Thank you to everyone who participated in Graphex 44. We had a great turnout, and a great time. Jakub Hartleib kicked the night off with beautiful (and delicious) food, while Mark Kuykendall set the mood with some chill vibes. Guests strolled through our makeshift gallery of winners, a truly inspiring showing.

Our Graphex 44 team worked tirelessly to put together this year’s show. The awards segment was short and sweet, and each category was introduced by a local artisan. From violin makers, to grass tenders at ONEOK Field, and brewers at Marshall’s, we kept people guessing who would pop up next. At the end of the awards, we hope you were surprised to see a new feature: comments from this year’s judges. As you know, our judges were experienced, unbiased designers from across the Midwest. Alan from Leo Burnett commended Tulsa on our design and our barbeque, while Shawn from Blacktop Creative gave a special shout-out to this year’s Raffe Award recipient, John Hammer.

Congratulations to all the winners. Thanks to your hard work and participation, we were able not only to inspire each other, we also fueled future designers through scholarship awards. And between the winner’s books* and the photobooth, we all had a little souvenir to take with us. What was your favorite part of the night?

*One award was originally omitted from the book, though we did announce it during the show. That piece was the identity for Hoteles M, by Cubic. Winston Peraza, creative director; Sean Ball, art director; Hoteles M, client. This received a Merit for Identity.

Graphex 44 Winners

Motion Graphics

Gold(video)

My Ditch Witch Drilled It Testimonial Video

Littlefield Brand Development

Mike Rocco, creative director

Jason Jordan, associate creative director

Darshan Phillips, art director

Chris Barricks, writer

Brandon Bergin, editor

Ditch Witch, client

Gold (motion graphics campaign)

Know Your Trash Videos

Littlefield Brand Development

Mike Rocco, creative director

Jason Jordan, associate creative director

Katy Kite, art director

Chris Miller, designer

Cullen Koger, writer

Tulsa Authority for the Recovery of Energy, client

Bronze (motion graphics)

Osage Money Drop TV Commercial

Walsh Branding

Kerry Walsh, principal & creative director

Heath Potter, creative director

Tammy Chick, managing principal & senior account manager

Terri Hibberd, account executive

Jennifer Bighorse, Osage marketing director

Mike McGuire, Osage marketing manager

Osage Casino, client

Bronze (video)

