CreativeLive is all about bringing the finest instructors to our stage, but how do we do that? By hiring really, really talented people to help us make it happen. Enter designer, Playing With Type author, and speaker Lara McCormick, whose work has been featured in Graphic Design USA, Graphic Design Solutions, HOW magazine, DesignObserver.com, and MTV.com. Lara is a two-time recipient of Sappi Paper’s ‘Ideas that Matter’ award.
She’s also a proud dog owner. Here’s some other important information about her:
What are you doing here?
I’m the Head of Design Education.
Give me your five-sentence life story.
Grew up in Berkeley, California. Went to undergrad at UCLA and studied sociology then went on to become a self-taught graphic designer. Moved to NYC where I got my MFA in Design and spent ten years living in the east village. Fell in love with typography and attended Cooper Union’s Type@Cooper program then wrote a book called ‘Playing with Type: 50 graphic experiments for exploring typographic design principles. Have now circled back to the bay area, the place where I feel most at home.
What were you doing before you were at CL?
Teaching and freelancing and writing and speaking about design on the east coast.
What do you get up to in your spare time?
My dog licking my face – she’s the most amazing pitbull ever. In my spare time I love exploring the city (any city) and meeting cool people doing cool things. I also try to make something every day, lately I’ve been obsessed with hand lettering.
When do you feel the most creative?
Morning for sure, and right after I exercise (when the best ideas seem to come).
What’s the best advice you’ve ever gotten?
Steven Heller said to me early on in grad school ‘figure out what matters to you and devote your energy to that.’ He was talking about balancing the number of design projects we were being assigned at once, but i feel like this is some serious bigger picture advice.
What else should we know about you?
I’m a constant snacker.
