News

Larsen Vice President–Creative Amy Hayes Stellhorn has joined the board of directors for AIGA San Francisco as programming co-chair for Silicon Valley. AIGA, the professional association for design, is the oldest and largest membership association for design professionals. The San Francisco chapter has been working diligently to reach and serve the South Bay’s rich design community, and this fall launched a dedicated Silicon Valley programming committee headed by Stellhorn and co-chair Joe Miller.

“Eyes around the world are on Silicon Valley, especially now as we mourn the loss of Steve Jobs. His dedication to design thinking changed the way our world works, and that same dedication permeates the companies and designers in this region — many of whom will shape our lives with their work. I’m honored to partner with AIGA San Francisco to highlight and deliver game-changing design thinking within this vibrant creative community,” Stellhorn said.

Larsen is pleased to announce the addition of four new full-time staff members to the Menlo Park office. Wolfgang Strack joins the Larsen California office as design director, Roger Siu as senior designer, Michael Furukawa as senior production designer, and Dan Hope as associate account executive. With these hires, the office is the largest it has been in its 15-year history.

The work of Jo Davison, Vice President–Creative at Larsen, will be featured in WOMN: Women in Minnesota Design, an exhibition at the College of Visual Arts in St. Paul, Minnesota. The exhibition is part of the College’s annual CVA Leaders of Design Series and will be open to the public October 27-November 13. An opening reception will be held at the CVA Gallery from 6:00-8:00 p.m. on October 27. The exhibition honors women who have helped put Minnesota on the map with graphic design that is conceptual, meaningful, inspiring, hard working, and powerful.

In conjunction with the exhibition, Davison will participate in a Q&A session on October 27 as part of  the Pivot Series. The Pivot Series is designed as an opportunity for AIGA student groups to develop programming for fellow students in the upper Midwest. Registration and more information.

Larsen is the proud recipient of six American Graphic Design Awards. The 2011 competition, which is sponsored by Graphic Design USA, received over 8,000 submissions. Only 15% were honored with an award. Larsen’s winning entries include work for AIGA Minnesota, Charles Schwab, Greg McKeown, Old Republic Title Insurance, Rapid Refill, and Wausau Paper.

A great name-tagline combination is essential for a successful brand. But how do you begin? Director of Writing Services Gwyneth Dwyer will present a Webinar on Naming and Taglines as part of the Marketing Writing Bootcamp offered by MarketingProfs University. The Webinar will be live June 16-29 with access to the recording for 12 months. Register now

Amy Hayes Stellhorn has been promoted to Vice President–Creative in Larsen’s Menlo Park office. “Amy is a talented designer and a respected leader. We are proud to have her leading creative teams in California,” said Tim Larsen.

During Amy’s nine years at Larsen, six of them as design director, her work for clients such as Applied Materials, SEMI, and Charles Schwab has garnered numerous design accolades. With expertise in both print and interactive communications and a special focus on event marketing, Amy has successfully led multifaceted teams on global initiatives spanning three continents and seven countries.

Amy studied graphic design and illustration at Brigham Young University, Idaho, and is an active member of AIGA, the professional association for design.

Vice President–Creative Jo Davison will present Design: Still Satisfying and Delighting? on April 28 at the Minnesota Magazine & Publishing Association’s 2011 Summit and Expo. Register now.

Larsen Founder and President Tim Larsen has been invited to judge the 2011 Communication Arts Design Competition. Larsen joins a prestigious panel of judges including Matteo Bologna, founder and president of Mucca Design Corporation; Earl Gee, partner and creative director at Gee + Chung Design; Allyson Lack, partner and co-founder of Principle; and Yolanda Santosa, founder of Ferroconcrete.

Communication Arts is the premier source of inspiration for visual communicators and its Design Competition is highly regarded among graphic designers. Judging will take place in Menlo Park, California June 5-7, and winning entries will be published in the September/October Communication Arts Design Annual.

Larsen is pleased to announce the promotions of three Minneapolis-based staff members. Melinda Church has been promoted to Senior Account Executive, Gordon McIntyre-Lee has been promoted to Design Director, and Michelle Solie has been promoted to Design Director.

Tim Larsen will join 12 other Minnesota design leaders to discuss the evolution and future of graphic design in Minnesota. Hosted by AIGA Minnesota and moderated by Patrick Coyne of Communication Arts magazine, the event will take place on January 13 at the University of Minnesota’s Wiley Hall. Register now.