Mitchell Pruitt

More about me and why 1 + 1 = 3

I recently graduated from the University of Oregon with a BS in

Art & Technology. As a graphic designer I love the challenge of making

1+1=3. In other fields 1+1 always equals 2 and the answer is

straightforward, but in graphic design there is so much more beneath the

surface. First, there is the creation of the design. As the creator I learn about the project, who I’m doing the job for, who will see it, and what is the best way I can realize its full potential. What is the logo going to look like? what colors am I going to use? what font I am going to use? What will the letting, kerning, and tracking look like if there are words involved? All of these elements come together to create the final design, Second is the initial encounter and response to the design; what the viewer sees and feels about the lines and letters before them. But that would just be 1+1=2. The 3 in graphic design is creating that hidden gem or message that I have woven into the design for the viewer to find, on their own without help. The FedEx logo created by Lindon Leader is my perfect inspiration for 1+1=3. There is the design of the logo, initial recognition of the logo and then the discovery of the arrow, which represents motion, progress, and moving forward; all things that are represented in the logo without being said. One of the things I like best about design is the thought process and work behind it; the struggle to visualize the final product as it evolves. Every element in a logo has a purpose, every shape and every line is precisely where it’s supposed to be. As a student athlete I learned that the fans only see the final product. But it’s what they don't see that really matters. They don’t see the countless hours of practice that makes it look so simple. Just as every part of my body is involved and needs to be precise for the perfect swing, every angle of every line is calculated and exactly where it needs to be for the perfect design.