YMCA Program Video

Littlefield Brand Development

Mike Rocco, creative director

Jason Jordan, associate creative director

Matt O’Meilia, writer

Chris Miller, editor

Brandon Bergin, editor

YMCA of Greater Tulsa, client

Identity

Gold

Endless Entertainment logo

Loftis & Ball

Sean Ball & Damian Madray, creative direction

Sean Ball, art direction & design

Endless Entertainment / Damian Madray, The Madray, client

Gold

Bevworks logo

Katy Kite, designer

Joseph Breaux, client

Gold

Coney I-Lander Logo

Walsh Branding

Kerry Walsh, principal & creative director

Cassie Drake, lead art director

Annell Dornblaser, account executive

Coney I-Lander, client

Silver

Pop Co-Op Logo

Studio Savage

Jeffrey W. Savage, creative director & designer

Peter Kraemer, illustrator

Pop Co-Op, client

Silver

Scissortail Brewing Co. Logo

Hammer designs

John Hammer

Scissortail Brewing Co., client

Bronze

Tulsa Run Logo

Cubic

Winston Peraza, creative director

Tina Fincher, art director

Katy Livingston, designer

Jeff DeGarmo, programmer

Tulsa Sports Commission, client

Merit

Station8 Logo

Station8

David Clark, creative director & designer

Morgan Middleton, designer

Aaron Mays, designer

Merit

Sam Kaplan Photography Logo

Loftis & Ball

Sean Ball & Sam Kaplan, creative direction

Sean Ball, art direction & design

Sam Kaplan Photography, client

Merit

Bodega System Logo

Justen Renyer, designer

Bodega System / Grant’s Tomb Records, client

Merit

Hoteles M Logo

Cubic

Winston Peraza, creative director

Sean Ball, art director

Hoteles M, client

Editorial

Gold

Selser Schaefer Architects Newsletter Vol 2 No 3

Station8

David Clark, creative director

Morgan Middleton, designer

Laura Crouch, copywriter

Western Printing, printer

Selser Schaefer Architects, client

Silver

Operation Scissortail

Carl Brune

Steve Lackmeyer & Jack Money, authors

David McNeese / Cooper Ross, photography

Carl Brune, design / production

Jim Tolbert, Full Circle Press, Oklahoma City, publisher

Everbest, Hong Kong, printer

Full Circle Press, client

Institutional Literature

Gold

Hoss Pumps Capabilities Brochure

Studio Savage

Jeffrey W. Savage, creative director & designer

Cody Johnson, photographer

Mark Brown, copywriter

Western Printing, printer

Hoss Pumps, client

Bronze

ONEOK 2012 Annual Report

Walsh Branding

Kerry Walsh, principal & creative director

Heath Potter, creative director

Nealay Patel, art director

Annell Dornblaser, account executive

ResourceOne, printer

ONEOK, Inc., client

Bronze

Alliance 2012 Annual Report Set

Walsh Branding

Kerry Walsh, principal & creative director

Heath Potter, creative director

Paul Woodard, lead art director

Margaret Coughlin, account executive

Susan Dornblaser, writer

ResourceOne, printer

Alliance Resource Partners, client

Bronze

Kinslow, Keith & Todd Brochure

Staion8

David Clark, creative director

Aaron Mays, designer

Morgan Middleton, designer

Laura Crouch, copywriter

Western Printing, printer

Kinslow, Keith & Todd, Inc., client

Merit

Pop Co-Op Advocacy Brochure

Studio Savage

Jeffrey W. Savage, creative director & designer

David Noah Roberts & Jeffrey W. Savage, copywriters

Cody Johnson, product photographer

Pop Co-Op, client

Advertising

Gold

Jakob Trollback Lecture Poster

Justen Renyer, art director

Bayley Jackson, designer

Mickey Smith, designer

Adrienne Samuel, designer

Stefani Billings, designer

Katie Amos, designer

Jason Camarse, designer

Laney Fisher, designer

Alyson Stejskal, designer

Oklahoma State University Graphic Design Club, client

Silver (campaign)

15 Faces for 15 Faces Print Advertising Campaign

Studio Savage

Jeffrey W. Savage, creative director & designer

Shane Bevel, creative director & photographer

Kristen Turley & Morgan Phillips, copywriters

Komen for the Cure, Tulsa, client

Bronze (campaign)

Get Your Hands on Tomorrow Posters

Littlefield Brand Development

Mike Rocco, creative director

Jason Jordan, associate creative director

Katy Kite, designer

Cullen Koger, writer & associate creative director

Merit (campaign)

