After gaining experience in a variety of design jobs, twin brothers Jack and Jeff Gernsheimer established Partners Design in 1971, operating out of a 200 year old farmhouse in Bernville, PA. Since then, Partners has achieved national and international recognition and has been featured in Communication Arts, Graphis and Print magazines.
Several years ago, Jack Gernsheimer completed a book on logo design for Allworth Press titled Designing Logos; the Process of Creating Logos that Endure. He has also lectured and taught classes at Pennsylvania College of Art & Design and Kutztown University. PCA&D's own Pam Barby (Graphic Design Department Chair and contributor to this blog) was once one of his students.
Jeff Gernsheimer has also taught college courses in package design, branding, corporate identity and environmental graphics and has had his work featured in prominent design publications.
In 1998, Chris Werner was hired as a graphic designer and became a full partner in 2005.
One of the keys to their success has been to surround themselves with young designers. According to Russell Slocum, owner of The Slocum Group in nearby Wyomissing, "Beside their own design skills, Jeff and Jack have an eye for talent and the patience to nurture it. It’s rare in this business to be a training ground for artists while also being known for a very high level of graphic design.” Partners Design regularly works with interns from Kutztown University.
Visit the Partners Design website HERE.
Read an article on the Gernsheimers HERE.
Purchase Jack's book HERE.
Mirko Ilic (pronounced MEER-ko ILLich), much like Milton Glaser, is inspiring to me because he works both as a graphic designer and as an illustrator. Born in Bosnia, he first published his work in the early 1970's as a comic book artist, but by 1980, focused entirely on graphic design and illustration. In 1986, he moved to New York, "with $1,500 in the pocket and no idea what to do upon getting there." Since then he has had his work published in Time, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times and in 1991, became the art director of Time International. In 1992, Ilic became the art director of the op-ed page in the NY Times.
He is co-author of a number of books about graphic design including The Design of Dissent with Milton Glaser and Anatomy of Design with Steven Heller. He has designed album covers for Rage Against The Machine and designed film titles for You've Got Mail.
Ilic now teaches illustration at the School of Visual Arts in NYC.
Learn more about Mirko Ilic HERE.
Visit the Mirko Ilic Corp. website HERE.
The Design of Dissent book can be purchased HERE.
Mirko's autobiography, Fist to Face, can be purchased HERE.
