Table of Contents
Select student work, 2 Three Phases of a Graphic Design Student, 4 Be Honest, 6 Friends of Graphic Design, 7 Permission Slip, 7 GOOD Ideas for Cities, 8 Spare Some Change, 9 Beyond the Crit Walls, 10 Friendtorship, 12 Signs of Success, 13 Belin Liu, 14 Fritz Mesenbrink, 14 Rory Phillips, 14 Papercraft Me, 15 Across Oceans, 16 Graphic Designers Think Sustainably, 18 Select student work, 19 Being Graphic: Here, There, Everywhere, 19
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1. Brandon Roegner
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2. Allison Berg
3. Martie Flores
4. Ethan Allen Smith
5. Emma Barnett
6. Justin Flood
7. Julianna Johnson
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8. Corbin LaMont
9. Joe Trussell
10 & 11. Priscilla Phitsanoukane
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12. Ryan Bush
13. Ethan Allen Smith
14. Alex Taylor
15. Julianna Johnson
16 & 17. Jeff Frankenhauser
18. Murphy Phelan
The classroom is the entry point for students in Portland State’s graphic design program, but it’s just the beginning of their experience in the design community. As you’ll see in this section, we’re creating a community of makers that echoes Portland’s vibrant creative culture.
It takes a lot of grit to be a dedicated graphic design student. It’s unlike any other field. Students spend more time doing homework for their design classes than they have ever experienced before, but it is all a labor of love. At Portland State, there are three phases that a graphic design student experiences. Pre-Review, Post-Review and Professional. Throughout these phases, the amount of growth that occurs is outstanding as students learn what it really takes to love what you do and be good at it. Take a look at this process, from design rookie into productive professionals ready to immerse themselves in the professional creative community.
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The program’s annual portfolio show is also the party of the year. Whether they’re students or seasoned professionals, designers thrive on transparency, feedback, and critical input. At Be Honest, the annual public portfolio show, students at all levels receive feedback from local design professionals. They step out of their comfort zone and share their work with a public audience—a simultaneously terrifying and exciting experience. Professionals have a chance to get a first-hand look at the curriculum, which helps keep the design program relevant. Perhaps most excitingly, professionals and students have the chance to chat one-on-one, which can often lead to interviews for internships and design positions. It is the biggest event of the year for the Friends of Graphic Design and has attracted several hundred people from the creative community. Guest speakers have included Jessica Hische, illustrator; Jennifer Daniel, art director at Bloomberg BusinessWeek; and the Little Friends of Printmaking.
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The program’s student-run organization, called the Friends
offer students a chance to preview the culture and lifestyle at
of Graphic Design, plays an active role in educating, inspir-
professional workplaces.
ing, and training fellow design students. And if the activity of a student group indicates the strength of a design program,
intense focus on a variety of topics such as editorial illustra-
Portland State is in good shape.
tion, lettering, branding, technical skill building, and brain-
The Friends of Graphic Design find ways to accomplish almost any task, even those that might not be possible or practical within the classroom. Through organized field trips,
storming methods. Past workshops have been instructed by Jessica Helfand, Jennifer Daniel, and Mikey Burton. Student shows run by the Friends of Graphic Design
workshops, lecture series, and a variety of shows and portfolio
include Be Honest, the annual portfolio review, and regular
reviews, the group demystifies the networking process and
events on campus. Students are offered the chance to share
helps facilitate sincere connections between students and
their work with the department, the school at large, creative
their fellow designers, particularly those in the professional
professionals, and the general public. Events range from
design community.
traditional gallery shows to experimental installations, lively
Along with their faculty adviser, Professor Kate Bingaman
The graphic design program's superhuman student group.
Additionally, workshops hosted by visiting designers offer
Burt, students invite, host, and interview working designers
portfolio reviews, and organized presentations. The Friends of Graphic Design were asked to speak at the
for their regular Show & Tell Lecture Series. Past speakers
8th Annual National Student Show in Dallas. Officers ran a
include Jelly Helm, Mark Weaver, Nick Felton, Aaron Draplin,
workshop on how to organize a student group. It was the first
and Tina Roth Eisenberg.
time that students were asked to present.
