2007 NIU Visual Communication Senior Show Resume Critique/Awards

OPINION

IT'S A COLUMN NOT A BLOG

Category One

#1

Mathew Toler (pdf)

UNFAIR ADVANTAGE/a.p. hire this guy

Mathew is this year's clear standout. Very good stuff. Has the advantage of age and a painting degree. He spoke to me like a peer, not a student. He sets his own goals. Nobody micro-manage this guy please, just point him in the right direction, he'll take care of it. I would like the opportunity to see the rest of the portfolio soon. (found it)

Additionally, I can see him easily mastering related fields. A.P., you want discipline? You got it.

Information design at its best. Which media? Who cares. Mathew is a cross-media artist, he has an overarching view of design. I think a lot of the graduates aspire to that vision, but as an outsider, only Mathew clearly demonstrated the ability.

You other designers should never discount the value of a degree in painting. I've heard that "Oh they're in the fine arts" spoken as if those people are just crazy nuts that don't value capitalism enough or whatever. Painting teaches you more about color and layout than any other medium. It is the violin of media. Don't let a shallow or myopic person tell you otherwise. Be ambitious, give yourself the advantage. It's obvious Matt had worked relentlessly to put up an outstanding show.

I've dabbled (I wish I had more time) in painting recently and realized how difficult it can really be. I took some painting at NIU...As much as I could. When the entire image is entirely up to you, you have more decisions to face, and it represents you in a deeper way than work that is done commercially for a client. ...so Mathew seems to have the life experience to have faced some of the more difficult questions, and apparently has had answers. (applause)

By the way, and I had the priveledge to speak to Billy about this fact: it took me about a nanosecond to realize that Mathew was the best of class. He's playing a totally different game.

WHO IS A.P.? (Mark Alper - fellow '96 grad, knickname AP stands for advanced placement) - A.P. Hire this guy, just because. Actually, more accurately, Lynch Incorporated should. Ideally I want last year's winner to work with this year's winner to form a super-human design firm capable of handling the 2016 Olympics in Chicago. (Look like VSA beat us to it on that one.)

You know Chicago is going to get it. It's the best city. Although I've never been to Prague.

#2

Joe Kessen (pdf)

Most striking presentation, best use of color. Stunning form. Absolutely professional level design. Perhaps 10% of the Mathew Toler factor going on here. Got a associates degree, then a fine art degree. So a little bit more mature vision, or perception. It appears Joe has a strong ability to view his own work objectively, and improve upon it iteratively. This is the best resume visually if you look at everyone's together.

A+. No more grades Joe, time to get to work. Where you live you should contact ULTA, or is it ULTA 3? Whatever, they're over there, I've been in there, and they could use your help. That is... with their web stuff. But don't get stuck out there, apply everywhere. EVERYWHERE.

I talked to a lot of graduates (tonight) and the kind of running question I asked was, "if you had to pick one area of design to get a job in tomorrow, what would it be?" There was a lot of hemming and hawing going on. No one was really prepared to answer that. ... And that's good. Do it all!~ I was just asking because I need FREELANCE WEB DESIGNERS IMMEDIATELY.

I'm swamped beyond all swamped. There's only one of me. Please help. Whoever made that font out of the leaves call me, I have a project for you. It's just a small project, not a J O B . But who knows? There might be money involved, and it might lead to other things! Did you see my Sears Holdings site?

You know what else? WHO'S HIRING? I'll be sure to cc some hiring folks, I promise. After all, what's the point?

John Ashmann, good to see you, thank you for your encouragement.

#3

Melissa Kallas - Genius (pdf)

The line. Where did that line come from? Did it come from Mathew Toler? Cause it's THAT good. Look at it.

Absolutely beautiful resume. Blends the daydream doodle with the serious. The all-caps titles represents the "professional side" while the line represents the exploratory nature of design itself. Your job is to explore, explore variations until the situation is met with a solution. The font has the most interesting numbers in it, and seems to have been picked because resumes use numbers, don't forget the numbers! It's a good idea and unique. Nice rhythm.

#5 -not shown

Beth Parr (pdf)

Best overall form

Excellent paper, interesting height to width. Good color and sense of scale.

#6 -not shown

Sean Beverly (pdf)

Color theory paint chip things. Pantone matchy. For all of you "I want to be in print design" people, well then, what do you know about print design? This resume says, "I already know about print design". Nice plain paper, but not-so-perfect exacto cuts size it down to a good overall form. One too many fonts if you ask me, but I like this resume a lot. It definitely stands out at first as top level.

#4

Last but not least. No literally not last.

I have to learn to be more positive.

