ALUMNI SUCCESS
JEFF HERRON
PHOTOGRAPHY
2002 CCS ALUMNI KNOW SUCCESS. FORTUNE 500 COMPANIES HIRE THEM. ALL OF THEM DARED TO DREAM BIG. LET THEIR STORIES INSPIRE YOU. THE STORIES YOU READ HERE ARE A TESTAMENT TO THE IMPACT CCS ALUMNI ARE MAKING IN THE ART/DESIGN WORLD. THEY DON’T JUST FIND JOBS. THEY LEAD COMPANIES AND BECOME SOUGHT-AFTER EXPERTS IN THEIR FIELDS. WHAT CAN YOU DO WITH A CCS DEGREE? WHATEVER YOU WANT!
JEFF HERRON PHOTOGRAPHY, INC. OWNER/PHOTOGRAPHER
Imagine spending the day looking out into the pristine, blue waters of the Atlantic Ocean from one of the most luxurious resorts in the world. Sound like the perfect vacation? For photographer Jeff Herron, it’s just another day at work. As the owner of his own business, Jeff Herron Photography, Herron has worked with several clients in Florida and beyond, including UBS Bank, Sotheby’s, CBT Architects, PGA National Resort & Spa, OPL Hotels, Lloyd Loom, Marriott, Bluegreen, Couples Resorts and Theorie, among others. His work has appeared in Home Magazine, Tropics Magazine and 20/20 Magazine. Recently, Herron was hired to shoot for the rebranding of four existing resorts in Jamaica.
APRIL WAGNER
1996 EPIPHANY OWNER
CRAFTS
April Wagner has devoted her life’s work to doing amazing things with glass. She has been featured in The Detroit News, Detroit Free Press and Detroit Home and on WDIV (Channel 4) and WJBK (Fox 2). In 2005, Wagner was listed among the Top 40 under 40 published by Crain’s Detroit Business.
DAN ARMAND
ILLUSTRATION
2005 INNER STATE GALLERY/1XRUN.COM
As the owner of Epiphany in Pontiac, Wagner’s list of clients include The Four Seasons, the collections of actress Goldie Hawn, Detroit Regional Chamber, General Motors Corporation (Detroit), Ross Controls (Troy),
CO-FOUNDER
Talented, creative professionals are in demand. Just ask Illustration alumnus Dan Armand, who successfully juggles operating two businesses in the local art/design industry. Listed among Crain’s Detroit Business “20 in their 20s” lineup, Armand is partner/creative director for Inner State Gallery in Eastern Market and one of the minds behind 1xRUN.com, an art retail site that sells limited-edition art prints for limited-time periods. “One of the greatest accomplishments of my career so far is being able to work with some of my favorite artists from all over the world, and moving
Pfizer, Inc. (Ann Arbor), Strategic Staffing Solutions, Inc. (several locations),
back to Detroit and being part of this exciting new community here has
former Detroit Mayor Dennis Archer and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
just taken everything we’re doing to a whole new level,” said Armand.
Her work has been shown in more than 300 galleries worldwide.
GARY BOOK
ILLUSTRATION
1989 INDIGO STUDIOS ASSOCIATE CREATIVE DIRECTOR
“I love making really dynamic eye-catching images,” said Gary Book, associate creative director at Indigo Studios. “The fact that I’m getting paid and earning a pretty good living doing ‘my hobby’ is amazing to me. This is why I tell my kids to find what they love to do, learn as much as they can and try to get paid for it.” Book recently finished illustrations for many of the Star Wars: Episode VII toy lines. Another of his recent projects involved the
DONG TRAN
TRANSPORTATION DESIGN
2009 ICON AIRCRAFT LEAD DESIGNER
“Right out of school, I was able to pursue the career path/position I wanted, go where I wanted and choose from among opportunities presented to me — even though I had some hard choices to make!” said Dong Tran. Tran is a lead designer at ICON Aircraft in Los Angeles and worked on the production interior and exterior of the ICON A5, the company’s first line of sport planes. As a lead designer, Tran was involved in the process of helping define ICON’s design department as well as leading interior/exterior design and refinement of production and the future product lineup.
imaging of 37 images for the 2016 Ford Mustang. He anticipates a Ford F-150 project coming soon. Book has also worked on “a lot of imagery” for the Discovery Channel, Animal Planet and the Travel Channel as well as illustrations for Coors/Coors Light.