Know Your Trash Print Ads

Littlefield Brand Development

Mike Rocco, creative director

Jason Jordan, associate creative director

Katy Kite, designer

Matt O’Meilia, writer

Cullen Koger, writer

Tulsa Authority for the Recovery of Energy, client

Dimensional

Silver

ecoVINO HeliBiker Red Pouch

Station8

David Clark, creative director

Morgan Middleton, designer

ecoVINO Wines, client

Direct Mail

Silver

Katy + Matt Wedding Invitation

Katy Livingston, designer

Letterpress of Tulsa, printer

Merit

Chandelier Invitation / Call for Entries

Walsh Branding

Kerry Walsh, principal & creative director

Heath Potter, creative director

Nealay Patel, art director

Annell Dornblaser, account executive

Hayden Cantrell, account coordinator

Living Arts of Tulsa, client

Merit

Mingo Direct Mail

Cubic

Libby Bender, creative director

Jeff Savage, art director

Katy Livingston, designer

Sean Ball, designer

Greg Tatum, illustration

Mingo Press, client

Merit

Cubic Holiday Card

Cubic

Winston Peraza, creative director

Katy Livingston, art director

Sean Ball, art director

Environmental Graphics

Bronze

Coney I-Lander Signage

Walsh Branding

Kerry Walsh, principal & creative director

Rod Clifford, director of environmental graphics

Cassie Drake, lead art director

Annell Dornblaser, account executive

Claude Neon Federal Signs, fabricator

Coney I-Lander, client

Merit

Mozilla Webmaker Festival Exhibition Graphics

C. Speligene / Fearless Design, Inc.

Mozilla, client

Interactive Design

Best of Show

Gold

Saxum Website

Saxum

Matt Reiswig, design

Michael Staub, information architecture

Adam Munns, development

Grant Zellner, copywriting

Josh Welch, photography

Chad Bianco, photography

Silver

St. Gregory’s University Website

Littlefield Brand Development

Mike Rocco, creative director

Jason Jordan, associate creative director

Candace Chupp, art director

Kellen Conrad, graphic artist

St. Gregory’s University, client

Bronze

Station8 Branding Website

Station8

David Clark, creative director

Aaron Mays, designer

Laura Crouch, copywriter

Ralph Cole, photographer

Merit

Christopher Smyk FW 2013

Steve Loftis

Christopher Smyk, creative director

Daniel Martinez Matallana, photographer

Steve Loftis, design & development

Christopher Smyk, client

In-House Design

Merit

OSUIT Marketing Department Workflow Chart

Kim Woodard, art director & designer

OSUIT, client

Merit

Petrochemicals

PennWell

Charles Thomas, art director & designer

Donald L. Burdick, author & copywriter

William L. Leffler, author & copywriter

PennWell / Professional Education Products Group, client

Illustration

Gold

Get Your Hands on Tomorrow Poster

Littlefield Brand Development

Mike Rocco, creative director

Jason Jordan, associate creative director

Katy Kite, designer

Cullen Koger, writer & associate creative director

Silver

Aida Poster

Studio Savage

Jeffrey W. Savage, creative director & designer

Jeremy Luther, illustrator

Tulsa Opera, client

Quik Print, printer

Silver

Daughter of the Regiment Poster

Studio Savage

Jeffrey W. Savage, creative director & designer

Jeremy Luther, illustrator

Tulsa Opera, client

Quik Print, printer

Photography

Advertising

Gold

The Baron of Black Gold

Jeremy Charles Photography

Jeremy Charles, photographer

Cale Chadwick, art director

Kyle Brumley, creative director

Darcy Bond, project manager

Black Gold Casino – Chickasaw Nation Division of Commerce, client

Gold (campaign)

Philbrook MIX – Mixology Event

Jeremy Charles Photography / Melissa Lukenbaugh Photography

Jeremy Charles, photographer

Melissa Lukenbaugh, photographer

Philbrook Museum of Art, client

Silver (campaign)

Elephants In The Dark

Cody Photography

Cody Johnson

First Baptist Jenks, client

Merit

RT80 / Ditch Witch advertising shoot of a real trenching site.

Amatucci Photography, Inc.

John Amatucci, phtographer

Genny Pankey, art director

Littlefield / Ditch Witch, client

Books

Bronze

Black Mesa book

Jeremy Charles Photography / Travis Hall Photography

Jeremy Charles, photographer

Travis Hall, photographer

Denny Schmickle, designer

Nathan Gunter, copywriter

Mary Beth Babcock, project curator

Black Mesa project, client

Editorial

Gold

Storm Rolls into Hoot Owl Ranch

Jeremy Charles Photography

Jeremy Charles, photographer

Black Mesa project, client

Gold

Oklahoma Wildfires

Jeremy Charles Photography

Jeremy Charles, photographer

Corbis Images, client

Silver

Oklahoma Wildfires

Jeremy Charles Photography

Jeremy Charles, photographer

Corbis Images, client

Institutional

Gold

Slum Rain 1

Cody Photography

Cody Johnson, photographer

First Baptist Jenks, client

Silver

Slum Rain 2

Cody Photography

Cody Johnson, photographer

First Baptist Jenks, client

Merit

Slum Rain 3

Cody Photography

Cody Johnson, photographer

First Baptist Jenks, client

Miscellaneous

Gold

Graphex 43 Raffe Award

Genevieve Pankey, art director & designer

David Majestic, trophy co-designer & fabricator

Art Directors Club of Tulsa, client

Silver (campaign)

Bishop Kelley Auction Pieces 2013

Littlefield Brand Development

Mike Rocco, creative director

Jason Jordan, associate creative director

Genevieve Pankey, designer

Matt O’Meilia, writer

Bishop Kelley High School, client

Silver (campaign)

Tulsa Art Studio Tour Branding

Cubic

Winston Peraza, creative director

Katy Livingston, art director

Sean Ball, art director

Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition, client

The Raffe

John Hammer

We know how hard you’ve been working this year, the level of design submitted for Graphex proves it. So take a night off to celebrate a job well done, and join us for an epic party. The best part? A majority of the night’s proceeds go to future designers via our scholarship prizes. This year, Graphex is more than a design show – it’s a celebration of the arts.

