Art 297 Seminar: Thomas Hull

   Alright, so, this evening at 6:15 there was an art seminar, of the sort that you need to attend on more than one occasion for a course credit required for an art major. Apparently you have to enroll beforehand in order for it to count as such, but I didn't even know it could be for credit and just went for fun. And there's always another seminar, so I can get my credits in the future.

   The speaker was Thomas Hull, of Rigsby Hull, and the subject was graphic design. (The firm-or-whatever is named Rigsby Hull, and there's a building on campus here named Rigby Hall, which is not where the seminar was held. No way that's confusing. I, totally didn't get lost trying to find where the seminar is held and walk in like 10 minutes late, alright? It was more like 15.)

   Mostly it was because I didn't even know where the Ricks building was. It's on the north end of campus and, up until that point, I had never been that far north in my life (Rexburg Idaho = pretty far up there.) Thomas Hull's also doing a thing tomorrow morning at the Spori, which I do know the location of, though I couldn't locate the time this time.

   Anyway, you probably want to hear a few notes from the seminar.

   Well, so would I; you have to turn in your note paper as part of the proof of attendance.

   I took a picture of my notes before turning my sheet in, though, so I'm still able to sum it up for you. My takeaway was this: 99% of graphic design is storytelling. Storytelling sticks with people. Juries aren't swayed by evidence or legalities; they're swayed by stories. Find the story first, do as much research as you possible can, have the index cards of your mind always full of unique ways of looking at the world... and laying the copy is the very very last thing you do in the process, after you've solved the story.

   (Same thing with portfolios, which is good to know. When you're presenting a portfolio, the story behind the piece, the problems you had to overcome and the reason you're so proud of it, sticks a lot better than just rehashing the exact same 1,000 that the picture's already telling.)

   There was a lot more to it than that; fortunately I managed to catch all 6 of the points he laid down, though late as I was I may never know the celebrated story of his father and the toe jam. I think I'm okay with that? but it sure sounds entertaining.