Eric Benson
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About
Eric Benson was born in Arizona and raised in Mid-Michigan where he later received his BFA in graphic and industrial design from the University of Michigan in 1998. He worked professionally as a UI/UX designer at Razorfish and Texas Instruments before he received his MFA in design from the University of Texas at Austin in 2006. His MFA thesis became the internationally recognized and award-winning sustainable design website www.re-nourish.org. His work with Re-nourish translated into an academic career where he currently is an Associate Professor of Graphic Design at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His research and teaching at Illinois laid the foundation to create the Fresh Press Agri-Fiber Paper Lab. Fresh Press explores the potential of papermaking to be zero waste, environmentally sustainable, and a catalyst for a thriving local economy.
Benson has published and lectured internationally on the importance of sustainable design. His work has also garnered numerous design awards and has been seen in notable venues like The Walker Art Center, the Smithsonian Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum, the Hammer Museum, the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, and RISD. -
Education
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MFA Design Design and SustainabilityThe University of Texas at Austin2004 - 20062006 Foresight Design Award Winner 2004-2005 Deans Fellowship 2005-2006 The Susan Vaughan Foundation Endowed Scholarship
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BFA Graphic Design, Industrial DesignUniversity of Michigan1993 - 19981998 Palazzo Memorial Award winner for Industrial Design
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HH Dow High1991 - 1993
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Experience
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Associate Professor of Graphic DesignUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignMay 2012 - Present (14 years 2 months)Teach and Research
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FounderFresh PressFeb 2012 - Present (14 years 5 months)Fresh Press is an agri-fiber and agri-fiber waste paper-making lab on the Illinois campus that explores how a collaboration of farmers, artists, designers, and academics can revitalize a slowly dying manufacturing industry in the Midwest.
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PartnerRe-nourishApr 2006 - Present (20 years 3 months)Re-nourish.com is the industry's first truly independent online toolkit for sustainable graphic design. A not-for-profit project providing reliable, accessible sustainability tools untethered to commercial interests, Re-nourish empowers graphic designers to implement sustainable decision making in their day-to-day work. Our mission is nothing short of changing the industry, helping truly sustainable graphic design become what design is, not merely what it "could be."
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Chair, Graphic Design ProgramChampaign, ILJan 2013 - Aug 2020 (7 years 7 months)Responsible for faculty teaching assignments and the formulation and execution of the curricular concerns of the Program, provide leadership in the long term strategic planning for the Program, represents the Program to other campus units, prospective students and faculty, and others outside the University, report on the teaching and research of the faculty currently teaching courses in the Program, and assist the Division Chair in matters regarding promotion and tenure and the assembling of all relevant recommendations and documents for submission to the Promotion and Tenure Committee.
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Steering Committee MemberAIGA Design Educators Community Steering CommitteeJul 2013 - Aug 2017 (4 years 1 month)Since 2004, the AIGA Design Educators Community (DEC) seeks to enhance the abilities of design educators and educational institutions to prepare future designers for excellence in design practice, design theory and design writing at the undergraduate and graduate levels while supporting the fundamental mission of AIGA.
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Assistant Professor of Graphic DesignUniversity of IllinoisAug 2006 - May 2012 (5 years 9 months)Research and Teach
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Committee MemberAIGA Center for Sustainable Design Education CommitteeSep 2008 - Sep 2009 (1 year)Working with eleven other American Design educators to reinforce the importance of sustainability and social responsibility in graphic design education at the university level.
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Sustainability Task Force MemberAIGAMar 2006 - Jun 2008 (2 years 3 months)
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Teaching AssistantUniversity of Texas at AustinJan 2005 - May 2006 (1 year 4 months)I was the Teaching Assistant for Associate Professor Dan Olsen for his course entitled "Visual Syntax". I was responsible for helping Junior level design students improve their work and better clarify problems that developed throughout the process of each project. I was available via my studio, and over email and instant messenger to advise students throughout the semester. I also taught the class through workshops that were directly related to my research for my MFA thesis.
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Sustainability Co-ChairAIGA Austin2005 - 2006 (1 year)
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Design ConsultantWhole FoodsAug 2005 - Dec 2005 (4 months)My position at Whole Foods is to provide concepting for current and ongoing corporate projects. I am currently in charge of creating the look of the in-store holiday signage and print collateral (recipe books, and organic informational guides). All of the work is printed on 100% post-consumer paper and printed with vegetable inks to keep with the company goals of health and sustainability for our planet.
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Senior DesignerTexas InstrumentsMar 2003 - Aug 2004 (1 year 5 months)As the Senior Web Designer for education.ti.com, I am continually helping to update the look and functionality of the site. My recommendations to improve the usability and personality of the site are integral to help promote business and department priorities as well as to inform and aid educators in their daily lesson plans. My duties at TI also include creating print advertising, exhibit graphics, and interactive movies.
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Senior DesignerDawson DuncanNov 2001 - Mar 2002 (4 months)During my brief time spent at this small advertising and marketing company, I worked with clients like Guaranty Bank to design print collateral and advertising campaigns to effectively promote their business image and their products.
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Senior DesignerRazorfishMar 2000 - Feb 2001 (11 months)Razorfish is an internet consultancy based out of NYC. While working as a Senior Web Designer, I designed intranet and internet projects for companies like the Vanguard Group, Credit Suisse First Boston, and Fidelity Investments. I also helped Razorfish maintain and improve new client relationships, through which I developed skills in project management, information architecture, and copywriting.
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DesignerLexicom Publishing1999 - 2001 (2 years)Illustration and layout for telecom print collateral.
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Awards
2023: GDUSA Designer to Watch
2022: GDUSA Graphic Design Award
2019: GDUSA Graphic Design Award
2013: International Design Award (IDA) Silver winner for Self-Promotion
2009: Communicator Award for “Online Activism”.
2009: Cooper-Hewitt People’s Design Award Finalist.
2009: AIGA (RE)design 3rd Place Winner for “Sustainable Organization”.
2009: American Corporate ID #24 logo winner.
2008: United College Designers Association (UCDA) Gold Merit Award in the category “Going Green.”
2007–2008: Admissions Marketing Report (AMR) Merit and Bronze Award Winner .
2007: United College Designers Association (UCDA) Silver Merit Award in the category “Going Green.”
2007: Mission Sustainability Winner, Berlin/Germany
2006: Foresight Design Initiative Winner, Chicago/IL. -
Affiliations
Cumulus
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Industries
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Skills
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Elsewhere on the Web
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On Coroflot@renourish, member since 2000
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Followers 4
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