When you enter Graphex, your work is exposed to highly talented judges from around the nation. At Graphex 44, we’ll be exposing local artisans, who know what it means to live and work passionately. Your Graphex 44 committee has been hard at work creating a video to keep the show surprising, featuring talented chefs, entrepreneurs, and more from the area. The entertainment will also expose a local musician (stay tuned for details), and of course we’ll enjoy culinary arts. The hors d’oeuvres are almost artwork themselves, hand-crafted by local chef Jakub Hartlieb of Tulsa’s Private Dinners.

The focus of the night, though, is you and your work. The caliber of work selected for this year’s show is truly exciting. Winning pieces will be featured throughout the presentation, and can also be viewed in-person. Letters have gone out to the designers of the 55 winning pieces, but it was a tough decision for the judges. If your piece wasn’t accepted, don’t forget you can pick it up from Walsh weekdays from 9-5, from May 17 thru May 24.

The party kicks off at 6:30 pm Thursday, May 16 at the Vanguard. We’ll have a full bar, killer music, and of course some of the best design in the region. Tickets are $25 in advance from graphex44.eventbrite.com, or $30 the night of the event – cash, check and major credit cards will be accepted at the door. We have plenty of surprises lined up, so make sure you’re there!

Another speaker series is over, and we definitely ended on a high note. Petrula Vrontikis was beyond amazing, many commenting that she was our most inspiring speaker this season – maybe even for the past few years. And though we can’t possibly transcribe all her wisdom here, we have amassed a brief list of highlights.

Thank you, sponsors!

Our 2012-2013 season would not have been the same without our wonderful season sponsors! Winston, current ADCT President, took a moment to thank Western Printing, Clampitt Paper, and QuikPrint. They have all supplied so much support behind the scenes; a lot of work goes into planning and running our events. Special thanks also to the event sponsor Mohawk paper, who showed up with a collection of uber-cool paper samples.

Philbrook

Jeff Martin from Phillbrook took a minute to give us all a little sneak-peek at their upcoming downtown location. Honestly, there was some really exciting stuff revealed, and we’re looking forward to the opening June 14th!

The Main Event

Between the sponsors, the swag from Mohawk and the sneak-peek into the Philbrook… we felt like we’d already gotten our money’s worth. But the best was yet to come. Petrula Vrontikis touched on everything from setting up a studio, to freelancing and SCUBA diving. Petrula proved to be humble, talented and intelligent – never a bad combination.

• “Listen. Think. Design. In that order.”  Petrula’s mantra has never steered her wrong. As she explained it, “design falls short when you don’t listen deeply.”
• On Staying Fresh  Petrula went back to school to learn motion graphics. She showed us her student work in AfterEffects, openly admitting it may be cringe-worthy to the motion pros in the audience.
• A truly charming moment was Petrula sharing a photograph of herself with her own work – large letters for “lemonade” which she just happened to encounter in the airport on her way out to Tulsa.
• On Feeling “Uppity”  While we find it hard to believe Petrula is ever “uppity,” she did reveal her release from the design blues: writing. Her Manifesto of the Whiny Designer drew more than a few laughs. She followed with the reminder, “we are lucky to get paid to do this in such an interesting, changing field!”

 

 

 

• What Petrula Vrontikis is Thinking  After going over her history, hobbies, and some of her work, Petrula got down to some truly interesting topics. She touched on the idea of transmedia design, which is one of the subjects she teaches. Because of the changes in society, designers need to learn “ambidexterity across cultures.” She even shared some of her student’s work.
• Lynda.com  Petrula has been working with Lynda.com on a curriculum series, mainly focused on how to run a business. It started with a lesson on freelancing, and there will be more to come.
• The Nomadic Culture  Value shifts in society change the way we think. Petrula wants designers to be aware of that, and to adapt. She cited this article from fast co, The Secrets of Generation Flux.
• Self Promotion  Vrontikis Design Office does not do self promotions, and they haven’t had to seek out new clients in years. She has stayed in business for decades based on her reputation and word of mouth. A print piece she’s currently working on for the Giant Magellan Telescope came from a contact nearly 10 years ago.

