stephanie childress

graphic design

 I once received this message in a real fortune cookie.  These words perfectly describe my mission in graphic design.

As an artist, I find beauty and appeal in what others might consider ordinary- in colorful graffiti under a bridge, in hand-painted letters on an old wooden sign, in landscapes seen through my car window on a Saturday drive, even in the converging lines of cereal boxes on shelves in the grocery store.

I am greatly influenced by "graphic traffic," the abundance of visual images with which we are bombarded every day.  From packaging designs, film titles, and menus, to posters, signs, and typefaces, art and design are integral aspects of everyday life. 

The average American might look at a box of Frosted Flakes and see one thing: breakfast.  As a graphic designer, I look at the product's iconic packaging and see another thing: art.  I wish to make work that, like the common, brightly colored cereal box, is both usable and visual.