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Interactive Design

Posted May 12, 2005

Andi Rusu (Design ‘92) - From the interface on a mobile phone to the graphics that define the look of a music video or computer game, every piece of media in our world is an opportunity for innovative design. The amazing realism of the new computer-generated blockbuster movies are created by teams of talented creative people. As the Internet expands every year, so do the opportunities for designers who are adept with the multi-disciplinary demands of interactive technologies.

Every day, information and graphics are coming together to create hybrid media that we cannot begin to imagine. Only 20 years ago, who would have anticipated the complexity and omni-presence of the Internet?

A pioneer in the area of interactive design, Cornish Design Alum Andi Rusu was working in this ‘new’ arena well before it was on the radar as a career option for designers.

In 1994, he began working for Headbone Interactive creating early CD ROMs for children. At Headbone, which was later sold to Discovery Kids, Andi worked on game design, character development, design and animation. He began to see the computer as much more than a production tool for print design and, fueled by his enthusiasm for this new medium, dropped the traditional illustration and design trajectory to focus on digital design.

Over the years, Andi worked as an illustrator, designer and art director with clients such as The New Yorker, The Village Voice, Seattle Opera, Seattle Weekly, Headbone Interactive, Sierra Online, Caribiner International, Modern Dog, ZAAZ, Porsche.com, Microsoft and Motorola.com, to name a few.

A few years ago, Andi realized that in addition to interactive design, he had a real passion and ability for teaching. After a brief stint at The School for Visual Concepts, Andi returned to Cornish’s Design Department to teach introductory typography. It was only a matter of time until he combined his desire to teach and his passion for interactive design. The following semester, Andi began teaching his newly developed web design course.

Teaching only fueled Andi’s own desire to create, so in 2004, Andy partnered with Ricky Castro and Jim Catel to form their design business IF/THEN. The focus of their work is almost one hundred percent interactive, including projects such as the redesign of the Seattle University website; Xbox video game sites and Nintendo’s startmayhem.com. Eventually, they would like to find a mix of 80% interactive and 20% print. “You are a visual communicator regardless of the medium you are using,” Andi explains.

Recently, Andi and his colleagues at IF/THEN joined leading professionals from the fields of interactive design, gaming, virtual reality, television and film graphics, and new digital product design to help Cornish’s Design Department develop a new area of study - Motion Design. In this process, the Design Department consulted with representatives from such companies as Microsoft Digital Media, Atari, Fad, ZAAZ, the University of Washington’s HIT Lab and Modern Dog.

The new Motion Design curriculum at Cornish will provide an educational environment with a rich combination of conceptual and technical skills essential for innovative thinkers in today’s complex media environment. With a focus on project development and experimentation, history and theory, as well as rigorous critiques, students will develop in-depth approaches to such varied fields as 2D and 3D video graphics, animation, gaming, web development and interactive presentations. As media continue to emerge, the field demands a more sophisticated designer who can navigate the new and expanding territory. “Cornish has an opportunity to develop itself as a leader in this field. This is a wonderful opportunity to bring exceptional design thinking and pedagogy into the interactive field,” Andi explains. “Cornish students will benefit greatly by graduating as extremely well-rounded design communicators. The field is growing exponentially with more and better jobs arising in the Northwest.”

To check out a portfolio of Andi’s work, visit http://www.redoctober.com. For more information about IF/THEN Studio, visit www.ifthenstudio.com.

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