By Soleil Paz
Staff Writer
On Friday, February 6th, the Saint Rose Student Chapter of AIGA was proud to present an artist lecture from Deroy Peraza, co-founder of the graphic design firm Hyperakt in Brooklyn. This design studio is set apart from many others in that its clients are exclusively limited to those who actively push for social change. Peraza and his staff work to communicate arguably world-changing ideas for the public’s easy viewing. Hyperakt has created graphic works for the likes of Google, UNICEF, the United Nations, and the NAACP.
The lecture, which was a big event that has been planned since last summer, was long anticipated by graphic design majors, but no one more than AIGA President Whitney Dobladillo and Vice President Jeremy Fink. Fink and Dobladillo, both seniors in the graphic design program, took much of the lead in making this event so successful. Said Fink, “It was just a really long process with a lot of hurdles to get past… but I think in the end, we got good weather, he could make it here, and it turned out pretty grand.”
Having such a big name in the graphic design industry come to Saint Rose and speak was an incredible milestone. “It’s not just for our design program, for the students and faculty, but it’s for the community as well,” explained Dobladillo. “I think it’s better for us to get more recognition and just see what we can really do, who we can actually bring, and how important we really are.”
AIGA Secretary Janna Czepiel added to the conversation, “It’s so informative. I just got so much information, especially being a senior that’s graduating in three months… It’s extremely important to get as much advice as you possibly can.”
The result of the event was colossal in regards to what students were able to gain from the experience. Senior graphic design major and AIGA Treasurer Will Mintzer pointed out that it is essential to know what’s out there and to get a better sense of the design world. Said Mintzer, “Every time I hear a designer speak, I feel like my understanding of how design works across the globe gets a little rounder.”
In a way, having Peraza speak really humanized the concept of getting out into the world on this career path and sustainably making it, which was especially significant for design majors. The lecture gave students an opportunity to look specifically at the requirements and limitations of each client, then see the end product and how much someone can possibly do with those few elements. Moreover, the fact that Hyperakt only deals with social impact clients added another layer of depth. “Just seeing the breadth of work that they’ve worked on was pretty inspiring,” added senior graphic designer Eden Loeffel.
After the lecture, The Chronicle was extremely fortunate to be able to talk to Peraza himself for some personal insight. During this conversation, and often times throughout the lecture as well, Peraza repeatedly expressed the idea of design being a marriage of form and function. “It sounds cheesy, but it’s really about staying grounded in the real world, because as designers, it’s really easy to stay in this world of pretty things,” he stated. Peraza continued to explain that with graphic design, everything is about the client—it’s their message, and it’s his job to give it the best chance it possibly can. He simultaneously makes information easy to read and aesthetically pleasing.
On the decision to limit his clientele to those with world-changing ideas, Peraza had said, “We realized that the work that we were doing for the nonprofits that was issue-centered work was much stronger, and we were much more passionate about that work.” Budget was constantly a concern, much with any other career in the arts, and he clarified that when he started, he was in no better place than anyone else in that room. Anyone can make it.
Though Peraza modestly insisted that his designs were far from changing the world or creating a big social impact, he was willing to admit that his work was certainly doing a lot to help things get there. He was humble when he said that it’s very easy for people to be impressed when they see the finished and polished product, but they do not see all the messy work and struggling that went on behind the scenes. He left design students at Saint Rose with a renewed excitement for their craft.
For those who are interested, the student chapter of AIGA will be making a full-length video of the lecture that can be found online very soon.
