The New York based consultancy Fahrenheit 212 spans the globe, bringing innovative design that drives some of the planet’s top corporations- P&G, Hershey, Starwood, Warner Music, Coca-Cola, Nestlé, and the Gucci Group. Fast Company calls Fahrenheit 212 the idea factory that is “scorching the consultancy biz.”
Sam is a Portfolio Center alum and a graduate of the University of Texas, Austin.
Hank
“I don’t know what the hell I’m doing?” that’s what inspired me about him. This past week the creative world lost one of its ‘rock stars— Hillman Curtis. In early 2007, I had the opportunity to share the dais with him at the amazing AIGA ‘Y12’ Conference- Push Conference in San Diego. As we rehearsed in the before time to go on stage what struck me first was his kind-to-empathetic voice and how it was wrought with an undercurrent of confidence- so reserved, and so much the antithesis to seemingly his lifelong approach to his art.
His work, he designed early on websites for Adobe, AIGA, Fox, Aquent, The Met, Yahoo and switched over to ‘Film as his medium of choice literally quitting Website design and the early days of ‘Flash and after such notable success.
His entry into film was always one of— just beginning. It was a no heralded announcements and it was just the true artist coming through. You have to so love and respect that… as designers and creatives it’s what we all should do. He went around New York making small films of artists and creatives (the artist series) and that is how he learned the craft of filmmaking— just from diving in and doing it. That was his way of being the artist and his mantra,”it’s one of those things that I should always remember, to try and take the courageous route.”
Hillman’s talent is personified in these amazing films, take a look and be inspired by some of the ‘artist series video films,’ as well this excellent interview by Jake Cook, founder of Digital Wax Works in Montana on Behance’s 99% (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldNcZ59lmDY; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNXlrQHVfIw; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3pXEdvI9xA&feature=fvsr; http://vimeo.com/29402609).
The only thing we carry with us when we go is what we might leave behind. Thank you, Hillman.
Hank
Instructor Brett Player advocates for education as he brings his expansive knowledge to Portfolio Center students each week teaching advanced packaging and branding classes. He has recently joined Jackson Spalding as the new Creative Director. Since beginning his career in 1998 with the global branding firm Landor Associates in NYC, he has led design thinking for some of the world’s most loved and valuable brands on a professional journey that has taken him from New York to Hong Kong.
At Jackson Spalding, Brett will direct the 20-member design team, overseeing their numerous clients’ creative needs (Orkin, LLC, Delta Air Lines, Chick-fil-A, Cousins Properties, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and Primrose Schools).
His career experience includes leading brand, packaging, digital, product and experience design with numerous fortune 500 companies.
Brett is a Portfolio Center alum and a graduate of Florida State University, where he serves as a counsel and member of the Dean’s Advisory Board for the College of Visual Arts, Theatre and Dance.
In the time of cradle-to-cradle products and ever-changing consumer trends, global packaging has become more important in defining brand equities than ever before. As consumers live busier and busier lives, packaging has become one of the most important ‘creative’ marketing tools today. Last year, packaging was worth $670 Billion last year and already forecasts are suggesting that the packaging industry will top a value of $820 Billion by 2016… with the food and beverage market accounting for a value of $440 Billion.
Packaging trends show up as how goods will arrive as the internet becomes our buying source. Playful packaging, innovative packaging, biomimetic packaging, ecological impact and the embracing of sustainable materials, packaging that creates a second life are all contributing to the appeal of consumers globally in packaging.
Packaging has become an amazing career path for designers as it drives top-line growth within all industries and in almost all countries on the planet. It is one of the top 5 industries in almost every country. “It is the only industry that encompasses every single product made, as it is the most important means of differentiation and the best way of providing identity. It is the only medium that reaches 100% of consumers.”
Hank
Pictured above: Gerlinde Gruber/ Austria and the Aufschwung Swing Packaging
Excellent Story and site! (http://ilovetypography.com/2012/04/19/the-design-of-a-signage-typeface/) Great story on the development and adoption of the typeface Wayfaring Sans Pro and the importance of well designed typefaces, readability and legibility in our everyday lives. Check out the references and related posts while you are there.
