ADAI Memories from Jim Lienhart
Hi Barb,
I just received a postcard about the 50 year celebration for ADAI and it brought back a lot of memories. I started as a designer at Meredith Publishing in 1957.my first job out of art school from the Kansas City Art Institute and School of Design. I was among the small group of designers that started ADAI in 1957. I remember participating in the competition to develop the first logo for ADAI.(the logo you show on the postcard in the number 57) The guy that won the competition was Rudi Johnson who was in the Meredith Publishing design group with me. He was an older guy (at least then I thought he was older) probably in his 40's. I always remember he has a red 55 Thunderbird...very cool. Anyway I worked at Better Homes and Gardens promoting their books primarily...really loved it...won a bunch of awards in Des Moines and Omaha art directors club.
I tried to get a raise from $4500 per year at Meredith and one of their officers met with me and said most people are going for the 40 year plan of security with no raise at this time...I left and joined Look Magazine (with a raise) for a couple years and won some more awards and had some more fun.
Pat Taylor was a buddy of mine and Chris Christensen (art director at Look at the time) I still exchange xmas cards with them. I moved to Chicago in 1961 and went on from their to head up several design groups (RVI and Unimark) and then became president of a large branding and identity office for 25 years (Murrie Lienhart Rysner & Associates) and then started my own office and now combine teaching design and running the office. But the days in Des Moines were the most exciting for me. I came back and spoke at ADAI at one point and had a great time. I'm still enjoying design working on a range of very interesting assignments. At 71 I still feel the same excitement in coming up with new concepts and solutions.
Take care and say hello to some of the old birds in Des Moines.
Jim Lienhart
Lienhart Design
939 West Huron Street
Suite 310
Chicago IL 60622
Phone 312 738 2200
Fax 312 738 2100
Web lienhartdesign.com
Email jim@lienhartdesign.com
I just received a postcard about the 50 year celebration for ADAI and it brought back a lot of memories. I started as a designer at Meredith Publishing in 1957.my first job out of art school from the Kansas City Art Institute and School of Design. I was among the small group of designers that started ADAI in 1957. I remember participating in the competition to develop the first logo for ADAI.(the logo you show on the postcard in the number 57) The guy that won the competition was Rudi Johnson who was in the Meredith Publishing design group with me. He was an older guy (at least then I thought he was older) probably in his 40's. I always remember he has a red 55 Thunderbird...very cool. Anyway I worked at Better Homes and Gardens promoting their books primarily...really loved it...won a bunch of awards in Des Moines and Omaha art directors club.
I tried to get a raise from $4500 per year at Meredith and one of their officers met with me and said most people are going for the 40 year plan of security with no raise at this time...I left and joined Look Magazine (with a raise) for a couple years and won some more awards and had some more fun.
Pat Taylor was a buddy of mine and Chris Christensen (art director at Look at the time) I still exchange xmas cards with them. I moved to Chicago in 1961 and went on from their to head up several design groups (RVI and Unimark) and then became president of a large branding and identity office for 25 years (Murrie Lienhart Rysner & Associates) and then started my own office and now combine teaching design and running the office. But the days in Des Moines were the most exciting for me. I came back and spoke at ADAI at one point and had a great time. I'm still enjoying design working on a range of very interesting assignments. At 71 I still feel the same excitement in coming up with new concepts and solutions.
Take care and say hello to some of the old birds in Des Moines.
Jim Lienhart
Lienhart Design
939 West Huron Street
Suite 310
Chicago IL 60622
Phone 312 738 2200
Fax 312 738 2100
Web lienhartdesign.com
Email jim@lienhartdesign.com
posted by Gordon at 6:27 AM
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