WATCH! Visit collegeforcreativestudies.edu/ccstv to see Tran at work!
JENNY RISHER
PHOTOGRAPHY
1997 FREELANCE PHOTOGRAPHER
What’s Jenny Risher’s proudest moment? Looking up in Times Square and seeing her photographs on five enormous billboards in one of the busiest places on earth. “Photography is an extension of who I am,” Risher said. “From the time I started taking photography classes through an afterschool program in middle school, I never doubted my desire to pursue this career.” Risher relocated to New York City shortly after graduation to develop her portfolio and assist other accomplished photographers. Since then, her list of clients has grown to include Hanes, Wonderbra, REDBOOK, Liz Claiborne, DKNY, Kenneth Cole, Shiseido Cosmetics, Marie Claire, Martha Stewart Living, Noise, Verizon Wireless, Doner, Grey, BBDO and J. Walter Thompson. Today, she runs her own freelance business and is represented by M Represents in New York.
JAY SHUSTER
PRODUCT DESIGN
1993 PIXAR ANIMATION STUDIOS ART DIRECTOR
Jay Shuster began his movie career at Lucasfilm where he worked on the Star Wars trilogy. For the past eight years, he has been at Pixar climbing the company ladder from an entry-level sketch artist to art director on Cars 2. Shuster’s other films include the original Cars, WALL•E and Toy Story 3. His work on WALL•E received recognition for Best Character Design from the Visual Effects Society (VES) in 2008. “Learning how to design something from the inside-out does inform the appearance of objects I create for the screen,” Shuster explained. “WALL•E is an example. He’s designed to transform, compact garbage and convey an emotional range that melts the audience’s hearts. Every surface, pivot-point and rivet was thoroughly considered to enable all these actions — there was little room for cheating! Good design is the
WATCH! Visit collegeforcreativestudies.edu/ccstv to see Risher at work!
basis for a successful career. Industrial design, movie design, graphic design — there is no difference.”
BRUNA CAMARGO
ADVERTISING: COPYWRITING
2011 IGNITE SOCIAL MEDIA SENIOR CONTENT CREATOR
Bruna Camargo works as a senior content creator at Ignite Social Media, one of North America’s first social media agencies. When asked to describe what she does, she answers, “I get to play on Twitter all day.” Then adds, “Seriously.” Camargo’s main client is Olay. Within Olay are different product lines (or boutiques) that cater to specific skincare needs of diverse groups.
TIM FLATTERY
TRANSPORTATION DESIGN
1987 CONCEPT ARTIST/CHAIR, CCS ENTERTAINMENT ARTS DEPARTMENT
She primarily works with Fresh Effects, which targets younger consumers. Her main focus is writing copy for all of the posts. So every tweet,
ED NATIVIDAD
Instagram caption or Facebook post is written by Camargo, and then
ILLUSTRATION / TRANSPORTATION DESIGN
seen by the client.
1991 CONCEPT ARTIST
There are only six Batmobiles in the history of film. We can thank these CCS alumni for two of them. Hollywood concept artist and CCS chair of Entertainment Arts Tim Flattery designed the Batmobile for the 1995 film Batman Forever, and Ed Natividad worked as the conceptual vehicle designer for the Batmobile in the recently released Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (‘16).