 

 

Petrula Vrontikis was truly a pleasure to have. She had great advice for both business and pleasure. Though this was our last speaker for the season, don’t forget we still have a big year-end party to throw! Be sure to mark your calendars now for Graphex 44, on May 16th at the Vanguard. And start getting excited for next season, we already have some major names lined up! You’ll have to stay tuned for more details.

 

 

Background

Petrula Vrontikis had a goal after college: to start her own business within 5 years. She did just that by founding Vrontikis Design Office in 1989. The work she has since produced has been featured in over 100 publications. Shortly after starting her firm, Petrula also began teaching at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. She debuted her book, inspiration=ideas, in 2002. In 2003, Graphic Design: USA selected Petrula as one of their “100 People to Watch.” Then in 2007 she was awarded an AIGA Fellows Award, recognizing her impact in both the field and in her community. If you can’t tell by now, Petrula Vrontikis is an inspiring artist and brilliant businesswoman.

35k

Petrula’s firm is the Vrontikis Design Office. So why is their web domain 35k.com? Turns out a German automobile manufacturing company bought the rights to their original domain, VDO.com… for $35,000. Just another example of how Petrula and her team have learned to be flexible and take surprises with a grain of salt.

Hobbies & Inspiration

Petrula has often emphasized the importance of work/life balance. This is a topic you can never get too much advice on, and we’re hoping to hear more on Thursday. For now, know this: her interests include yoga, travel, and swimming with sharks.

Mohawk Paper

Mohawk Paper is our event sponsor this time, which is good news for you. Did you know that their brand architect is Michael Bierut? In our minds, this means any swag they’re giving out is bound to be beautiful. Not to mention their paper’s great, too!

ADCT Season

Petrula Vrontikis is an amazing speaker to wrap up our 2012-2013 season. But the real end-of-season party is May 16, at Graphex 44! We’ll be partying the night away, all while celebrating the best design pieces in the region. So get inspired Thursday, then get ready to let loose in May! We hope to see you at both events to help us close out this season.

Our monthly round-up features design news & highlights from the past month, along with a list of upcoming competitions and events.

ADCT Guest Speaker, Petrula Vrontikis – April 18th

Our last speaker for the season hails from LA, and has been considered a leader in the industry for more than 20 years. Petrula Vrontikis is the creative director and owner of Vrontikis Design Office, professor at the Art Center College of Design, and author of acclaimed book, inspiration=ideas. Mark your calendars now, this will be a great presentation.

Other April Events

The Advertising Professional as Fine Artist_April 4-28 Support your local designers as they prove you don’t have to be peg-holed into one category as an artist. Featuring the art of several of our very own ADCT Board members! Visit the PAC Gallery this month, 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m.

Chandelier_April 5-April 25 Chandelier: An Exhibition of Illuminated Objects hopes to redefine your idea of the traditional chandelier. 30 pieces are on display throughout April.

Pechakucha_April 13 It’s time for another fascinating night at Living Arts. Pechakucha exposes 10 local creative minds of all sorts, each giving a presentation of 20 slides at 20 seconds a piece. 8 p.m. – 10 p.m.

Philbrook Second Saturday_April 13 Visit one of Tulsa’s favorite museums for free, the second Saturday of every month! Museum hours Saturday are 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Open Studio at Zarrow_April 16 Adult artists can visit the Zarrow Center for an open studio session with consulting artist Louise Higgs. Interest of the group determines the direction of the session. Bring your own supplies. Call the Gilcrease Museum at 918-596-2700 for more information. Free, 4:00 pm – 7:00 pm.

Tulsa Art Studio Tour_April 20-21 The Oklahoma Visual Artist Coalition organizes this annual event, where area artists open their studio doors to the public. It’s always inspiring not only seeing the work spaces, but also chatting with the artists and all the curious folks joining in on the tour. $5 in advance, $10 at the door. Noon to 5 p.m. each day.

Guthrie Center Opening Concert_April 27 Pay a visit to the Guthrie Green for a concert celebrating the opening of the new Guthrie Center. 1 p.m. – 6 p.m.