Hank
Come join us Sat April 28… contact laura@portfoliocenter.edu
As wordsmith, rapper/producer preps his major label debut LP, Live From The Underground, VIBE put the Def Jam rookie up to a ‘Drawn Out Challenge’ with Designer Khia! Jackson of VIBE.com (and Portfolio Center alum). She schools VIP celebrity Big K.R.I.T. in the art of the sketching, while in-exchange the former H.S. baseball standout teaches Khia a bit about baseball in the batting cage. Check it out online @ VIBE.com: http://www.vibe.com/post/drawn-out-vibe-teaches-big-krit-how-illustrate-himself-135535
Hank
Los Angeles based Art Director and Portfolio Center alum Phil Mimaki sends along this great image of the ‘1st day of school 1999… and the comments posting are flying across cyberspace as no painting soaks up color like wonderful memories… “I still have that shirt. What a riot. Was this the 80’s. Why am I wearing that jean jacket. Oh! my the crazy Russian. I just may print this out. Man, I had hair back then. This pic was before my first cell phone. And these were the days when Napster was sort of was legal. I couldn’t find you. I forgot you had hair. Those were a great two years. Changed my life.” Indeed!!! and what a grand class!
New students 1999 above are: Phil Mimaki, Eleanor Dickinson, Buddy Higgs, Alexey Ikonomou, James Chung, Ellen Sales Westing, Murilo Luciano, Jason Wyche, Elizabeth Richardson Dinerstein, Boushra Almutawakel, Christy Briggs, Amy Deskin, Mike Brady Art, Paul Janzen, Michael Brady, Kiki Smith Gunn, Greg Wilson, Cornelia Bowen Gregory, Tony Banasiak, Lauren Petrilli, George Lukin, Elizabeth Griffith, Mike Hanley, Michael Warfield, George Lükin, Lyndi Marie Parrett, Cheryl Zibisky, Ashley Geoffroy Austin, Jonathan Petersen, Tracy Sword, Todd Hammell, Roger Stephens, Allison McAuley, Matt Covington, and Spyke Allapitchay.
Hank.
Portfolio Center’s AIGA/ Atlanta Student Chapter is sponsoring this year’s two-day southeastern AIGA Student Portfolio Review and you are invited to come see and be seen. The reviews of student portfolio’s by top Atlanta designers, and networking and an after-party! net you a great time and some amazing one-on-one advice and insight about your portfolio.
Some of the firms representing reviewers are: Turner Broadcasting, Razorfish, Grant Design Collaborative, National Geographic, Brand Expertise, WebMD.com, Lucid Partners, Iconologic, Roberts Design, UPS, Resonance, Sapient Nitro and more!
PS: kudos on a great poster design (above) by Meredith Morten. Meredith is from Memphis, Tn. and a graduate of Furman University and currently a design student at Portfolio Center in Atlanta.
Hank.
Portfolio Center alum and designer Ryan Howard of R/GA in New York just picked up his 1st ever ‘Andy Award.’ Yay, Ryan!!! and Congrats. His R/GA ‘Google team won top honors last evening and as Ryan noted,” A very fun affair, and I assure you we all drank our fill of the free booze. Very exciting time right now for the resume, and we are now finalists in One Show as well.” Pretty krazy! and amazing work Portfolio Center alum.’s do.
Hank
Good book list to get going on… as Portfolio Center alum, San Francisco based designer Annabel Mangold checks in with a valued reminiscence while out ‘n about,”reminded of her teachings.” Following up, here’s my recommended book list for inspiring your creativity… http://www.underconsideration.com/speakup/archives/002779.html. (p.s., if you’d like to see a more extensive list of recommended books, drop a note and we’ll get one out to you [hank@portfoliocenter.edu]).
Hank.
Great thought sent along by Portfolio Center alum and instructor Carmen Carcia Ortiz with a somewhat rhetorical counseling, “makes me think of you… enjoy.”
Hank.
A hearty WELCOME! to the New Portfolio Center Spring Quarter Class of 2012 students arriving from all over the country— New Hampshire to Colorado and Atlanta. They began their exciting first day being hosted at a private showing to celebrate Stories In Form: The Chairs of Portfolio Center exhibit at the Museum of Design Atlanta. The exhibit is currently showing through June, 2012. (For museum exhibit hours and admission information see: http://www.museumofdesign.org/current-exhibitions).
Spread it all over your type!… Portfolio Center Alum Joel Richardson and his partner David Hudson have officially unleashed the vr. #1 release of Typebutter, which allows you to set optical kerning for any font on your website. If you’re longing for beautifully laid out text that today’s browsers just don’t provide, this is totally the plug’n just for you!
Hank