Field trips to local design studios throughout the
Through everything, Friends of Graphic Design maintains
year—including visits to prominent design players like
an active online presence to document and share their activi-
Wieden+Kennedy, Nemo, Sandstrom, Instrument, and Nike—
ties with the larger community. ( fogdpsu.tumblr.com)
Designer and illustrator Mikey Burton led a workshop on mark-making for the Friends of Graphic Design. Students
The assignment was to brainstorm, sketch, and create a mark for a festival. Cities and festival types were randomly
were challenged to create a thoughtful, meaningful mark within a single day.
drawn. Examples include New Orleans Sandwiches, DC Doughnuts, and Honolulu Comic Festival.
PERMISSION SLIP Professor Kate Bingaman Burt inspires students and creates a caring, sharing community of student designers.
Kate Bingaman Burt is an illustrator, designer, and educator. In 2010, 650 of her daily drawings were published by Princeton Architectural When Professor Kate Bingaman Burt is asked about her
inspire students to be “self-motivated directors of their own
Press as Obsessive Consumption: What Did You
teaching philosophy, she says it’s all about “giving permission.”
creative inquiry.”
Buy Today?. Her client list includes IDEO, The
As an undergraduate student, Bingaman Burt often saw her
Key to her approach is creating a strong community of
Gap, Vh1, Girl Scouts of America, Wolff- Ollins,
favorite graphic design professor, Marcus Melton, heading off
designers working together. Bingaman Burt builds commu-
Madewell, Real Simple, Etsy, and Poketo. Kate
early in the morning to work in the clay studio. Later the same
nity by prodding students to collaborate with both their peers
and her work have been covered in The New
day she would stop by his office, where he would be draw-
and those outside of their design community. “Not only for
York Times, Time Magazine, Design Sponge, Apart-
ing. Melton showed his students that there are many ways
the sake of yielding more enriching experiences and more
ment Therapy, Bitch Magazine, The Washington
to be creative, and that the key was to be constantly making.
interesting work,” but, she says,“by adding multiple voices to
Times, SF Weekly, The Boston Globe and Print. To
By example and through mentoring, Bingaman Burt says her
a creative project, the results will be richer and may produce
learn more, visit katebingamanburt.com.
professor gave her permission to make. Today, Kate’s goal is to
unexpected solutions.”
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Portland is our living learning laboratory. Our city is dense with creative talent; guest lecturers bring the city into the classroom, and field trips bring students into the world. Pocket notebooks and raincoats are required tools for learning as students explore how design functions in their home city.
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GOOD IDEAS
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Since 2008, GOOD has been holding events in cities across the country, pairing local designers with civic leaders to devise solutions to pressing urban issues. Working closely with Alissa Walker, design editor at GOOD, adjunct professor Nicole Lavelle coordinated a GOOD Ideas for Cities event in Portland. Local design teams presented solutions at the live event. The GOOD Ideas for Cities event was the kick off for the final project in Lavelle’s Design Thinking course at Portland State. Students in the course worked collaboratively in groups to identify, research and propose solutions to urban challenges unique to Portland. They presented their ideas at a follow-up event, GOOD Ideas for Portland, that was open to the public. This event featured feedback from local creatives and civic leaders. Design Thinking is a course where students explore the larger discipline of design, which includes creative fields
1. Alissa Walker, creator of GOOD Ideas for Cities, stands with Portland
4. A slide from a student presentation at GOOD Ideas for Portland, by Team
mayor Sam Adams.
Good Times (Corbin LaMont, Gregor Holzmann and Collin May.)
thinking. Through reading, discussion, writing and experi-
2. A still from a video presentation at GOOD Ideas for Cities, made by a
5. Take-aways at GOOD Ideas for Portland, by Team Rescue (Jesse Weeg,
ential learning, students place their own work in a variety of
team of PSU students and grads, Sincerely Interested (Sarah Baugh, class
Paige Lehmann, Yoshimi Kawabata)
contexts, working to understand the ways graphic design can
of 2010; Justin Flood, class of 2012; Nicole Lavelle, class of 2010)
6. Student Gregor Holzmann presents his team’s concept at GOOD Ideas
3. A slide from a presentation at GOOD Ideas for Cities, by OMFGCO
for Portland.
such as architecture, urban design, social design and systems
activate audiences.