COLIN TURY
CRAFTS
2011 TAKD DESIGN CO-FOUNDER AND CREATIVE DIRECTOR
With a little vision, great design and a lot of hard work, a collaboration between the non-profit Michigan Urban Farming Initiative (MUFI), TAKD Design and General Motors has produced the first shipping container homestead in Detroit — a sustainable, livable space inside recycled industrial shipping containers. It was an opportunity TAKD Design couldn’t pass up, explained
DAVE HARDIN
ENTERTAINMENT ARTS
2004 DREAMWORKS ANIMATION SENIOR ANIMATOR
Dave Hardin may be credited on some of Hollywood’s hottest animated features, but it’s not awards or industry recognition that drives his career. It’s the power he has to move audiences through his work on the screen that motivates him most. “I love watching people react to movies I’ve worked on — seeing them laugh or get emotional to scenes I animated; that really is the biggest payoff,” said Hardin, a senior animator at Dreamworks Animation. “What makes a good animator is
co-founder and creative director Colin Tury. The container measures
the ability to critique your own work. Otherwise, you’ll never improve.
40 feet long, eight feet wide and 10 feet tall, with two bedrooms,
You have to be hard on yourself and want to impress people.” Hardin’s
a kitchen and a bathroom. “We looked at RVs and mobile homes
first major assignment was to bring the exuberant characters to life in the
for inspiration,” said Tury, “and figured out the most efficient way
film Open Season. Since then, he has worked on Surf’s Up, I Am Legend,
to lay out the space. We also used a gray water collection system
Speed Racer, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, Alice in Wonderland,
on the roof and a lot of reclaimed materials throughout.”
Puss in Boots, Kung Fu Panda 2 and 3, Rise of the Guardians, The Croods, Turbo and How to Train Your Dragon 2. His most recent films Zootopia and Moana will hit theaters in 2016.
WATCH! Visit collegeforcreativestudies.edu/ccstv to see Hardin at work!
DIKEA KATAKIS-KOTSIFAKIS
As a senior design manager, award-winning designer Dikea Katakis-Kotsifakis’
INTERIOR DESIGN
focus is on pushing the Starbucks brand forward through space, layout,
2002
artwork, etc. Katakis-Kotsifakis oversees the design team and locations
STARBUCKS (TORONTO) SENIOR DESIGN MANAGER
Sagrada Familia - Major Renovation
KAYU TAI
ADVERTISING: DESIGN
2006 ICROSSING ASSOCIATE CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Kayu Tai, Annual Creativity Award winner and associate creative director at iCrossing, chose an advertising career because she knew every day would be exciting and new. “My work is always evolving, and it keeps me up-to-date with the world. It’s exciting to know I’m playing a role in creating the future and how people will interact with advertising.” Prior to iCrossing, Tai worked at DraftFCB, Campbell Ewald and SPARK! Communications. Some of her past clients include Sharpie, KFC, Motorola, Jack Daniel’s, Prismacolor, Kmart, Herradura Tequila, USPS, OnStar, General Motors, Carhartt, U of M Health System, Beaumont Hospital and the Detroit Institute of Arts.
lighting, store layout, façade, storefront, furniture, materials, equipment, on the eastern side of Canada.
CHUCK TAPPAN
ILLUSTRATION
1994 DISNEY ANIMATION STUDIOS STUDIO DEPARTMENT LEADER FOR LOOK DEVELOPMENT
When he talks about animation, CCS alumnus Chuck Tappan is actually describing not one, but two worlds. The first is the one he’s worked in for almost 18 years at Disney Animation Studios, where he currently serves as studio department leader for Look Development. The other world is Frozen, which he helped create and audiences fell in love with last year. The film won the 2014 Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. “You’re designing a believable world that people can immerse themselves in and emote with, and it has to all feel natural and right. It’s not as if you’re going to design a laptop. You’re going to design everything new that ever existed in that world.”