Call-For-Entries

OVAC Grants for Artists_Applications due April 15

Justified: AIGA Annual Design Competition_Deadline extended to April 10

Articles and News from March

• Milton Glaser discusses why, at age 83, he has no plans to retire any time soon.
• How Wired Magazine shaped the dialogue on all things tech.
• Fade to Black, a new iPad mag, celebrates the blurred line between photography, video and multimedia.
• Facebook unveiled the new “Home” experience for Android platforms.

If we miss an event or some big design/art news, feel free to call us on it. Just comment below!

Graphex is approaching once again, and this one’s going to be good. We’ve booked a killer location for the awards show, confirmed the judges, and now all we need is your art. The deadline is looming; enter today! Not convinced? Keep reading for details on how and why you should enter.

The Basics – Professional Entries

Pick out your best work from the past year. Prepare pieces according to the call for entry and deliver work to Walsh Branding, Attn: Graphex 44 (across from Living Arts). Just be sure to bring along an entry form and fee, along with the complete tracking form. Professional pieces are $40 (non-member) and $30 (members) per piece. Campaigns run $55 (non-member) and $45 (members). Checks are accepted, payable to Art Directors Club of Tulsa or you can pay online via paypal from the Graphex 44 page.

Students

Students or recent graduates (completed school between April 6, 2012 and April 4, 2013) can enter to win a Jim Gibbs Student Award, available in eight categories – PLUS 1st, 2nd and 3rd overall portfolio. In the past, students have even gotten job offers from the judges. On top of that, you’ll get the all-important exposure to the best designers in the region. Do we even need to mention the cash prizes?

Students still need to fill out an entry form, though the entry fee is only $10 per 5 pieces. You can enter more than 5 pieces, just pay an additional $10 for the next 5 pieces. For example: if you submit 8 individual entries the cost will be $20. In addition to the individual entries, you can submit your Portfolio where the collection of works is judged as a whole. Entry fee for Portfolios is $15. Please limit the number of items in your portfolio to 7–10 pieces.

If you’re looking for advice, sign up for the FREE Student Portfolio Review. Reviews will take place Thursday, April 11 at Scott Miller’s studio. Email Paul Woodard with your area of study (design, interactive, photography, etc.), then he’ll set you up with a time and send you more details. This is limited to the first 15 students, so sign up today!

The Judges

Judging these competitions is no small feat, but we’re bringing in some real professionals with years of experience. Many of our judges this year have judged for other design shows, like Graphis and Communication Arts. Keep an eye on the ADCT website for their bios, coming soon. Judges will arrive in Tulsa next Wednesday to begin the process; they’ll spend all day Thursday examining the best design the region has to offer. They’ll also get to hang out with some of the area’s brightest students.

Judges will use their discretion to award Gold, Silver, Bronze and Merit awards for each category. They may not choose to award every medal in every category… it’s up to them! Winners will be sent a written letter of acceptance into Graphex 44.

Professional entry judges:

The Party

Join us Thursday May 16, 2013 to celebrate the hard work of your fellow designers, illustrators, and photographers. Every year it’s a great chance to catch up and see who’s who in the area and to wrap up the ADCT season. This year we’re partying at the Vanguard. More details coming soon.

Special thanks to TPSi for printing the Graphex 44 call for entries, and Clampitt Paper for providing the beautiful paper.

Presented by OSU Institute of Technology Visual Communications.

Date: Saturday, April 13, 2013
Time: 2:00pm | Super Saturday
Location: OSU Institute of Technology in Okmulgee
Cost: Free

OSU Institute of Technology Visual Communications proudly presents a special appearance by American artist, cartoonist and puppeteer Wayne White at Super Saturday on April 13. An Emmy award-winning artist, art director, cartoonist, and illustrator, White is best known for his work on Pee Wee’s Playhouse. He’s also worked on music videos for Smashing Pumpkins and Peter Gabriel. Since then, his amazing creativity has been the source of inspiration to others as chronicled in the recently released documentary Beauty Is Embarrassing, an award-winning film on White’s life by Neil Berkeley.

