Teaching philosophy
Teaching was always a plan for me. Early in college, I knew I could teach my classmates all the tricks I had taught myself. After becoming a lab monitor, I knew the ultimate goal would always be to teach.
After working in the various aspects of the visual communication industry for years, I am still in the journey of becoming a good graphic designer. I hope all my students will embark on along with me on a journey of becoming an artist that communicates effortlessly to their viewer. Ultimately my students have a goal of starting their design career, as a teaching commercial artist, this is my priority for them. To aid them in construction of impressive portfolios that are balanced, interesting, and portray their identities. One of my biggest fascinations is the usage of symbols, simple shapes, and pictographs for communication, specifically in logo design. Other of my interests are grids and negative space, that provides my students with pieces that are clean and polished. Typographical exploration is not covered with enough emphasis in my opinion, type can cover a full bachelor’s degree, and still have more room for learning.
One of the aspects of graphic design and commercial art in general that is not usually covered is what to do as a freelancer. For recent graduates it can be hard to first find clients. When they do find them, it is a challenge to decipher quoting, billing, deposits and retainers. As their instructor, I try to encourage my students to value themselves, and their work.
The study of visual communication is never ending, and as such, I strive to convince my students to take on the discovery of better ways to illustrate messages in a better way to the viewer. I hope to make them better artists, and allow them to evolve into a career that is not only successful, but one they can be proud of. In the end I hope to push my students to do more, and create things they never imagined they could.
Schools
University Of Miami | Spring 2013-2021
STC102 Graphic Design for Advertising I STC202 Graphic Design for Advertising II
Rocky Mountain College of Art & Design | Fall 2014-Fall 2017
GD 2120 Sign+Symbol GD3470 3D Packaging GD2410 Information Visualization
Barry University | Summer 2016
PHO 305 Computer Imaging
Simple Shapes and Symbols
Symbols can surpass any limitations spoken and written words tend to have, the barrier of language. Any student should learn the power of symbols and their power in communication. To emphasize the importance of simple shapes in design, I am sure my students learn of the work of Paul Rand, Saul Bass, Lindon Leader, and Milton Glaser.
Grids and Negative Space
Josef Muller-Brockmann, Wim Crouwel, Michael Bierut, Massimo Vignelli, and Otl Aicher are a strong influence in my teaching. Grids and negative space, which are the basis of all good compositions, a strong knowledge of the grid system provides my students with polished designs well after they leave my class and school. By covering in detail the importance of a 12-column grid system and how to use negative space to frame their content, I hope to continue to make a professional portfolio for them from the start.
Good Type
Careful usage of experimental type like Herb Lubalin, Paula Scher, Alan Fletcher, Hermann Zapf, and Wolfgang Weingart, are one of the other elements I emphasize to my students. Type changes the sentiment of any graphic, it changes how people feel and taste it the information presented. It gives a call to action, it is all of graphic design!