BRETT RENFER
COMMUNICATION DESIGN
2008 BLUECADET CREATIVE DIRECTOR
As an experience designer and maker, Brett Renfer focuses on creating narrative-rich, architectural-scale responsive environments. “What I enjoy most about my career is seeing people interact with my work,” said Renfer. Renfer has led a range of projects – from designing speculative prototypes around the future of retail, to building an interactive rap video that users controlled with their face. He designed, prototyped and built interactive installations for clients such as Google, Intel, JetBlue, the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas and the Whitney Museum of Art. These projects include “Plug In Play,” an 18-story interactive projection for the 2010 ZER01 Biennial; and the Google Cultural Institute’s media- and technology-rich Lab in Paris.
CHAD JENSEN
CRAFTS
2003 THOMAS RILEY STUDIO CREATIVE DIRECTOR AND LEAD DESIGNER
“As a kid, I always felt that everything was or could be made in Detroit,” recalled alumnus Chad Jensen. “I grew up seeing the huge manufacturing operations or playing with piles of aluminum coils from the mill process. I also spent a lot of time at the Detroit Institute of Arts. The Diego Rivera [“Detroit Industry”] frescoes are imprinted on my memory.” Jensen now lives in Naples, Florida, and is the creative director and lead designer for upscale gallery and atelier Thomas Riley Studio (TRS). The ardent sensibility toward handmade objects that developed during his childhood in metro Detroit remains evident in his designs, which maintain a tension between a material’s actual character and its appearance. Whether he is working on a personal art project or creating custom furniture for a client, Jensen seeks to contextualize furniture not only as object but also as experience.
BRADLEY LAWRENCE
2011 BLVISUALS.COM OWNER
FINE ARTS
Bradley Lawrence has developed an extraordinary portfolio in traditional disciplines, but it’s this artist’s “bright” side that’s stirring excitement in the local art community. Lawrence is blazing new territory in color, light, performance and film through his ultraviolet (black light) expression. “My interest in the ultraviolet world was inspired by the psychedelic posters I grew up screenprinting with my father,” said Lawrence. “While I was still in school, I spent a month working on a single 50” x 83” painting, which appeared as a typical white cloud/blue sky scape. Then, I glazed an invisible ultraviolet pigment over the painting so when the light transitions to ultraviolet, vivid hues of a sunset are revealed on the canvas. A few years later, Lawrence identified a new canvas for his ultraviolet work – apparel.
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MELISSA (ENDRESS) RODRIGUEZ
Melissa Rodriguez’s professional design career began at Assemblage
INTERIOR DESIGN
Incorporated, a residential design/build firm where she worked while
2003
she attended CCS. Immediately after graduation, she was hired as a Designer at JGA Incorporated, a retail architecture and design firm ranked among the “Top 100 Interior Design Giants in the World” by
DESIGN ATELIER
Interior Design magazine. Rodriguez worked on a number of high-profile
SENIOR DESIGNER
accounts, including the design of Saks department stores, Tommy Hilfiger and Yankee Candle stores. Wanting to diversify her skill set, Rodriguez accepted a project designer position at Cagley & Tanner in Las Vegas. She has designed high-end resorts and casinos, managed award-winning projects on the Las Vegas Strip, as well as national and international projects. Most recently, Rodriguez was hired as a senior designer at Design Atelier managing and coordinating the interior design for branded hotel resorts.
RALPH GILLES
TRANSPORTATION DESIGN
1992 FCA US LLC HEAD OF DESIGN — FCA, GLOBAL
An avid car lover since age six, Ralph Gilles is head of design for Fiat Chrysler Automobiles Global. He was hired by the company in 1992 and has received worldwide acclaim with his design contributions to the 300C as well as other vehicles. “Initially, I went into engineering,” Gilles said, “but I ended up spending more time sketching than taking notes. My creative side wasn’t being stimulated enough. Then my brother showed me some photos he took during a visit to the CCS campus, and I was sold.”