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SPARE SOME CHANGE 2
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5 1 & 2. Details from the "Necessity Kit," detailing what, where, and how to donate to help the homeless population in Portland, Oregon. 3. Promotional poster showing materials in context. 4. Tina Snow Le out on the street helping people spare some change. 5. Cover of the "Necessity Kit."
Senior graphic design student Tina Snow Le created a project
To better understand the homeless community, Le cre-
for her thesis class that strives to create a better understand-
ated surveys that asked simple questions like, “ What is your
ing of and more friendliness toward homeless people. While
typical day like?” and, “ What do you want people to know
we all have anxiety and experiences that leave us feeling
about you?” She discovered that the homeless community
vulnerable, intimidated, and uncomfortable, interacting with
simply wants respect, to be acknowledged, and for others to
homeless people topped the list for Portland State student
give them a chance. The surveys revealed a frequent hope-
Tina Le. After being followed home, heckled, and having her
ful request: “Don't be afraid to say hello.” Tina says that “the
personal belongings stolen, Le lost sympathy.
greatest reward was getting people to smile, laugh, and enjoy
Her daily commute to both Portland State and her work-
themselves. A man thanked me for genuinely listening to him
place made it impossible for her to avoid homeless people.
for 20 minutes because, as he says, ‘I feel like no one ever
Determined to defeat her fears, Le decided to base her thesis
wants to listen to me because I’m homeless.’”
class project on ideas that would ease her own apprehension
As part of her project, Le focused on breaking down the
and assist people who inadvertently encounter Portland’s
barriers for communication and make it less intimidating for
homeless community.
different types of people to talk to one another. She created
To familiarize herself with the concerns and experiences of
hopeful signs and posters to replace discouraging messages,
the homeless community, she volunteered at two homeless
redesigned the Rose City Resource Guide, and made business
shelters. One of these shelters, Operation Nightwatch, pro-
cards for the homeless to hand out. Since she began her proj-
vides a place for displaced people to hang out, socialize, get
ect, she has teamed up with Operation Nightwatch and Street
some help, or simply stay off the street for a few hours. Most
Roots newspaper, who are hoping to use her ideas and project
importantly, they focus on nurturing relationships, which can
to help the homeless population in Portland.
help motivate people to keep going through tough times.
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BEYOND THE CRIT WALLS How do you get anything done while being bombarded by kittens riding puppies and turtles eating watermelon?! The professional world of design is different from other com-
classroom. Graphic design classes reinforce the networks be-
Burt’s Data Visualization class) to his personal site. Within
munities because there are few barriers separating amateurs
tween students by providing space for students and teachers
days, it had been shared by NY Magazine, Kurt Loder, Jim Cou-
from students, or students from professionals. It’s all one big
to upload inspiration and work for everyone to see.
dal, Empire Magazine, the Onion AV club, and every blog with
community, a slurry of images and image-makers sharing ideas and influence. The graphic design program at Portland State University
Skype allows professors to take advantage of their longdistance professional connections and bring working profes-
“geek” in the title. This is just one of many student projects that has received
sionals into the classroom. In video chats, students get to
attention from prominent design blogs. When a designer
shares instruction, process, and critiques through a series of
see where professionals work in their day-to-day lives and
shares their work with a broad audience there’s a chance that
blogs and image groups. Flickr, Twitter and a variety of blog
ask questions about their workflow and thought processes.
people will engage with it outside of the walls of the class-
platforms let us connect our six-hundred-plus students and
Even better, video chats bring the designer’s studio into the
room. Putting a piece online takes it beyond the crit walls,
faculty in ways we couldn’t have in the past. When students
classroom, so students can see the context they work in and
and the work can take on a life of its own. You never know
combine a strong online community with an engaged class-
the tools they use.
who might want to collaborate with you, or who will share
room, they learn to focus on their work’s strengths while also seeing how it fits into a wider context. Design students at Portland State use social networks to share ideas, critiques, and design sensibilities beyond the
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A recent student project shows how large an audience the internet can provide to a budding designer. Junior Jeff Frankenhauser posted an infographic about the explosions in Michael Bay’s movies (a project from Professor Bingaman
their take on your design.
