J. Blake Johnson is a Professor of Art, teaching Graphic Design at Saginaw Valley State University since 2007. Prior to SVSU, Prof. Johnson taught at the University of Idaho as an Instructor of Record from 2003 to 2006.


Prof. Johnson holds a BFA from The Art Center College of Design, MFA from The University of Idaho, and an Associate’s degree from Brigham Young University – Idaho. He has over 30 years of professional experience in corporate and freelance settings.


Prior to teaching design he worked for a number of design firms on the West Coast. Clients included Nike, Disney, Sony, NBC, X-BOX, Microsoft, Adidas, and Columbia Sportswear, as well as hospitals and universities in the Pacific Northwest.


Prof. Johnson has been designing websites for clients since 1998 and enjoys working with code. Starting in 2006 Prof. Johnson has worked as a freelance User Interface Designer for Pillar Data Systems, and has continued this trend, working with the Oracle Corporation, and RiskBand / Whereable Technologies.


Prof. Johnson currently teaches a broad range of classes such as: Typography, Graphic Design History, Web Design, Portfolio Design, Graphic User Interface Design, and App Interface Design. In 2013 he served as an Exchange Professor at Shikoku University in Tokushima Japan. In 2014 Professor Johnson organized SVSU Cardinal Solutions, an interdisciplinary community engagement program. In 2016 he served as a Visiting Professor for Shenyang Aerospace University in Shenyang China.




 
 

Experience - Educator

 

Saginaw Valley State University

University Center, Michigan

Professor

July 2017 - present


Saginaw Valley State University

University Center, Michigan

Associate Professor

June 2012 - June 2017


Shenyang Aerospace University

Shenyang China

Visiting Professor

June 2016 - July 2016


Shikoku University

Tokishima, Japan

Exchange Professor

April 2013 - July 2013


Saginaw Valley State University

University Center, Michigan

Assistant Professor

June 2007 - May 2012


University of Idaho

Moscow, Idaho

Instructor of Record

August 2004 - April 2007



 

Director SVSU Cardinal Solutions

August 2014 - Present

Cardinal Solutions is an interdisciplinary faculty/student team that works directly with local businesses and non-profits to develop marketing solutions. Students analyze an organization’s goals, determine marketing needs and with the input and approval of the organization, develop effective solutions. This process helps both our community and our students. In the role, I serve as the art director for all client work. I oversee all websites, video productions, app design, and publication work.


To date, Cardinal Solutions has provided services to over 60 nonprofits and local businesses. Cardinal Solutions has also awarded over $75,000 in student scholarships.


Cardinal Solutions has now worked with students from all five colleges at SVSU. Students from the following majors have participated: Education, Graphic Design, Technical Writing, Art (Photography), Art (Illustration), Marketing, Management, Computer Science, and Health Science.

Experience - Designer

 

Whereable Technologies

Redwood City, California

Contractor – Graphic User Interface Designer

Feburary 2017 - October 2019


Oracle Corporation

Redwood City, California

Graphic User Interface Designer

July 2011 - February 2013


Pillar Data Systems

Denver, Colorado

Graphic User Interface Designer

June 2006 - June 2011


IDL Merchandising Solutions

Portland, Oregon

Senior Graphic Designer

April 2002 - August 2004


Anderson Krygier Inc.

Portland, Oregon

Graphic Designer

March 2001 - March 2002


Th!nk Design

Portland, Oregon

Freelance Designer

November 2000 - Present


Spectra Entertainment

Simi Valley, California

Senior Graphic Designer

May 1998 - October 2000


San Gabriel Valley Newspaper Group

Pasadena, California

Marketing/Promotions Graphic Designer

October 1996 - May 1998


Graphic Services

Rexburg, Idaho

Graphic Designer

September 1991 - April 1993

 
 

