Somewhere Johannes Guttenberg Is Crying

“As much as I hate to admit that Todd Gimlin (our interactive developer) was right, print is losing ground to online in many areas,” Garrett says. “And really, the economy is exacerbating and accelerating this trend.”

While print – in particular its tactile qualities – has a place in his heart, he sees the advantages of digital and online media. Its visceral qualities are undeniable. And it’s definitely the direction design is heading.

The most recent annual report that Garrett designed for the Kansas Health Foundation will be all-digital – a major departure from the elaborate print pieces that he used to create. Other clients are adding sleek online versions of their newsletters to take advantage of the cool Wow factor possible with interactive.

Now responsible for hiring design interns, he advises students who are majoring in print design to diversify and at least understand what can and can’t be done digitally.

Making the Parts Work Together

As he explains, web design is similar to but very different from print design. Print designers have to think in terms of flat or, in the case of packaging, three-dimensional design. And – as admittedly geeky as it sounds – web designers need to think in four dimensions, adding elements such as timing, movement and navigation. It takes both the creative right brain and analytical left brain. Garrett, a one-time math major, can appreciate the creative-analytical interplay. In fact, it’s helped him become a sort of jack-of-all-trades.

“I never really immersed myself in one aspect of design,” he says. “I have more than a touch of ADD, so I wanted to learn how to do everything – from photo retouching to designing for the web to creating environmental graphics, even some writing.”

All That and a Bag of Chips

Designer, dancer, beer connoisseur and scathingly sarcastic funnyman, Garrett Fresh is the complete package. As print becomes more targeted and specialized, designers must feel at home with a range of media. Luckily for Garrett – and us – he’s found his feet just fine.

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