Illustration by Julian Gese
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FRIENDTORSHIP
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Led by Professor Lis Charman, Portland State design students mentor at-risk high school students. Through social art and design, Friendtorship nurtures positive, productive relationships and collaborations. Friendtorship sessions always begin with interaction and
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1 . Savannah, a high school student from Centenial Learning Center.
conversation: How is the day going? The past week? What
2. "Someday I Will _______"
music are you listening to? What have you been up to? As each
Post-It note installation at PSU. 3. PSU mentors Maryanne Parrone,
session progresses, conversations become more focused.
Tina Snow Le, Kate Giambrone,
Community, social justice, art, design, diversity, and art liter-
and Rachel Swedenborg.
acy have been the starting points of our sharing and creative
4. Conrad Schumacher, faculty advisor from CLC.
work. Relationships are nurtured—providing lots of listening
5. Temporary tattoo created by PSU
and sharing when the need arises.
mentor Murphy Phelen.
One such session focused on Candy Chang, an artist
6. "Someday I Will _______"
who creates interactive projects combining street art with
chalkboard installation at CLC.
social activism and urban planning. Chang’s work fuels civic engagement in public spaces and provides people with easy and innovative ways to make their voice heard. Using Chang as inspiration, students from both Portland State and the Centennial Learning Center High School (CLC) created a wall of Post-It notes, each of which completed the phrase, “Someday I Will _____.” The result reflected the combined aspirations of the faculty and high school and college students. Next,
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with homemade chalkboards, a few recycled resources, and a lot of teamwork, the students then made a permanent installation at the CLC campus. Hoping to encourage engagement and open dialogue about what is happening around them, the “Someday I Will _____” wall serves as a permanent memento of conversation, hope, and inspiration in the hallways of CLC. Portland State and CLC students develop projects like these together. In the future, CLC students will be share these lessons with local elementary schools. The Friendtorship program not only offers support to oft-neglected high school students, but creates real opportunities to teach teens how art and design can (and do) change the world.
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The graphic design curriculum at Portland State University unites students with local micro-entrepreneurs and notfor-profit organizations. As a directed class project, juniors in the program help define what these businesses need to increase customer volume and improve sales. Creating a true designer/client relationship, students create websites, logos, signage, advertisements, and more. The business owners are part of a program run by Microenterprise Services of Oregon, an organization focused on minorities and other under-served groups. Professor Lis
SIGNS OF SUCCESS
Graphic design students work with Portland microenterprises to develop successful brand identities. Students are challenged to listen to their clients and use their creativity to develop thrifty strategies for businesses like small shops and food carts.
Charman said that her students benefit from working with actual clients who have specific needs, opinions, and very real budget constraints. “It’s an immersive design assignment,” she said. “Students have real world clients and are challenged to come up with working solutions.” Instead of hypothetical classroom scenarios, students take their cues from real clients. “ We’re learning to tell the best story for a specific business owner, whose livelihood depends on this business,” Charman explained. “It’s really satisfying when we design measurable solutions.” Limited funds force the designers to be resourceful in finding no-cost ways to promote the business—an important lesson for students to learn early on. “Often the best solution isn’t the most expensive one,” Charman continued, “it’s the most creative one.” The design students get satisfaction from seeing their work make a real difference. Later, when the designers look for jobs, Charman concluded, “they can speak from the position of experience, from having effectively solved a real problem for a real business.”
1 . SLT Communications stationery by Ethan Allen Smith 2. Enat Kitchen menu drafts by Marri Gamard 3. PhoenixLotus Photography business cards by Joe Trussell 4. Kazüm logo drafts by Cielle Charron
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Portland State students and alumni can be found designing in places like South Africa, the Netherlands, and Japan. Our students use creativity and ingenuity not only to create beautiful design, but also to make sustainable changes and help communities in need.