Critique, analysis, and revisionism.

Designers, you must prepare yourself for the "Management of crossing the t's and dotting the i's." When you take a project from conception/visualization, to completion, you have to follow up until it is finished work. Don't be too high and mighty that you can't help finish the last final annoying details of a HIGH DESIGN project. Somebody has to run spell check ok? If you don't do it, someone will, and then you'll have to go back an do it again. It never ends. You can never stop producing "higher than college level work" from now on. Rinse. Repeat.

Dan O'Connor - 2nd on the personal favorite list (pdf)

This resume is made for designers to look at. And since I happen to be a designer I love it! It makes me happy. There are little details that all relate to each other in interesting ways. Small details that shown together represent a theme of remembering to recognize and include small details, so that your overall experience is planned and aligned to the theme of planning and aligning things to a theme. PRICELESS

Addition: I forgot to mention that there is a url located on the back of the resume. I spoke to Dan and we had a copy of his resume there, and the size that it is warranted that I turn it over for some reason, I didn't look at the back of any other resumes, and BAM, he had a bonus back there. Two sided is more work that 1 sided. Reminds me of John Roderick's business card from '06. Thoughtful. Smart.

Category Two

#1

Kelly Klosterman (pdf)

I have never, in my entire life, seen a better use of classic columns paper. If you're talking tactile, you win. Everyone loves that paper weight, and your resume weighs in as a major heavy weight. It curls upward on purpose, as opposed to some of the light-weight paper resumes that curl downward from weakness. And nice use of negative space.

Bold. Purposeful, maybe a little too much information.

Your choice of clients reveals a bit of who you are. Many people would be lucky to choose who their clients are. The best designers always choose their clients selectively. You always do your best work when you are representing something that you believe in. Marketing? Advertising? The best way to market [whatever] is to believe in it.

I have yet to acquire this talent, but is it a huge advantage in good times: the ability to say "No, I can't take on that work." You know, lead a balanced and healthy life and you and your clients will prosper. See cat 1, #2

Speaking of paper, all you people reading this who are already employed? You know what you should do... is... Invite all the paper companies you can find to visit and give a presentation. Paper companies eat that sh*t up. The paper-garbledy-gook that they spew out is very valuable to your future of -making good choices on your clients' behalf-. Seriously THEY LOVE TO VISIT AND EXPLAIN.

Category Three

Remember that this column is only a review of RESUMES. Not of overall work. So many wonderful candidates [graduates].. so many opportunities.. Speaking to many of the talented candidates I saw a portrait of ambition, and tons of hard work poured into each portion of the show, stress, worry and anticipation. I apologize to those I did not get to speak to, and I would love to speak to again everyone I had the privilege of meeting.

If you choose to stay in the design field for a long while, you will be able to absorb a lot more information a lot faster and see deeper into the truth of it all with more immediacy. I believe that with age comes knowledge, and with knowledge comes the realization that you know nothing. Learning never ends. When it does you stagnate and become obsolete, or merely repetitive. Even if you teach yourself. In other words, if you have to do something a million times, don't stop focusing on the task (young Jedi) and remember to continue to think of new ways to improve on your work. That said:

I've got Joseph Tumility as #1. (pdf)

Andrew Behnke as #2

and Matthew Machowiak #3

Joseph. Fantastic job on your resume. Very exciting things appear to be in your future. That's it: exciting. Keep it up.

Andrew. Excellent use of form, color, cut, and type. Also, assuming you did it yourself, excellent craftsmanship. I say assuming because it is professional level form and cut. Fits in the hand. Program style like last year's 3.

Remember to focus on what you can offer a potential employer as opposed to what it is that you aim to do. You obviously have a lot to offer, define it and tell that story. Also, when you spell out a word too many times it loses its meaning. For example, the word Adobe.

3 corners are rounded, one is square. Details like that are priceless to a senior show to show differentiation, but this is a highly unconventional form for apply for a full time job. You might consider printing a business-specific cover letter, and a fancy envelope that is the same shape. Otherwise abandon the shape, and apply apply apply.

Blah blah blah...

Congratulations on graduating. It wasn't as easy as you thought was it?

Only other resume not in the trash is Song. Song listen to me: use smaller type. You show an unlimited potential. Go be free and pursue your vocation.

This year

the remaining resumes simply got filed. A much better fate than past years.

Questions: who did the invite and website for the show? Why wasn't everyone on there, and who did the awsome earthy tree-like font?

Next Year

We're dropping the pointless ranking system, and changing format.

Feedback? Email this guy.  (Keep in touch, it helps to network.)

Last years review click here.

The year before that - here.

Brand identity overview..

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