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The nation’s most popular news source for graphic design business, ideas, and opportunities.
The nation’s most popular news source for graphic design business, ideas, and opportunities.
The nation’s most popular news source for graphic design business, ideas, and opportunities.
The nation’s most popular news source for graphic design business, ideas, and opportunities.
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GAVIN WONG
Gavin Wong’s interest in graphic design began in middle school. He was especially drawn to Japanese design—packaging, logos, and advertising—and the way visual systems communicate meaning. Early on, he became fascinated not just with how design looks, but with how it works beneath the surface and how ideas are translated visually. As a teenager, he installed free design software on his computer and spent hours experimenting and teaching himself.
Originally from Boston, Gavin visited San Francisco many times. He was excited to discover a graphic design program at Academy of Art University that aligned with his way of thinking. He has always loved history, particularly art and design history, and much of his work is influenced by modernist design principles and structure-driven systems.
Music has also played a significant role in shaping his creative voice. Gavin plays bass and electric guitar and has played saxophone and drums for over 13 years. That connection between sound and visuals informs his design work. He was surprised and honored to receive a GDUSA award for a bilingual Japanese and English poster created for a Tokyo math rock music festival—one of his favorite genres.
To Gavin, good design tells a clear story that audiences can understand and connect with. He believes designers must step into the audience’s perspective to evaluate value and impact. While he sees AI as a helpful tool for speeding up workflows, he prefers a hands-on approach.
Most importantly, Gavin believes in knowing your worth as a designer and trusting that what you create has meaning. His studies at the Academy have strengthened that confidence as he prepares to begin his design career.
Good design clearly tells a visual story that the intended audience can understand and connect with. Its value comes from how well it communicates, not just how it looks. As designers, our job is to step into the audience’s perspective and become part of it, so what we create feels relevant, meaningful, and purposeful.
Current design trends are embracing uniqueness by revisiting styles from before 2000 and blending what works from both old and new design. There’s a renewed interest in character, texture, and individuality rather than overly polished work. AI is also becoming part of the process—not as a replacement for designers, but as a tool to generate ideas, explore directions, and support creative workflows.
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