Underscore 100 • CHRISTIAN SOLORZANO
Feb 16, 2026
Christian Solorzano, founder of the Chicago Graphic Design Club and studio Opal, traces his path from discovering design on a Sony VAIO at eleven to building Chicago’s creative infrastructure. He and Rick Valicenti talk about starting the club during COVID, running experimental projects like Point and Faculty, type design collaborations, and creativity as a necessary act of resistance.
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Club Born From Pandemic Frustration
- Christian started the Chicago Graphic Design Club in April during the pandemic because established organizations paused and he wanted community connection.
- He ran book discussions at his company despite internal pushback and used FAQs in pitches to preempt objections, which sometimes led to new firm offerings.
Launch Without Overplanning
- Do not over-plan or demand metrics before launching community experiments; allow space for unexpected outcomes.
- Christian included FAQ slides to answer predicted objections, then let successful small events organically create new offerings.
Use A Single Wave To Start Outreach
- Reach out directly and simply to potential guests instead of formal cold emails; a casual Instagram wave can open doors.
- Christian messages people with a single waving emoji and often gets positive responses.