COREY BOOTH
ILLUSTRATION
2015 CARTOON NETWORK DIGITAL PRODUCTION ASSISTANT; FREELANCE PROP/EFX DESIGNER FOR “THE POWERPUFF GIRLS”
Draw, play outside, watch cartoons — sounds like a typical day in the life of Corey Booth. He enjoyed these activities as a kid and still enjoys them as an adult. Today, he works for Cartoon Network as a digital production assistant and freelance prop/EFX designer for “The Powerpuff Girls” (premiering April 2016). “It’s a blast getting to come into work every day and design things that will impact another generation of children, some who will someday become artists themselves. I used to watch ‘The Powerpuff Girls’ when I was a kid, so it’s kind of surreal to be able to help bring it back to life. The reason I got into illustration, animation and design is because of watching shows like this growing up and being inspired. I want to help bring that to another generation.”
JUSTIN PYLE
PRODUCT DESIGN
2006 ICON MOTORSPORTS SENIOR PRODUCT DESIGNER
From testing each product he designs to taking on the lead designer role for multiple projects at Icon Motorsports, every day brings something new for senior product designer Justin Pyle. He has taken the lead on multiple projects, including soft goods (footwear and gloves), hard goods (helmets and protective equipment) and technical apparel (jackets). Currently, Pyle is working on a new line of innovative sport riding jackets, a collection of four different styles (as well as two new helmet designs), a new riding boot, gloves, riding pants, helmet graphics and a custom design/build for Kawasaki. “No two days are the same, and I love that about my job. My greatest accomplishment so far is being the lead designer on Icon’s newest helmet. It’s a big responsibility to be put in charge of a project that has so much time and money invested into its success.”
ASTIN DAVIS
ADVERTISING: DESIGN
Gold medals are the highlight of any Olympic competition, but there is also another competition that is closely watched by the world — what the
2013
athletes are wearing. In 2016, CCS alumni played a major role in dressing Olympians from around the world as well as designing an iconic pair of shoes for the fastest man on earth. Astin Davis, CCS Advertising: Design
PUMA GLOBAL GRAPHIC DESIGNER
alumnus and global graphic designer at Puma, designed the men’s and women’s on-track and-off track competition gear for Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Cuba, Grenada and Switzerland. Guercy Eugene, CCS Product
GUERCY EUGENE
PRODUCT DESIGN
2013 PUMA FOOTWEAR DESIGNER
JUSTIN MACONOCHIE
PHOTOGRAPHY
1993 MACONOCHIE PHOTOGRAPHY OWNER AND PHOTOGRAPHER
Justin Maconochie knew he wanted a career doing something he loved — it didn’t involve sitting at a desk. Today, he’s an award-winning photographer who travels the country photographing architecture and environmental portraits as well as shooting editorial assignments. “I never regret choosing a career in photography,” Maconochie said. “I still get a thrill from capturing that right shot or seeing my work published. Like anything in life, it’s been a challenging road, but being able to make a career out of doing something you love makes the low points seem less low and the high points feel fantastic.” Maconochie’s photos have appeared in Hour Detroit, Dwell, Vanity Fair, Interior Design and Architectural Record.
Design alumnus and footwear designer at Puma, designed the shoes.
VERONIKA SCOTT
PRODUCT DESIGN
2011 THE EMPOWERMENT PLAN CEO/FOUNDER
At the age of 23, alumna Veronika Scott was the youngest person ever to receive the New Frontier Award from the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation. The New Frontier Award honors young Americans under the age of 40 who are changing their communities — and the country — with their commitment to public service.