1. Fritz Mesenbrink, Jeremy Pelley, and Mathew Foster of OMFGCO created a custom sign for a local sports bar, the Spirit of ‘77.
FRITZ MESENBRINK
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His first time in college, Fritz Mesenbrink studied communications and German, but always had a love for art. “I realized that all of the jobs I wanted were in the field of design and I didn’t have the right skill set to get hired. So I went back to
BELIN LIU
school at Portland State and got a second degree in graphic
For most of her life, Belin Liu had no real sense of what
design firm and one of the most award winning agencies in
“graphic design” meant. She doodled and made zines through
the world. Immediately, he was working on projects for some
her formative years, but didn’t think it possible to convert
of the industry’s largest brands, including Nike, Starbucks,
her pastime into a potential career. After earning a degree in
and Coca-Cola. It was here that he first met Mathew Foster.
English literature and moving to Portland, she was invited to
After they left W+K to work freelance, they teamed up with
attend the senior show of a co-worker who was finishing up a
Jeremy Pelley to rent studio space in Chinatown. “ We started
degree in graphic design.
collaborating right away, and just really worked well together.”
Belin was impressed. “She had created an amazing installation based on her writings,” she remembers, “and I thought,
design. It was one of the smartest moves I’ve ever made.” After graduating from Portland State, Mesenbrink started working for Wieden+Kennedy, the largest Portland-based
In November of 2009, they became the Official Mfg. Co. Through OMFGCO, Fritz has been able to work in a way that
I can do this with graphic design?!” She immediately began
is both meaningful and personally rewarding. “ To us, there’s
researching, trying to find where best to explore her new-
no difference between personal work and client work.” Every
found passion. “PSU had a great program for post-baccalau-
idea serves as inspiration for a project. “Sometimes ideas that
reates. 2D Design, Intro to Communication Design, Typogra-
we’re really excited about for one project won’t work out how
phy; it all sounded so alien and mystical, I wanted more!”
we want, so they get put on the back burner. Later, it will re-
While at Portland State, Belin helped form the Friends of
emerge as inspiration for an entirely different project that’s
Graphic Design student group. “ We had a shared desire for a
an even better fit.” He regularly visits the students at Portland
student-run group that offered a comfortable space to study,
State to offer critique and inspiration.
discuss and exchange ideas, and do some last minute exactoing on final projects.” She continued, “All the work I am most proud of can be boiled down to people and relationships. The people I worked with at PSU became my future cohorts.” Making sure to never pass up an opportunity, Belin now
RORY PHILLIPS
Rory Phillips is a designer, illustrator, part-time cat-wrestler and all-weather bike commuter making stuff in Portland.
works as the Senior Designer at Atelier Ace, the design studio
He completed his graphic design degree at Portland State in
for Ace Hotels. “I worked my ass off,” she
2009. Currently he is a Senior Designer at Scout Creative.
reflects, “but it boils down to believ-
“Disciplining one’s mind to analyze ideas and creative work
ing in the people who believed
to see how they can be improved and pushed further is an es-
in me. And some borderline
sential skill, but it’s not something you can teach yourself, it’s
annoying persistence.”
something that you need to be inspired to reach for. Portland State’s graphic design program focuses on teaching students how to think creatively. Portland State students and faculty
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are some of the most passionate people I’ve ever met. Learning in that environment pushes you to achieve your best.”
2. Concept, design, and photo by Rory Phillips. 3. Belin Liu created the packaging for Moma Kawa organic sake.
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ACROSS OCEANS
Three Portland State graphic design graduates are successfully living and working abroad in Amsterdam, Berlin, and Tokyo.
CARI VANDERYACHT Art Director, Wieden+ Kennedy. Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Do you miss anything about designing in the US? I work for an American company so it doesn’t feel much dif-
SANDRA BOECKMANN freelance graphic designer. Berlin, Germany.
ferent. Just more accents and we don’t get Thanksgiving off. Do you have a project you are most proud of ?
That being said, I do get States nostalgic from time to time.
