TEACHING | timscreative

This is a sampling of some of work that my Advertising and Graphic Design students have created over the past several years. The work spans a variety of levels from high school workshops to mid level college courses. Projects and exercises showcased here include traditional advertising, poster design, typeface design, typographic illustration, digital imaging, logo design, icon systems, direct mail, complex folding die-cut brochures, vector portraiture, and fully integrated branding systems. My lessons always emphasize the creative process of research, to sketching concepts, then making roughs and refining to final outcome. Additionally, I encourage my students to explore a variety of techniques from hand-made to digital.

During studio time, I work with each student individually to help them bring their concepts to life in the strongest way possible. Often this will include software training and tutorials, introducing them to new hand and digital techniques, as well as reinforcing key design principles. Below are a couple of examples of high school student process work from concept rough to final design after instruction and guidance provided.

Various Ad and Graphic Design Courses

Student Work Samples

Teaching Philosophy:

Mentoring the next generation of the Creative Class is a unique and significant honor. In the classroom I work to infuse students with the understanding that advertising and graphic design is not just about selling a widget or creating surface level beauty which is devoid of meaning or value to the end consumer. Our work is significant in a product/brand life-cycle and what we create will influence human behavior and affect popular culture. The role of the creative is to solve brand problems in a unique, engaging, and remarkable way to create lasting relationships with target consumers and drive sharing.

Students must begin by learning the fundamentals of art direction, design, and copywriting; rooted in sound theory, design thinking, and the creative process. Their work must be informed by applicable research and a thorough understanding of art, design, and advertising history. However, contemporary creative education can not rely solely on traditional methodologies and design outcomes. In order to prepare the next generation of creative practitioners and remain relevant in today’s media-rich landscape, curricula must be infused with an integrated media philosophy emphasizing digital, social, and mobile communication strategies. Additionally, in order for students to connect brands with people and create meaningful creative solutions, they must have a firm grasp of human behavior. Students must be able to identify the human truths around them and tell engaging brand stories that authentically resonate with consumer values. My lessons emphasize that empathy is required in order to understand the needs, wants, desires, and beliefs that underpin the decision making of different types of people.

I bring over 20 years of award winning professional experience into my classroom through topical lectures and examples leading to projects with real-world criteria and expectations. I also introduce students to a variety of creative techniques and processes through hands-on training and on-screen demonstrations. As students create work in the studio, I give in-progress feedback and critique, while maintaining high-level expectations for student craftsmanship. Through all of it, I am constantly challenging students to think beyond traditional media, expected outcomes, and a surface level understanding of consumer groups. My projects are designed to inspire students to create unique concepts with multiple engaging brand touch-points. Students are evaluated based on their ability to develop meaningful creative solutions that demonstrate a deep understanding of human behavior and strategically incorporate a variety of integrated media platforms applicable to the intended target audience.

STUDENT ROUGH