February 10, 2020

The Power of Print

For the January-February 2020 issue, Currents magazine featured winning designs from the Circle of Excellence Awards. The honors recognize the best work done being done at higher education institutions worldwide and included my design for the Texas Tech University System Chancellor’s Council Gala. Writer Barbara Ruben asked the winning designers if print still makes a difference in this era of e-vites in The Power of Print: Inviting Invitations.

The January-February 2020 issue of Currents magazine featured my invitation for the 2018 Chancellor's Council Gala designed for the Texas Tech University System.

Published by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education, Currents is a resource for best practices in higher education advancement. As universities struggle to balance impact with cost, both print and digital media have their strengths. From my perspective there are advantages to working with both.

As screens become pervasive, there’s never been a more exciting time for digital design. But when a person takes time to craft and share a physical object — even a simple invitation — there is intrinsic value.

The physicality of print gives you something to touch and feel. It creates interaction with the product and conveys a sense of permanence.

Throughout history, printing has been reserved for special occasions. We record our most powerful ideas in books. We commemorate educational milestones with diplomas. So, it makes sense to celebrate our most significant events in print.

Technology continues to give us increasingly interactive and immersive ways to communicate digitally. It also gives us new materials and processes for designing in print. Together with their clients, designers should decide which approach is best.