Alumna Sandra Boeckman is German, but after spending six years
I designed the website for the Kennedys, a group of 6 young
How has working in Amsterdam changed your work?
in Portland living, studying and working, she’s often perceived as
creatives selected to take part in Wieden+Kennedy Amster-
I’ve started to trust more in collaboration. Before, I was
American. She worked for Aperto, one of the leading digital commu-
dam’s apprenticeship program. (www.thekennedys.nl)
hesitant to show progress work to colleagues. Maybe I’m
nications agencies in Germany, and currently freelances in Berlin.
How is designing in Amsterdam different?
more confident or maybe the people I work with are pushier
It’s like designing in the United Nations. Amsterdam has a
about getting involved, but I’ve warmed to the idea of working
How is designing in Berlin different than in the US?
huge expat population and this agency seems to hold down
closely with others. It seems that every time I have a discus-
The general work atmosphere, whether I was freelancing in
its fair share. Everyone speaks English but communication
sion with someone about a half-finished idea, it gets better.
a small or big agency. I’ve not experienced the same sense of
does take on a new level.
What do you miss most about living in Portland?
laid-backness as in Portland, and it’s been a lot quieter in the
What do you enjoy about working in Amsterdam?
Tacos, wild growth and a lot of faces.
offices here. You’re more inside your own little bubble and get
The design here is top notch and there’s some really interest-
What is the best part of living in Amsterdam?
things done efficiently while the fun factor seems to be much
ing and weird art coming out of the Netherlands. Also, five
It’s always nice to discover a new city day by day. Amsterdam
more secondary. That’s been really difficult for me, cause
weeks of vacation.
has enough nooks and crannies to keep me interested.
fun, love and passion are so essential to me and my work. [In
Cari Vanderyacht (pictured above in part of her Ugly Face Wednesday series) developed the identity and website for Wieden+Kennedy Amsterdam's internship program, The Kennedys.
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IAN LYNAM Principal of Ian Lynam Design, adjunct faculty at Temple University Japan, and an associate editor at Idea Magazine published by Seibundo Shinkosha.
business meetings, client conversations and working with service providers. How has working in Tokyo changed your work? I think that it has changed my work in a number of ways. I have a different set of context work-wise. Japanese design
Who are your favorite clients to work with?
doesn’t look like contemporary American design and as I try
I love writing for Idea—the editor-in-chief, Kiyonori Muroga,
to make distinct work, mine feels very much authored. The
is really open to new ideas and receptive to my take on things.
colors and elements I incorporate into my work are wide-
Muroga-san cultivates a playful realm of academic criticism,
ranging and are often culled from Japanese design history in
openness and exploration with Idea—he is always open to
either non-obvious ways or in ways that a Japanese designer
new essays and allows me to pitch in and write around topics
wouldn’t think to appropriate. I’m not interested in doing
where I perceive gaps. There is a level of mutual professional
things the “proper” way, except to have a high level of craft.
respect and a humility in our working relationship that I
How has working in Tokyo changed your perspective?
imagine will never be duplicated writing for another publica-
It’s constant change, keeping an eye on the world while keep-
tion or publisher. I am very appreciative of being involved in
ing an eye on how things move here. As my duties in being a
the production of every issue.
writer and critic have multiplied, so has my desire to be more
Do you have a project you are most proud of ?
observant. I imagine it has changed me in ways I’ll never
Not one particular project but rather an interweaving of
know. Becoming semi-acculturated to Japan has meant a shift
writing, teaching and designed objects/phenomena. I try to
in behavior, outlook and attitude. My wife tells me I change
infuse each project with a sense of authorship, be it graphic
when we go to America. I am louder, more brash, and more
or editorial.
assertive. I think I am these things daily in Tokyo, but the
How is designing in Tokyo different than in the US?
context of America amplifies them, I guess.
