News | 2011

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

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.

Gwyneth Dwyer, Larsen Director of Writing Services, will lead a writing workshop titled Creating a Brand Voice for Minnesota Women in Marketing and Communications on January 20 at the University of St. Thomas. During this event, Gwyneth will offer an in-depth look at how several brands have created a strong, appealing voice and provide guidelines for creating, managing, and building consensus for a consistent brand voice in your organization. Register now.