Ryan Fitzgibbon » News

Picking Up Where I Left Off

ryanfitzgibbon — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 22:24:53 +0000

After my recent decision to postpone grad school, I have decided to take an offer from IDEO and will be returning to work on Monday on an extended six-month contract.

Obviously, I been doing a lot of thinking lately. After debating a number of options, I feel confident that this is the right move for me at this time. I am really looking forward to digging deeper into the IDEO process as well as experience more of the culture that I got a taste of this summer.

I appreciate this opportunity from IDEO. We both value higher education, and I am grateful that they understand my desire to gain more experience before investing in a graduate program.

Commercial Appeal

ryanfitzgibbon — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 02:48:22 +0000

AIGA’s Make/Think Conference was featured on the front page of the business section of the Memphis newspaper, The Commercial Appeal; “Graphic artistry: AIGA designers convene with eye toward optimism.”

AIGA executive director Ric Grefé, and conference moderator Kurt Andersen of “Studio 360″ offered their thoughts on the conference and the value of AIGA.

I was interviewed about my experience after winning the first round of Command X. Read the full article here.

Observed: Start Asking

ryanfitzgibbon — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 03:07:40 +0000

Design Observer featured my final Command X solution, “Start Asking” on their Observatory blog. Michael Bierut, co-founder and editor for the site, followed up to ask permission to post my video as part of their Observer Media archive. Check back soon for that update.

Design Observer was founded in October 2003 by Michael Bierut, William Drenttel, Jessica Helfand and Rick Poynor with design and technology by Ruby Studio.

Take Your Time

ryanfitzgibbon — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 00:16:32 +0000

I recently made the difficult decision to take a leave of absence from my graduate studies. This thought has been lingering for several months, in fact, it began after my completing my undergraduate thesis and realizing that I was ready for a break from academia. Twenty-two years old is an extremely young age to start grad school. Despite advice to spend a few years in the workforce, I went ahead. I spent an intense summer as an intern at IDEO and thought that I had a sufficient idea of what working life was like. My three months at IDEO was only a small taste of reality. I need more.

Leaving school in the middle of midterms was definitely a liberating feeling. I have no idea what to expect of tomorrow. For the first time, I don’t have a plan. If you know me at all, you are probably thinking “that must be driving him crazy.” To both of our surprise, it isn’t. I feel really good about it. I’m taking control by losing control.

Currently, I’m giving myself time to think. I’m taking time to explore all the new opportunities that are now available to me. I’m taking this time while I still have the time.

Before announcing the winner of Command X, Bonnie Siegler presented words of encouragement that I will never forget.

“Ryan, we were impressed with what you accomplished in 24 hours,” she said, speaking for Chip Kidd, Paul Sahre and guest judge Connie Dyson of the National Civil Rights Museum, “We are excited to see what you can do with a a little more time, and with the rest of your life.”

So yeah, I’m taking my time and I’m excited about it too.

Finally, I will leave you with some more words of encouragement from another inspiring source, Billy Joel. As corny as it is, the lyrics to Vienna put a lot into perspective when making this decision. You just never know where you’ll find advice the best advice on life.

Slow down, you’re doing fine
You can’t be everything you want to be before your time

Too bad but it’s the life you lead
you’re so ahead of yourself that you forgot what you need
Though you can see when you’re wrong, you know
You can’t always see when you’re right.

You’ve got your passion, you’ve got your pride
but don’t you know that only fools are satisfied?
Dream on, but don’t imagine they’ll all come true
When will you realize, Vienna waits for you?

1st Runner Up

ryanfitzgibbon — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 05:17:39 +0000

I took 2nd place in Command X season 2 at the AIGA Make/Think Conference. More about that when I’ve had some time to catch up.

Fitter, Happier, More Productive

ryanfitzgibbon — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 07:57:11 +0000

At long last, I’ve finally doubled my memory…on my computer, of course. Although I’m sure the day of installing additional RAM into our brains isn’t far off.

Nonetheless, I now have 4GB of RAM running on my MacBook Pro. You know what that means? More applications running at the same time. Oh yeah. I expect my productivity to shoot through the roof. Watch out [Mac]World!

Communication Manager

ryanfitzgibbon — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 06:26:45 +0000

At the beginning of the term, I took on the role of Communication Manager for the Graduate Program in Design at the California College of the Arts. My responsibilities include collecting and posting upcoming contests, conferences and events, as well as student, alumni, faculty and general program news and on the Grad Design website.

I set up a Facebook page to encourage discussion and community. I will also be working with the Director of Public Relations at CCA to increase the programs visibility and reputation in the larger design community.

Hello readers

ryanfitzgibbon — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 21:56:35 +0000

Welcome to my blog. This site exists simply to communicate insightful news, thoughts, and other findings to you in a more considered delivery than, oh I don’t know, Facebook. Assigning my posts to categories allows better navigation for you and clarity of intention for me.

The aesthetic decisions are as important as the content. I designed it with usability in mind. I hope you find it useful. Please contribute your comments and any suggestions for improvement or new areas of interest you think I should explore.