SCOTT HOCKING
2000 INSTALLATION ARTIST AND PHOTOGRAPHER
Five years ago as a student at CCS, Scott spent months at a community
FINE ARTS
Where some people see a crumbling building or aging debris, Scott Hocking sees an opportunity — to learn about our past and ponder the future. He’s a site-specific installation artist/photographer who explores once thriving environments/locations and finds creative ways of giving old artifacts new life. “Making a living as an artist can be really difficult,” Hocking said. “But if it’s what you really want to do, it’s worth it. You have to believe in yourself and have a strong work ethic. Even if you become successful, you’ll
shelter, learning about the needs of the homeless men and women she
still have to work hard. The sacrifices are great, but the reward is finding
met. For a class project, Scott designed a winter coat that converted into
a career you love and not having to live with the regret of never trying.”
a sleeping bag. She then refined her design and, in the process, expanded
Hocking has exhibited his work and created projects throughout Michigan
her vision of social change. In less than two years, Scott transformed
as well as in Chicago, St. Louis, New York, and such international locations
her class project into a nonprofit enterprise. In a previously abandoned
as Toronto, Vienna, Berlin, the Netherlands, Iceland, Australia, Slovenia
warehouse, using donated materials and equipment from General Motors
and southern France.
and Carhartt, she is now employing homeless women to make self-heated, waterproof, convertible coats for Detroit’s homeless population. Recently, she was named one of Forbes’ “30 under 30 Social Entrepreneurs.”
JACKSON CAVANAUGH
While working as a senior designer at VSA Partners in Chicago,
COMMUNICATION DESIGN
Jackson Cavanaugh became dissatisfied with the fonts he had
2005
a clean, corporate sans-serif type family. The projects he enjoyed
OKAY TYPE AND DESIGN
Graphique Internationale, Mayer Brown, Rosetta Stone and
OWNER/DESIGNER
Toyota. Eventually, he decided to follow his dreams and start
to choose from. So he decided to create his own — Alright Sans, most involved creating custom lettering for clients like Alliance
his own type-design business. “I was bored with the fonts I had
KEVIN BEASLEY
FINE ARTS
2007 CAVE CO-FOUNDER/FINE ARTIST
Kevin Beasley was one of 103 artists featured in the prestigious Whitney Biennial in 2014 and has exhibited his work at MoMA in New York City. After graduating from CCS, Beasley co-founded CAVE, an artist-run gallery in Detroit’s Russell Industrial Center. He has worked in multiple disciplines, including sculpture and performance. His sculptural installations are typically composed of found material, such as glass, roots, metal and fabric, and often integrates a music performance element with his work.
to use with my corporate clients. Basically, everyone wanted these clean, understated American gothic fonts. I was much more
The Huffington Post named Beasley as one of “30 Black Contemporary
interested in the contemporary European humanist forms. When
Art Makers under 40 You Should Know.” Beasley earned his MFA from
I released Alright Sans it immediately started getting attention
Yale in 2012. He recently was an artist-in-residence at The Studio
and, surprisingly enough, selling. It even made several of the
Museum in Harlem.
big ‘Best Fonts of 2009’ lists.”
GOLNAZ ARMIN
CRAFTS
2004 NIKE, INC. FOOTWEAR MATERIAL DESIGNER
During her career, Golnaz Armin has worked on the interiors of cars for Ford and the latest basketball shoes at Nike. What remains consistent between the two is her ability to never lose sight of the force that drives her work. “Regardless of what I’m working on, the process is the same: find an idea, develop the thought, solve problems that pop up and finally — make it,” explained Armin, who currently is a footwear material designer at Nike. “Each stage can be challenging in its own way, but the overall process is what’s fascinating to me.”
AKIL DAWKINS
ENTERTAINMENT ARTS
2003 STARDOCK ENTERTAINMENT ART DIRECTOR
What differentiates Akil Dawkins from other PC game designers is discretion. Rather than following the latest trends, he takes on projects that he can immerse himself in throughout the entire design process. “I don’t try to keep up with design trends in the video game industry,” said Dawkins, art director at Stardock Entertainment, a PC software company in Plymouth, Michigan. “A lot of visual styles come and go, but I always try to make assets that are fun for me to create and work well for the projects’ visual styles and time constraints.” Since he was hired at Stardock in 2005, Dawkins has worked on Galactic Civilizations II, Galactic Civilizations II: Dark Avatar, Galactic Civilizations II: Twilight of the Arnor, and Elemental: War of Magic. Two of his games were among Metacritic’s list of Top 10 PC Games.
