Tim Larsen
Tim Larsen founded Larsen in 1975 with the single-minded desire to stand for graphic design excellence—in the work his firm produced, the people with whom he collaborated, and the results he achieved.
Three decades later, Larsen has built an international client list, attracted some of the best creative talent in the industry, and created award-winning branding, digital, print, and environmental graphics work. The firm has won countless awards from the profession’s most prestigious organizations, including Communication Arts; Graphis; HOW; and AIGA, the professional association for design.
Tim has been honored with a distinguished Fellow Award from the Minnesota Chapter of AIGA for his significant contributions to the practice of design, and was named one of the 200 People You Should Know by Twin Cities Business. He served as the founding member and president of Minnesota Graphic Designers Association (predecessor to AIGA Minnesota), and as director of the AIGA national board. He co-edited Core of Understanding, a National Endowment for the Arts grant-funded book on graphic design education, and in 2010 launched Design Intersections, an annual lecture series done in partnership with the University of Minnesota College of Design.
A graduate of Minnesota State University (MSU) Moorhead with a B.S. in Art Education/Graphic Design, Tim spent the first three years of his career at Design Center. His commitment to design education led him to serve on the design advisory board for the University of Minnesota College of Design, as chairman of the board of trustees for the College of Visual Arts, on the design advisory board at MSU Moorhead, and as an adjunct faculty member at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design.
In 2000, Larsen employees and friends established the Larsen Design Scholarship — an annual, merit-based award — in Tim’s honor.
