Kit Hinrichs (born November 15, 1941, in Torrance, California) is an American graphic designer, author, collector, and design educator.

Kit Hinrichs at Studio Hinrichs, 2016

Education

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Hinrichs studied graphic design at Art Center College of Design (then in Los Angeles, California), where he earned a Bachelor of Professional Arts in 1963.[1]

Career

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Professional overview

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After graduating from Art Center in 1963, Hinrichs served in the Marine Corps. Hinrichs then moved to New York and, after a few years, partnered with Anthony Russell to form Russell and Hinrichs, an independent design consultancy.[2] Seven years later, Hinrichs and his wife, Linda Hinrichs, established Hinrichs Design Associates[2] which "focused on reinterpreting the annual report with a concentration on the character of particular companies."[1] They moved to San Francisco in 1976 and formed a bi-coastal partnership with Vance Jonson, B. Martin Pedersen, and Neil Shakery called Jonson, Pedersen, Hinrichs & Shakery.[3] In 1986 the San Francisco office merged with Pentagram and Hinrichs became a partner at Pentagram.[1] Hinrichs was a partner at Pentagram's San Francisco office from 1986 to 2009.[4] In 2009, Hinrichs founded Studio Hinrichs, an independent design firm in San Francisco, California.[4]

Hinrichs' design experience spans brand development and identity, promotion, publication design, packaging design, environmental graphics, product design, editorial design, and exhibition design.[4] Hinrichs' past and present clients include the California Academy of Sciences,[5] Design Within Reach,[6] Crocker Bank, Transamerica,[2] Potlatch Corporation, American President Lines, The Nature Company, Consolidated Freightways, Royal Viking Lines, Clarks of England, Art Center College of Design, Red Herring (magazine), Aspen Skiing Company,[7] Sony Metreon Entertainment Complex, United Airlines' Hemispheres Magazine,[8] Simpson Paper,[9] Sappi Fine Paper, Muzak, Gymboree, University of Southern California, Safeco, Museum of Glass, Symantec, KQED, the San Francisco Zoo, Restoration Hardware,[10] Columbus Salame,[11] and many more.[12]

Hinrichs is the co-author of seven books: Vegetables,[13] Stars & Stripes: Ninety-six Top Designers and Graphic Artists Offer Their Personal Interpretations of Old Glory,[14] TypeWise,[15] Long May She Wave: A Graphic History of the American Flag,[16] The Pentagram Papers: A Collection of Thirty-six Papers,[17] 100 American Flags: A Unique Collection of Old Glory Memorabilia,[18] and 100 Baseball Icons: From the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum Archive.[19] He also co-founded @Issue: The Journal of Business and Design with Delphine Hirasuna.[1]

Hinrichs has taught various graphic design courses at School of Visual Arts, California College of the Arts, and Academy of Art University.[20]

Visual storytelling

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Philip B. Meggs and Alston W. Purvis describe Hinrichs as a "visual storyteller" whose "designs are distinguished by a keen understanding of the narrative and abundant interpretations on a theme."[1] According to Hinrichs, "[o]ne thing you'll find is that whether I'm talking or designing, there are always metaphors involved. Parables. Simple stories that anyone can understand. Before I solve the styling—the way in which an idea is going to be presented—I ask 'Who are we talking to, and how can I best tell the story?' That process of telling the story verbally automatically triggers ideas about the way in which I'll tell it visually."[7]

@Issue: The Journal of Business Design

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In or about 1986, Kit Hinrichs and writer Delphine Hirasuna conceived of a magazine to bridge "designers and corporate clients, addressing the ever-present perception that neither party clearly understands what each other contributes to their intended collaboration."[21] In 1994, Potlatch papers agreed to underwrite the project, and in 1995 the Corporate Design Foundation became involved as the official publisher of @Issue: The Journal of Business and Design.[21] @Issue is focused on the "effective use of design in business,"[22] and includes case studies, interviews, and articles about client-designer collaborations.[21] @Issue "was immediately embraced by the design and business communities because it was the only publication that really addressed how design directly impacts businesses and their brands."[23] In 2006, @Issue's circulation (available only by subscription) reached 100,000, and a spinoff conference was started.[21] In 2009, @Issue transformed from a printed publication to a digital platform.[23]

American Flag and Memorabilia Collection

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Kit Hinrichs collects American flags and American flag memorabilia, and owns thousands of objects that have formed the basis of several exhibitions and books.[3] His collection has been exhibited by the Smithsonian Institution,[24] the Mercer Museum,[25] and the Nevada Museum of Art.[26] Hinrichs made a guest appearance on Martha Stewart's show Martha to discuss and present his American flag and ephemera collection.[27][28]

Kit Hinrichs has written and/or designed four books about the American flag: Stars & Stripes: Ninety-six Top Designers and Graphic Artists Offer Their Personal Interpretations of Old Glory,[14] Long May She Wave: A Graphic History of the American Flag,[16] 100 American Flags: A Unique Collection of Old Glory Memorabilia,[18] and The American Flag: Two Centuries of Concord and Conflict.[29]