WATCH! Visit collegeforcreativestudies.edu/ccstv to see our alumni at work!
TODD SMITH
COMMUNICATION DESIGN
2000 NIKE, INC. DESIGN DIRECTOR
As designer of the world’s most popular soccer balls, Todd Smith is literally making his mark on the face of the sport. Smith works as design director for Nike’s soccer equipment. He is the lead designer for almost all of Nike’s soccer balls, many of the goalie gloves and some of the shin guards. “It is amazing to see how soccer influences peoples’ lives,” said Smith. “I think that, outside of religion, soccer might be the largest cultural force in the world. And over the last 10 years, Nike has made a tremendous impact on the look and feel of the sport.” Smith joined the Nike family in 2000, and in 2006 he designed the Total 90 Aerow II, which has been the primary on-pitch ball since then for most professional leagues in Europe and around the world.
WATCH! Visit collegeforcreativestudies.edu/ccstv to see our alumni at work!
MICAH JONES
TRANSPORTATION DESIGN
1999 GENERAL MOTORS COMPANY INTERIOR AUTOMOTIVE DESIGNER
Micah Jones often jokes that his successful career as an automotive designer began at church when he and his brother used to sketch cars on scraps of paper during the service. Since then, his “doodles” have evolved into some of General Motors’ hottest vehicles. Jones has made his mark on the interiors of the ’09 Corvette Stingray concept, ’06 Camaro convertible concept and ‘05 Camaro concept as well as several HUMMERs, Buicks and Corvettes. Two of his vehicles can be seen in the Transformers movies. “I used to see concept car interiors and think, ‘I can do that,’” Jones said. “And when I want something, I do whatever it takes to get it. I was admitted to CCS with decent drawing skills and left with an understanding of how to translate these sketches into real working cars.”
ROBERT WHITE
INTERIOR DESIGN
1984 ILLUMINART PRINCIPAL
As an instructor and industry expert, Robert White is always finding new ways to light up students’ lives — literally. White, principal of the lighting design firm Illuminart, not only introduces CCS students to the latest techniques and trends in the industry, but also is responsible for
EMILY BERGER
PHOTOGRAPHY
2007
the redesign of CCS’s Ford Campus lighting system. “Redoing the lighting
FREELANCE
at CCS has been a most rewarding project for me both personally and
EDITORIAL PHOTOGRAPHER
professionally,” White said. Having provided lighting design direction
After graduation, Emily Berger aspired to work in fashion in one of the largest cities in the world. She moved to New York and spent the next five years fulfilling that dream. About a year ago, she had an epiphany that changed her career forever — and she couldn’t be happier. “There I was working in the fashion industry, and I fully realized that: A) I missed Detroit and was ready to come back; and B) the fashion
in projects, including Haworth showrooms in New York and Toronto,
industry was not for me anymore,” Berger explained. “So I took a big
GM Global Headquarters, the Qatar National Convention Centre, Saigon
chance and decided to make the switch to photographing full-time
Paragon in Vietnam, the McNamara Terminal and Passenger Tunnel,
and work for myself.”
and Central Michigan University Education Building, White developed his client-centered and design–intensive approach to lighting design
Berger now works as a freelance photographer in Detroit. She is a contributor
while at CCS.
to The American Guide, The Midwestival and Let’s Travel Somewhere. In 2013, she was selected by Photo Boite as one of 30 Women Photographers Under 30. Her extensive list of clients includes Kinfolk, T: The New York Times Style Magazine, Hour Detroit, Architectural Digest, Frankie Magazine — Australia, Shinola, American Spoon, Gold Cash Gold, Central Kitchen + Bar, Pewabic Pottery and Slows BarBq, among others. Her stock photos are represented at Aurora Photos and Offset.
WATCH! Visit collegeforcreativestudies.edu/ccstv to see White at work!
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