To be a foreigner working in Japan, even one with exceptional
What do you miss most about living in Portland?
language skills, is still to be an outsider. Myself and the few
I miss my friends and good tacos (this is a recent develop-
folks I know who work here have our own businesses because
ment in Portland) and American style pizza. This all being
we can get farther faster than if in a corporation, agency or
said, the experience of each is heightened due to months of
studio. We will be appreciated, but will never be accepted, per
absence form each at a time.
se—we are innately foreign, and that is both an asset (multi-
What is the best part of living in Tokyo?
cultural viewpoints, cutting through the bullshit of standard-
It’s the aggregate experience: food, book culture (there’s a
ized methodologies, uniqueness) and a deficit (multicultural
tome on literally everything), respect on the street. It’s an
viewpoints, cutting through the bullshit of standardized
experience that cannot be synthesized into a few sentences. I
Berlin] design is much safer and conservative, very pragmatic
methodologies, uniqueness).
love living here in a way that I never did in New York, the Bay
and much less risk-taking and more compromise.
What do you enjoy most about working in Tokyo?
Area, Los Angeles or Portland. You can really tune in in major
What do you enjoy most about working in Berlin?
I also love the challenges associated with “doing business”—
ways or be reclusive and hermit-like (or both). People are
Being a freelancer here is really nice and I definitely enjoy
the linguistic and cultural hurdles—they are so daunting, yet
always doing things, private and public are respected and the
the freedom it gives me the most. It’s the easiest thing in the
so rewarding when it all goes well. This applies to typography,
liminal spaces between are new and exciting.
Sandra Boeckmann also manages the electronic music record label Tigerbeat6 for which she has designed several album covers, including this one for the artist Hakan Lidbo.
world to get a desk in a shared office space and start working outside of home with a bunch of random people. There are so many designers, illustrators, photographers, artists and musicians here and it’s always great to meet new people through your work and/or workspace. Do you miss anything about designing in the US? I’ve only ever worked one full-time position in the US, but it seemed so ideal. It was very conducive of learning, fun, amazing and challenging projects, and I loved everyone on my team. It’s true that I feel more connected to Americans than I do to Germans, and the working mentality is so very different. I really miss working with Americans. How has working in Berlin changed your perspective? One of Berlin’s appeal for many and almost-slogan is “Arm, aber sexy,” which translates to “poor, but sexy,” summarizing the city so perfectly. I’ve actually started to grow a bit weary of this attitude. It effects the creative realm so much. I think it can be quite futile to be in a surrounding like this, with an endless amount of parties, clubs, social gatherings going on. If you choose to be, you can be constantly stimulated by this city and its happenings, and can easily get trapped in that sort of thing and lose focus and ambition. I am going through a reductive phase right now, where I try to take as little as possible from what’s out there, and try to give back so much more. What do you miss most about living in Portland?
Ian Lynam designed a modular, stackable 3D alphabet for Konexi, a board game published by Zimzala Games.
I really miss the beautiful skyline, the bridges, friends, especially the closeness to nature. And the Hairbender blend from Stumptown (I hope they still have that one).
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GRAPHIC DESIGNERS THINK SUSTAINABLY Garlic grows perfectly packaged. So it was especially gall-
ing to the graphic design students in Chris North’s five-week “ Waste Not” seminar at Portland State University when a fellow student found peeled garlic at the grocery store sold in individually wrapped cellophane packets, all in a larger bag.
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It helped spur a branding project by three students called Think. ‘Less.’ where they envisioned a system whereby customers would be rewarded with points for purchases that generate less waste. Those students presented their sustainable solutions at the Shift Salon, “ What does sustainable design mean to you?” in Portland, sponsored by the local chapter of AIGA, the professional association for design. The event was for graphic designers, who regularly think about branding and messagemaking, to develop ideas for making sustainable changes. It’s an event to inform and inspire peers, clients, and students about sustainable design thinking and practices. Of the ten groups who presented at the salon, North had
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a second team of students who spoke about their proposal to rebrand Portland's municipal water supply. Instead of focusing on the terrible waste caused by bottled water, the students wondered, why not just rebrand the stuff flowing from the taps? They created “Perfectly Fine” stickers that people can
Jason Heglund and Justin Lucero presented their concept, Think. ‘Less.,’ at
put on water bottles. North even considered sending some of
the AIGA Shift Salon.
the stickers to Mayor Sam Adams. “The point of the class is for them to think differently, for them to rethink the role of graphic designers and rethink accountability for design decisions,” said North. “Someone had to design that ridiculous garlic package.”