Awards and recognition

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Hinrichs has won hundreds of design awards, including the AIGA Medal in 2004[3] and an honorary Doctorate of Letters by Art Center College of Design in 2009.[30] He is represented in several permanent collections including: the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)[31] in New York City; the Library of Congress in Washington, DC; and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA).[32] He has been a featured speaker at national design conferences including the HOW Design Live Conference,[33] Adobe MAX,[34] the Stanford Design Conference, the AIGA National Conferences, as well as at regional AIGA chapters and at universities and design schools across the country.[10]

Hinrichs is an AIGA fellow, a member of the Alliance Graphique Internationale, and a trustee of Art Center College of Design.[3] He is a former executive board member of the AIGA, and served on the Accessions Design and Architecture committee at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.[3] Hinrichs was chair of the AIGA California Show (the first regional show in AIGA's 100-year history), the AIGA Business Conference, and the San Francisco Design Lecture Series;[4] he co-chaired the Alliance Graphique Internationale Congress.[10]

In 2008, Hinrichs mounted a retrospective exhibit at California State University, Sacramento entitled "The Storyteller's Art"[35] which traveled to Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California in 2009.[36]

Books

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  • Hinrichs, Kit, and Delphine Hirasuna. Vegetables. San Francisco: Chronicle, 1985. Print. ISBN 0877013616.
  • Hinrichs, Kit, and Delphine Hirasuna. Stars & Stripes: Ninety-six Top Designers and Graphic Artists Offer Their Personal Interpretations of Old Glory. San Francisco: Chronicle, 1987. Print. ISBN 158008916X.
  • Hinrichs, Kit, and Delphine Hirasuna. TypeWise. Cincinnati, OH: North Light, 1990. Print. ISBN 0891343563.
  • Hinrichs, Kit, Delphine Hirasuna, and Terry Heffernan. Long May She Wave: A Graphic History of the American Flag. Berkeley, CA: Ten Speed, 2001. Print. ISBN 1580082408.
  • Hinrichs, Kit, and Delphine Hirasuna. The Pentagram Papers: A Collection of Thirty-six Papers ... London: Thames & Hudson, 2006. Print. ISBN 0811855635.
  • Hinrichs, Kit, Delphine Hirasuna, and Terry Heffernan. 100 American Flags: A Unique Collection of Old Glory Memorabilia. Berkeley, CA: Ten Speed, 2008. Print. ISBN 1580089208.
  • Heffernan, Terry, Kit Hinrichs, and Delphine Hirasuna. 100 Baseball Icons: From the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum Archive. Berkeley, CA: Ten Speed, 2008. Print. ISBN 158008916X.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e Meggs, Philip B., and Alston W. Purvis. Meggs' History of Graphic Design. 6th ed. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, 2016, p. 581.
  2. ^ a b c Yelavich, Susan. Profile: Pentagram Design. London: Phaidon, 2004, pp. 185–186.
  3. ^ a b c d e "Kit Hinrichs: Biography by AIGA." AIGA, 1 March 2004, http://www.aiga.org/medalist-kithinrichs. Accessed 11 November 2016 (archived at [1] ).
  4. ^ a b c d "Graphis Biography: Kit Hinrichs." Graphis Inc., http://www.graphis.com/bio/2/kit-hinrichs-2/. Accessed: November 7, 2016 (archived at [2] ).
  5. ^ Hill, Linda A. Collective Genius: The Art and Practice of Leading Innovation. Boston: Harvard Business Review, 2014, p. 95.
  6. ^ "Design Within Reach." AIGA, http://www.aiga.org/cla-design-within-reach. Accessed: November 7, 2016 (archived at [3] ).
  7. ^ a b Frolick, Stuart I. "Kit Hinrichs." Graphis 45.262 (1989): 14–33. Print.
  8. ^ Tempus Fugit: World's Best Calendar. Barcelona: Index, 2009. Print.
  9. ^ "Awards: Trade Collateral—Brochures/ Catalogs." San Francisco Annual VI Apr. 1992: 113. Print.
  10. ^ a b c "Spotlight: Kit Hinrichs." AIGA Baltimore, August 14, 14, http://www.baltimore.aiga.org/spotlight-kit-hinrichs/. Accessed November 7, 2016 (archived at [4] ).
  11. ^ Hinrichs, Kit. "Columbus Salame: Remembering Roots." Print 67.5 (2013): 57.
  12. ^ "Branding." Studio Hinrichs, http://www.studio-hinrichs.com/studio-hinrichs-branding/. Accessed November 10, 2016 (archived at "Work - Studio Hinrichs". Archived from the original on January 18, 2017. Retrieved November 10, 2016.).
  13. ^ Hinrichs, Kit, and Delphine Hirasuna. Vegetables. San Francisco: Chronicle, 1985. Print. ISBN 0877013616.