For over 30 years, Wayne White has made an indelible mark on the creative world. As a designer, painter, puppeteer, sculptor, and musician, Mr. White created images and ideas that are an integral – yet sometimes subconscious – part of the pop culture lexicon. To this day, he still gets up every morning to do the only thing his body and mind were made to do…create. Whether the world acknowledges it or not.

_____________

Super Saturday is a community homecoming celebration and alumni reunion, with fun-filled activities for the entire family. Discover Okmulgee and see why OSU Institute of Technology is a world-class leader in technical education.

After almost 50 years in the business, Mr. Hinrichs had a wealth of advice on his presentation here in Tulsa. Below are some highlights, ten lessons from Kit Hinrichs.

Special thanks to our event sponsor Sappi, for the cool paper sample books designed by Hinrichs himself! Be sure to share your thoughts on Kit’s presentation in the comments below. What did you learn? What were your favorite words of wisdom?

Lesson One:  Be Bold & Unexpected

Hinrichs started off the night with an emphatic plea: don’t create wishy-washy designs. If you’re going to bother being a designer, contribute work that is unique, bold, and unexpected.

Lesson Two:  Change Your Point of View

If you change your point of view, you can change your audience’s perspective. When working on a USC project, the public generally thought of the campus as predominantly upper class, and mostly white. To challenge this conception, he took 40 photographs of students on campus, and pieced them together into one (very diverse) face.

Lesson Three:  Images as Words//Words as Images

As Kit put it, “I am not an Illustrator. I am a storyteller.” When dealing with a large area of type, Kit uses an effective trick to keep the story alive: inserting an illustration or image for one of the letters turns a graphic into typography.

Lesson Four: Embrace clichés
As much as we all want to be original (see “Lesson One”), clichés can serve a purpose. They communicate quickly, and people understand them. Hinrichs likes to play with clichés and twist their meaning. One example: his graphic for the National Medical Enterprise, who wanted to somehow show off the wide range of medical services they offered.

Lesson Five: Keep your audience entertained, while educating them

The Annual Report for the TenFold software company could have easily been serious and straightforward. But to get people interested, Kit went with a “Holy cow” theme. When he showed the final piece to his clients, the engineers replied “those wings aren’t big enough to make [the cow] fly.” Not the feedback he expected, but he knew he had their interest.

Lesson Six: Look to the arts, or link to history

When the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy commissioned Studio Hinrichs to create a graphic identity in commemoration of the bridge’s 75th Anniversary, he turned straight to the source for inspiration. They created a typeface, Golden Gate Girder, inspired by the bridge’s “construction of rivets and girders and in its Art Deco styling.”

Lesson Seven: Piqué their curiosity 
Design can be playful. Engaging your audience gives them something to remember. Kit did just that in his journal @issue, with  a series of quizzes.

Lesson 8: Tap Into Your Personal Passions
Never underestimate the power of honest, raw passion. Kit kept this blunt reminder light by saying, “you all have passions… some legal, some not.”

Kit’s passion is for American folk items, mainly antique flags. This lead to his book, Long May She Wave. Coincidentally, this book came out just three months before 9/11. After the tragedy, book sales soared, and all the proceeds went straight to the Red Cross.

Lesson 9: Take the long view.
We aren’t in this business for just 15 minutes. Focus on building a long relationship with your clients. Kit cited his long relationship with Potlatch (predecessor of the night’s event sponsor, Sappi). Hinrichs worked on their Annual Report for 25 years. He would often use imagery of the loggers in reports, to show the source of the paper. On one photo shoot there was an ornery tree in the background, but thanks to the loggers the tree was down and out of the shot in no time.

As a side note, Kit had a reminder about working in print. Print is not just about getting ink onto paper. We should strive for pieces that utilize printer’s services and make projects unique, things that can’t be accomplished on web.

Lesson 10: Make it move.

Kit gave one last enigmatic piece of advice: if all else fails, make it move.

Kit Hinrichs wrapped up the evening by taking questions and signing posters. We had a great time and learned much more than ten things. We hope you enjoyed the March event as much as we did! Join us in April for another brilliant designer (and West Coaster), Petrula Vrontikis.

Update 4/1: we originally stated Kit Hinrichs had nearly 30 years of experience in the field; that number should actually have been 50. 

1) One word: Pentagram.

