His classroom is a place of honesty and encouragement. He demands the best from every student because he sees the potential in every student.
Abigail Teets • Texas State University, class of fall 2020An awesome ride began when I was 9 or 10 years old; my first interaction with a Graphis Annual. Forty years have passed, and I remember a big blue dog holding a painting brush against a black background; it was the Graphis Posters 76 cover. Of course, I did not know what Graphic Design was back then. I gravitated toward that book because I loved dogs, and my favorite color was blue. As well as it was part of an extensive collection of books in my father’s library.
My father was a self-taught graphic artist who began his career doing paste-up and typesetting metal type at a newspaper in Mexico City. Although I do not remember him painting, he greatly appreciates the fine arts. But his passion was commercial printing and production. As far as I can remember, he owned a commercial offset printing business; therefore, Komori, Müller Martini, and Heidelberg are very familiar names. As I mentioned before, I did not know what Graphic Design was as a child. But I clearly remember having a special affection for books and editorial design. I always wanted to know who illustrated the books, who decided how to present the characters on the page, showcase how they dressed, or illustrate where they lived. Who made all those decisions? Who illustrated them? Who arranged the words? I would ask my mom constantly.
Although I did not enjoy the production process, my dad’s business influenced my career path significantly. During summer, it was torture to work doing nothing but post-press work—assembling, counting, gluing, packaging, or sorting. It was so boring doing the same thing over and over. However, I began to enjoy working at his company during my high school and early college years. I spent most of my time in the art department. I still remember my first assignments, drawing blue line grids and crop marks for the paste-up boards. However, my father would constantly threaten me to return to post-production if I continued playing with the phototypesetting machine. Still, it was fun to generate long strips of random non-sense text! So, of course, the Graphis collection in my dad’s office made more sense at this age, and I began spending more time browsing their content.
Who would have guessed that 40 years after my first interaction with Graphis, I would be featured in this influential international design publication? I vividly remember my university professors discussing design competitions and encouraging their students to enter them. “Graphis is among the most respected and inspirational design publications globally.” The professors would tell us. “Graphic designers read the Graphis Annuals and Graphis Journals to get the best inspiration; it is the year’s best work.” My dad would say.
Although my graphic design work has been recognized in international competitions and published in design annuals, nothing beats witnessing the simultaneous recognition of my student’s work and teaching methodology.
When I got an e-mail from Colleen Boyd, the Graphis Associate Editor, on behalf of Graphis Inc. and Graphis Journal, my heart began pounding faster and louder as I kept reading. The only way I can describe what I felt when I read Graphis wanted to learn more about me as a professor for an upcoming issue; is the feeling of climbing the highest track on a roller coaster. As you get higher, the clack-clack-clack sound of the car wheels locking on the track gears gets louder and louder until the car suddenly stops, and you don’t hear anything but your heartbeat in anticipation of the best ride of your life.
The showcase of my students’ work and teaching methodology in the Graphis Journal #371 Education Section is a great honor, a tremendous privilege, and has been one of the best thrills in my life. I am forever thankful for this incomparable recognition. But, more importantly, I hope the Graphis Annuals and Journals keep influencing my students. Just one day, a blue dog holding a painting brush inspired a child playing at his dad’s bookcase at a printing company in Mexico City.
Graphis Inc.—B Martin Pedersen and Colleen Boyd, thank you for this outstanding recognition of my students, the TXST Communication Design program, and my teaching methodologies. Colleagues and dear ComDes students, thank you for letting me share my passion for Graphic Design with y’all.
Teaching what I love and loving what I teach.
You may read the complete Graphis article: Concept is King, here.
His passion/strategies for design have and will continue to transcend in the way his students design.
Carolina Martinez • Texas State University, Class of spring 2020
