Q&A with John Piper: Senior Visual Designer
Meet Senior Visual Designer, John Piper, the newest addition to the Centrifuge Media team! John worked on exciting projects the day he was welcomed to the team and is delivering exceptional work. After wrapping up his first few projects, we took a moment to learn more about his career journey, creative passions, and what drives his artwork.
Q:
What was your path to Centrifuge Media?
A:
In 2015, I attended Ohio University to pursue my dream of being a marketing major. That quickly changed as I discovered my true passion was art. I switched majors immediately. While in Art school, and with the help of my professor, I landed a job as a junior graphic designer for Ohio U’s printing services creating brochures, posters, and other print media around campus. Two years later I was able to graduate with a BFA and gain valuable experiences through that design job. After that, COVID hit. I lived with my parents for two months during the pandemic and decided to hit the road and live with a friend in Chapel Hill, NC. After sending out (way too many) applications I landed a job with a start-up company called Simple Site Company designing websites. I was there for a year until I was offered a job at MED-EL where I designed marketing collateral for their products (brochures, posters, social media, etc.). MED-EL is one of four cochlear implant companies in the world, and I was fortunate to learn and grow as a designer there. I was there for four years until given the chance to interview with Centrifuge Media, landing the position as Senior Visual Designer!
Q:
What aspect of your role are you most excited about and why?
A:
I am most excited about getting the chance to learn and grow as a designer. Getting the chance to work with varied brands and themes through different clients is exciting because I get to use my creativity and explore unique design processes through the work.
Q:
You can offer a client one piece of advice when partnering with Centrifuge Media. What would it be?
A:
Whatever you have envisioned for your next event, do not hold back on your ideas. Just know that Centrifuge Media will go above and beyond to create a meaningful experience for your company.
Q:
What specific projects or moments in your career/life has fueled your passion and kept you motivated?
A:
One specific project that fueled my passion was a comic book I illustrated while employed at MED-EL. This ignited my passion for layout design and illustration, giving me the confidence to create similar works.
Q:
What do you like to do in your free time when you aren’t working? Any hobbies or activities you’re passionate about?
A:
In my free time, I play a lot of music. I go to open mic nights here and there to perform originals and covers of folk/country music. I also coach basketball during the High School basketball season. This year I had the opportunity to be the assistant JV coach at Franklin Academy and will hopefully continue to do that in the future. Another hobby I have is reading and creating comic books. I have truly found a love for the medium and try to create my own whenever I have the time.
Q:
What is inspiring you RIGHT NOW?
A:
Right now, what inspires me the most, is the traditional look and feel of underground comics. From R. Crumb to Daniel Clowes, their works through graphic novels and comic books motivate me to create something in that medium. My biggest personal goal is to create a graphic novel of a fictional story that will hopefully be published one day.
Q:
You can only choose one: Traditional media (pencil and paper) or digital illustration?
A:
I would say traditional media. The marks you unintentionally get from traditional media gives any artwork a little more personality compared to digital media.
Learn more about John Piper by visiting our about page or connect with her directly on linkedin!