  14. ^ a b Hinrichs, Kit, and Delphine Hirasuna. Stars & Stripes: Ninety-six Top Designers and Graphic Artists Offer Their Personal Interpretations of Old Glory. San Francisco: Chronicle, 1987. Print. ISBN 158008916X.
  15. ^ Hinrichs, Kit, and Delphine Hirasuna. TypeWise. Cincinnati, OH: North Light, 1990. Print. ISBN 0891343563.
  16. ^ a b Hinrichs, Kit, Delphine Hirasuna, and Terry Heffernan. Long May She Wave: A Graphic History of the American Flag. Berkeley, CA: Ten Speed, 2001. Print. ISBN 1580082408.
  17. ^ Hinrichs, Kit, and Delphine Hirasuna. The Pentagram Papers: A Collection of Thirty-six Papers ... London: Thames & Hudson, 2006. Print. ISBN 0811855635.
  18. ^ a b Hinrichs, Kit, Delphine Hirasuna, and Terry Heffernan. 100 American Flags: A Unique Collection of Old Glory Memorabilia. Berkeley, CA: Ten Speed, 2008. Print. ISBN 1580089208.
  19. ^ Heffernan, Terry, Kit Hinrichs, and Delphine Hirasuna. 100 Baseball Icons: From the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum Archive. Berkeley, CA: Ten Speed, 2008. Print. ISBN 158008916X.
  20. ^ "Kit Hinrichs." Association of Registered Graphics Designers, http://www.designthinkers.com/Speakers/Kit-Hinrichs.aspx. Accessed November 7, 2016 (archived at [5] ).
  21. ^ a b c d Gomez-Palacio, Bryony, and Armin Vit. Graphic Design, Referenced: A Visual Guide to the Language, Applications, and History of Graphic Design. Beverly, MA: Rockport, 2009, p. 103.
  22. ^ Lawrence, Peter. "Welcome." @issue: Journal of Business & Design Fall 1995: 1. Print.
  23. ^ a b Potts, Emily. "Comeback Kid: @issue Gets New Online Presence." Print, August 11, 2014, http://www.printmag.com/imprint/design-magazine-issues/. Accessed November 7, 2016 (archived at [6] ).
  24. ^ "Long May She Wave: A Visual History of the American Flag." Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service, http://www.sites.si.edu/exhibitions/exhibits/longMaySheWave/. Accessed November 7, 2016 (archived at [7] ).
  25. ^ "Exhibit: Long May She Wave: A Graphic History of the American Flag." Mercer Museum, http://www.mercermuseum.org/event/exhibit-long-may-she-wave-a-graphic-history-of-the-american-flag/. Accessed: November 4, 2016 (archived by at [8] ).
  26. ^ "Long May She Wave: The Graphic History of the American Flag." Nevada Museum of Art, http://www.nevadaart.org/exhibition/long-may-she-wave-the-graphic-history-of-the-american-flag/. Accessed November 10, 2016 (archived at "Long May She Wave: The Graphic History of the American Flag | Nevada Museum of Art". Archived from the original on August 23, 2016. Retrieved November 10, 2016.).
  27. ^ "Collector Flags with Kit Hinrichs," Martha Stewart, http://www.marthastewart.com/1002646/collector-flags-kit-hinrichs. Accessed November 10, 2016.
  28. ^ "Patriotic Memorabilia with Kit Hinrichs," Martha Stewart, http://www.marthastewart.com/995504/patriotic-memorabilia-kit-hinrichs. Accessed November 10, 2016.
  29. ^ Madaus, Howard Michael, and Whitney Smith. The American Flag: Two Centuries of Concord & Conflict. Santa Cruz, CA: VZ Publications, 2006. Print.
  30. ^ "Metropolis Publisher, Editor Honored with Art Center College of Design Degrees." Dexigner, http://www.dexigner.com/news/9877. Accessed: November 9, 2016 (archived at [9] ).
  31. ^ "Kit Hinrichs." Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), http://www.moma.org/artists/2659?locale=en. Accessed November 4, 2016 (archived at [10]).
  32. ^ "Kit Hinrichs." San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA), http://www.sfmoma.org/artist/Kit_Hinrichs. Accessed November 4, 2016 (archived at [11] ).
  33. ^ "HOW Design Live Brings You Design Greats: Kit Hinrichs." Print Magazine. June 11, 2012, http://www.printmag.com/featured/how-design-live-brings-you-design-greats-kit-hinrichs/. Accessed November 7, 2016 (archived at [12] ).
  34. ^ "Kit Hinrichs: 'Dog's Dinners' and How to Avoid Them." Adobe Max, http://www.adobe-max.com/connect/sessionDetail.ww?SESSION_ID=3580&tclass=popup. Accessed November 7, 2016 (archived at [13] ).
  35. ^ "The Storyteller's Art." California State University, Sacramento, http://www.csus.edu/indiv/e/estiokom/kit_hinrichs_event.html. Accessed November 9, 2016 (archived at [14] ).
  36. ^ "Kit Hinrichs: A Storyteller Tells His Own Story." The One Club For Art & Copy, May 13, 2009, http://www.oneclub.org/magazine/?id=114#olmag=/magazine/?id=114. Accessed November 7, 2016 (archived at [15] ).
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