the word out about all the talent in Northwest Indiana." FYI: www.insightdesignconference.com.