Pentagram has long been recognized as a leading design firm. They constantly churn out award-winning work and designers. So it’s no small feat that Kit Hinrichs drew their attention with his own firm, then partnered with Pentagram for 23 years. It started when Kit paired up with three others, opening a branch of their Jonson, Pedersen, Hinrichs & Shakery firm in San Francisco. Pentagram teamed up with Hinrichs to make this studio into the Pentagram West Coast branch. When Kit felt the time was right, he founded his own firm: Studio Hinrichs.

2) Collector’s Item

There’s something to be said for the avid collector. It shows a focus and a passion from deep within. And it just so happens that Kit Hinrichs is one of those passionate collectors. His biggest collection is of American flags and other “Stars and Stripes” memorobilia, which have been featured in a number of books and galleries.

3) “Time Bridges”

Kit is always on top of trends because he stays inspired. One thing that keeps Kit going is seeing how everything comes back to design. Owen Edwards said, “Kit talks about ‘time bridges’ that constantly connect his past lives with his present work. Everything—his Boy Scout merit badges, old Popular Mechanics magazines that he reads as a kid with their ‘little columns of stuff,’ even the King James Bible ‘red letter’ edition with important passages in red—comes into play today.”* We’re all hoping Kit explains these “time bridges” in more detail, to clue us in on how he stays inspired.

4) War Stories

According to the Studio Hinrichs blog, Kit will be covering “case studies, personal projects, war stories and professional tips from his 40 plus years in the field.”  This alone should be reason enough.

5) It’s Why We’re Here

Kit Hinrichs is a prime example for  why Art Director’s Club of Tulsa exists. We want you to stay inspired, in the know, and in the loop. Come out to Living Arts and do just that. We’ll see you there Thursday, March 28 2013 at 6:30 (talk starts at 7:30, don’t miss it). You’ll also want to visit with our amazing event sponsors, Sappi.

Update 3/26: Cost to see this amazing designer? Only $25 for not-yet members, and $10 for students. Members get in free!

*Original source, “Hunter Gatherer,” Profile Pentagram Design, Phaidon, 2004. Found on the AIGA profile for Kit Hinrichs, here: http://www.aiga.org/medalist-kithinrichs/ 

ADCT Guest Speaker, Kit Hinrichs – March 28th

Kit Hinrichs founded Studio Hinrichs in October 2009, following 23 years as a partner of the international design firm, Pentagram. Prior to that, he was a partner in the design consultancy Jonson, Pedersen, Hinrichs & Shakery. Over the past few decades, Kit has been an influential force in graphic design.

Other March Events

Fab Lab Tulsa 3D printing Presentation_March 5th, 6 pm. If you’re interested in all things 3D printer related or want to learn more, you’ll want to attend Fab Lab Tulsa’s 3D Printing Presentation

Tulsa Art Studio Preview Exhibition_March 7th, 6-8 pm. Get a preview of the art featured on this year’s Tulsa Art Studio Tour. The exhibition is at Circle Cinema until April 17th. Opening night tickets are $5 in advance, $10 at the door.

Philbrook Second Saturday_March 9th. Free museum admission along with family friendly, hands-on art-making projects on the second Saturday of each month.

Monoprint Class_March 16-April 20 at the Zarrow Center. Classes will be offered once a month on the 3rd Saturday of each month for beginners to experienced printmakers.

Call-For-Entries

CMYK Magazine Pro Showcase #56_Entries Due March 25th

Comunication Arts_Photography Edition, Entries due March 15

OVAC’s Annual Photo Slam_Entries due March 22

Worldstudio AIGA Scholarship_Deadline March 29

Justified: AIGA Annual Design Competition_Deadline April 3

Articles and News from February

• AIGA Awards 8 Medals to designers including one for John Bielenberg, who was an ADCT guest last fall.
• Adobe released a new version of Photoshop Touch, optimized for smart phones.
• Brady Craft Alliance reopens as 108 Contemporary.
• OKC’s CityArtCenter rebrand the focus of ‘Brand New’ blog.
• Pantone is celebrating it’s 50th Anniversary with special edition publications.
• ADCT is looking for Board Members for the 2013-2014 season! If you would like to receive more information, please send your email address to social@artdirectorsoftulsa.org or via Facebook message. An online form is coming soon.

 If we miss an event or some big design/art news, feel free to call us on it. Just comment below!