Mimi Pham, senior, presented her proposal for a more sustainable way to buy and reuse clothes to Portland’s professional design community at the 7th AIGA Shift Salon. The idea uses technology and sustainable practices to create affordable tailored and recycled clothing for clients as an alternate to purchasing mass produced clothing. Mimi says “I 1. WriteRight rethinks the disposable pen. Presented by Beth Miller, Jordynn Hall and Laura Jones Martinez. 2. ReCell proposes battery packaging that is reusable as a shipping con-
think people want to have better quality clothes, be able to reuse and recycle as well as reduce clut-
tainer to return dead batteries back to the manufacturer. Presented by Billy
ter in their wardrobes.” Her idea was developed in
Kemmer, Ryan Fleming, Tyler Burnett, and Micah Kuhl.
three weeks during a seminar that addresses our
3. Draft Collective aims to make purchasing beer a sustainable process in
throw-away culture and the true costs of product
grocery stores. Presented by Tijani Stewart & Steve Ebert. 4. Glass Kicks Ass explored the life cycle of a plastic bottle. Presented by Micah Fuller, Shannon Crutchfield and Minji Pak.
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design and marketing.
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2 BEING GRAPHIC: HERE, THERE, EVERYWHERE A student-created publication. The faculty in the design program at Portland State University are active makers as well as educators. Through their efforts and connections, Portland State's graphic design students become part of the larger design community. Research, concept, storytelling, craft, collaboration, and process are the key principles of our educational approach. RESEARCH Look, analyze, understand. When
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addressing any given design problem, sourcing
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relevant information and organizing these findings into a coherent message is crucial to success. Design students at PSU generate contextual meaning for the materials they produce. CONCEPT Imagine, interpret, explore. Design is not merely visual; strong design is rooted in logic. A thoughtful approach keeps designer's efforts focused and relevant. Interesting and effective designers generate intriguing, provocative ideas. STORYTELLING Share, stimulate, narrate. Communication involves the expression of ideas and themes that will resonate with meaning. Designers can inspire an audience by presenting information in an enjoyable, creative, and meaningful way. CRAFT Create, shape, improve. Presentation is one of the keys to adding real value to a message. The graphic design program at PSU challenges
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students to experiment with media. This means
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working hard to produce a final piece that appears as effortless as they are attractive. COLLABORATION Connect, engage, strengthen. As part of the broader mandate of the University at-large, PSU is invested in community-based learning. Many projects deliberately reinforce the network between students and the city of Portland. PROCESS Think, make, critique, and repeat. There’s nothing supernatural about creating strong design. PSU encourages a reflective, critical
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approach to working through design problems. Students explore challenges, getting their hands dirty both figuratively and literally. PORTLAND STATE PRESIDENT Wim Wiewel ART DEPARTMENT INTERIM CHAIR Michi Kosuge
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ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR & EDITOR Lis Charman ART DIRECTOR Ethan Allen Smith ASSOCIATE EDITOR Nicole Lavelle ASSISTANT EDITOR Drew Bell FACULTY ADVISOR Kate Bingaman Burt CONTRIBUTORS Ryan Bush, Nathan Gale, Julian Gese, Corbin LaMont, Tina Snow Le, Mimi Pham SPECIAL THANKS Jason Blackheart, Sandra Boeckmann, Alex Boyd, Jeff Glenndenning, Briar
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Levit, Belin Liu, Ian Lynam, Megan McGinley, Fritz
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Mesenbrink, Dustin Murdock, Chris North, Rory Phillips, Conrad Schumacher, Carrie Sturrock, Charles Rosenthal, Cari Vanderyacht, Alissa Walker, Katie Jundt, Suzanne Flores TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE GRAPHIC DESIGN PROGRAM AT PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY, PLEASE VISIT PSU.GD
1. Charles Moss
2. Joe Trussell
3. Matti Jonsson
4. August Miller
5. Scott Murray
6. Gaby Tirta
7. Brennan Thome
8. Alex Taylor
9. Savannah Julian
10. Bryan Morgan
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Portland State University Graphic Design Program Department of Art P.O. Box 751 Portland, Oregon 97207-0751
PSU.GD