Students had the opportunity to pick the brain of one of the nation’s foremost graphic designers during a workshop on Jan. 16 at Friends University’s Garvey Art Building.
About 50 students participated in a creative workshop with Bill Gardner, a Wichita-based graphic designer who owns Bill Gardner Design and founded logolounge.com. Students were chosen to participate based on those who are in art and communication classes and those who have received art and communications Scholarships.
“He was very personable. I was always taught that if you understand it, then you can talk about it. If you know it, then you can teach it. Bill Gardner did that and more,” said Eythan Rodgers, who will graduate May 2015 with an Art Major with an emphasis in Graphic Design. “His conversations were intriguing, and the knowledge he shared supports every bit of why he is a design monarch.”
Throughout the workshop, Gardner mixed lectures and assignments. Students were able to immediately apply his lessons to their sketchpads.
“It was an honor to have Bill Gardner speak to the Friends University art students,” said Mary Lebeda, who will graduate in December 2015 with a major in Art and an Emphasis in Graphic Design. “Bill shared some of his brainstorming activities with us, and well as some facts and figures about Logo Lounge. Not to mention, he has a great sense of humor and always kept us interacting with him and each other throughout the entire workshop.”
Gardner’s portfolio includes work for industry leaders such as Cessna, Spirit AeroSystems, Bombardier/Learjet, Thermos/ Nissan, Pepsi, Pizza Hut, Coleman Outdoor, Kroger, Hallmark, Cargill Corporation, and SeaWorld.
Friends University offers high-quality undergraduate and graduate academic programs for traditional students and working adults. Rooted both in the liberal arts tradition and the Christian intellectual tradition, students learn inside and outside the classroom. Friends University is a regional university with national programs and an international presence.