EARL GEE

Earl Gee is Partner and Creative Director, with Fani Chung, of Gee + Chung Design, an award-winning multidisciplinary design firmbased in San Francisco. The firmenjoysmaking complex new technologies understandable and accessible, enabling clients to stand out from competition, and finding innovative design strategies to connect with and engage audiences. It developed an international reputation for creating successful branding programs, print collateral, packaging, environmental design and websites for clients including Apple, Adobe Systems, IBM, Oracle, Lucasfilm Ltd., Chronicle Books, the Federal Reserve Bank and Stanford University.

With more than 25 years of design experience, Gee was one of only 50 U.S. graphic designers named to the international edition of Who's Who in Graphic Design. He has served on a UNsponsored Delegation on Package Design touring the People's Republic of China, has lectured at leading universities and design organizations across the country, and is a frequent juror for major design competitions. Gee received his BFA in Graphic Design with Distinction from Art Center College of Design and was included in Design Impact: A History of Art Center College of Design. Gee + Chung Design has been honored by virtually every major design competition. It's work has been exhibited internationally and is included in the permanent collections of the U.S. Library of Congress, Smithsonian Institution, AIGA Archives, Art Center College of Design Archives and San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.

Where were you born, where do you live, did this effect your design style or sensibilities? Born in Los Angeles; live in San Francisco. Being close to Silicon Valley, I am extremely open to new ideas that improve the quality of people's lives. Consequently, I have a real appreciation for the type of innovation that enables people to do things more effectively, efficiently, and sustainably.

If you were not a designer, what would you be? I would be be an industrial designer or architect, as I am fascinated by how things work and how people experience their environment. Our approach to graphic design is similar, as we aim to create innovative solutions that serve a purpose and create lasting value for clients and society.

What is one thing you have done to help weather the economic downturn? We have continued to focus on making our work count, and remained open to new business opportunities outside of the high technology and venture capital sectors in which we specialize. Fortunately, our new clients such as Webcor Builders, California's largest commercial contractor, understand that our problem-solving expertise is directly transferable to their needs.

What is your greatest strength and weakness as a designer? My greatest strength as a designer is definitely persistence, in exploring a wide range of design concepts for a problem until we have created the most effective solution for our client. My greatest weakness as a designer is possibly impatience, with respect to unforeseen project delays, which can disrupt creative momentum.

YOUR DESIGN HERO?
Charles and Ray Eames, Philippe Starck, I.M. Pei

WORST HABIT?
Procrastination

FAVORITE COLOR?
PMS 485 Red

FAVORITE TYPEFACE?
Univers

FAVORITE TV SHOWS?
Mad Men, Saturday Night Live, Seinfeld

FAVORITE BOOKS?
Blink, The Tipping Point, and Outliers, by Malcom Gladwell

FAVORITE MOVIES?
Chariots of Fire, The French Connection, Four Weddings and a Funeral

FAVORITE MUSIC?
Tony Bennett, Depeche Mode, Academy of St. Martin in the Fields

FAVORITE FINE ARTIST?
Pablo Picasso, Alexander Calder, Pierre-Auguste Renoir

FAVORITE GADGET?
My Mayline parallel rule

BOOKMARKED WEBSITES?
msnbc.com, npr.com, sfgate.com, aiga.org, underconsideration.com, geechungdesign.com

BEST GIFT YOU EVER RECEIVED?
The opportunity to make a living doing what I really enjoy

ONE THING YOU NEVER LEAVE HOME WITHOUT?
A positive attitude

ONE THING YOU CANNOT LIVE WITHOUT?
A sense of humor

TALENT YOU WISH YOU POSSESSED?
A photographic memory