PRINCIPAL, SiSU DESIGN,
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, BOWLING GREEN STATE UNIVERSITY, BOWLING GREEN OH
Jenn is a practicing designer at SiSU Design and an Associate Professor and Division Chair of Graphic Design at Bowling Green State University (BGSU). Along with her constant dedication toward improving her teaching methods and sustaining design practice, her interests include Design as Artist and Practitioner, Design as Scholarship of Engagement, and Scholarship of Design Pedagogy. Her work has been published in several books including Graphic Design: The New Basics, Introduction to Graphic Design, and Collab + Design Education (forthcoming.) She has also received recognitions and citations in numerous design publications for her community projects: Urban Forest Project Toledo, You Are Here Toledo and The Sit&Tell Project. She is the co-founder and co-organizer of SWEAT (Summer Workshop for Experimentation and Thought) and co-editor of several self-published books produced through the workshop. Jenn is a founding board member of AIGA Toledo, serving in many leadership roles including past co-chair of two national AIGA Design Educators Conferences held in Toledo in 2010 and Bowling Green in 2016. She has presented at several conferences on both her teaching and research interests of community engagement.
WHERE WERE YOU BORN AND WHERE DO YOU LIVE NOW?
Born in Wichita Falls TX and currently reside in Bowling Green OH
DID YOU GO TO DESIGN SCHOOL?
A BFA from BGSU and an MFA from Eastern Michigan University, both in Graphic Design
LEFTY OR RIGHTY?
Lefty
MORNING PERSON OR NIGHT OWL?
Morning. The quiet is powerful and productive
FICTIONAL OR HISTORICAL CHARACTER YOU IDENTIFY WITH?
Janus
ARE YOU MUSICAL AND/OR DO YOU PLAY AN INSTRUMENT?
I wish
FAVORITE BOOK?
Synchrodestiny by Deepak Chopra, The Paradox of Choice by Barry Schwartz
FAVORITE MOVIE?
Bram Stoker’s Dracula by Francis Ford Coppola … the music, scene transitions, costumes, Gary Oldman, a love story
FAVORITE TV BINGE WATCH?
Outlander
FAVORITE SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM?
Instagram
FAVORITE FINE ARTIST?
Judy Chicago, Georgia O’Keeffe, Louise Nevelson, Alexander Calder
FAVORITE CHARITY?
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Toledo
FAVORITE FREE TIME ACTIVITY?
Running, lots of running
COLLECT ANYTHING?
Swatch Watches
COLOR USED MOST OFTEN IN YOUR DESIGN?
What’s most appropriate for the content
TYPEFACE USED MOST OFTEN IN YOUR DESIGN?
Emona
DOES PRINT HAVE A ROLE IN YOUR DESIGNS?
Quite often, tactility and physicality matters
DESIGN MENTOR/INSPIRATION/HERO?
Rick Valicenti, Keetra Dean Dixon, April Greiman
GREATEST STRENGTH/WEAKNESS AS A DESIGNER?
Strength is a willingness to step-up whenever/ however is needed; weakness is overcommitment
ADVICE TO A YOUNG DESIGNER JUST STARTING OUT?
Align your work and time to your values
IF YOU WERE NOT A DESIGNER, WHAT WOULD YOU BE?
A midwife
A MANTRA OR SAYING YOU LIVE BY?
Bloom Where You Are Planted