Education

University of Idaho

Moscow, Idaho

Master of Fine Art

2007, Emphasizing Graphic Design


Art Center College of Design

Pasadena, California

Bachelor of Fine Art

1997, Graphic and Packaging Design, Honors Graduate


Art Center Europe

La Tour-de-Peliz, Switzerland

Fall Term 1995


Brigham Young University-Idaho

Rexburg, Idaho

Associate of Arts

1993, Arts and Sciences, Honors Graduate



GRANTS / AWARDS

Winter 2021

Terry Ishihara Award for Co-Curricular Involvement

This award recognized Cardinal Solutions efforts in serving our community. Projects include logo, branding, and websites for organizations, such as, the Fresh Aire Samaritan Counseling Center, as well as Covenant HealthCare Partners, and the Saginaw County Prevention Coalition. As well as the social media campaigns for organizations such as Women of Colors, and Discover Great Lakes Bay. And our work with Dr. Danilo Sirias to produce a series of Problem Solving Maps workbooks, a training book for educators to help children learn math more effectively. We are currently developing the SVSU Volunteer app, that seeks to link community service opportunities with SVSU student volunteers — to further strengthen SVSU’s service to our community.


Winter 2020

DOW Visiting Scholar Artist/Grant - AIGA Student Group Visit

This grant funding allowed our SVSU AIGA Student Group to host Brian Bird of Thinkwell Group - A Global Experience Design Company from Los Angeles, California to visit with our students. He will also provide a public lecture address as well as one for a local high school. This funding also covered the room rental and advertising costs.


Winter 2019

Foundation Resource Grant - Problem Solving Maps

Funds were granted to support in developing, designing, publishing, and marketing a math workbook for 6th grade students based on Common Core standards and Danilo Sirias’ Problem Solving Maps methodology. The objective of this project is to provide a resource that can improve math education for 6th grade students in the region and to provide SVSU Cardinal Solutions students with a multidisciplinary, project management experience through which they will enhance their abilities in leadership, collaboration, communication, creativity, and problem-solving.


Winter 2018

Thomson Award for Empowering Learning in Community Engagement

This award recognizes the efforts of Cardinal Solutions.


Winter 2017

Faculty Association Service Award

Awarded for starting Cardinal Solutions. Cardinal Solutions brings students of different majors together to work directly with local businesses and non-profits. This group of students and professors analyzes the organizations, determines their weaknesses, and proposes/creates solutions. In many ways this small group of students with varying majors operates as a business, each called upon to offer their expertise in a certain area to insure the success of the project.


Winter 2016

DOW Visiting Scholar Artist/Grant - AIGA Student Portfolio Review

This grant funding allowed our SVSU AIGA Student Group to host the annual Student Portfolio Review. First by paying to have Shogo Ota of Tireman Studio come from Seattle, visit with our students, and provide the keynote address. The funding also covered the room rental and advertising costs.


Winter 2015

SVSU Foundation Resource Grant - Interdisciplinary Community Project

This grant funding supported the production of the marketing materials created by Cardinal Solutions clients. It was used primarily for Resonators Drumline of Mid-Michigan.


Fall 2009

SVSU Professional Growth Awards (unit committee awards)

Grant funding to help with the cost of the materials for a body of artwork that will be shown in a gallery in Winter 2011. Specifically, the paper sculpture series titled: Expletus.




Specialties


• Graphic User Interface Design

• User Experience Design

• Web Design

• Typography

• Board Graphics



SCHOLARSHIPS / COMPETITIONS

2nd Place - Cyberspace II, Cyber Art Competition

March, 2014


Best Cloud Storage Solution - Cloud Computing World Forum in London (Note: I served as the interface designer for this software)

June, 2011


Scholarship - Full Teaching Assistantship, University of Idaho

Fall 2004 to Spring 2007


Scholarship - Mary Kirkwood Award, University of Idaho

Fall 2004 to Spring 2007


Graduate Research Excellence Award - 2006 Grad Expo, University of Idaho

Fall 2006


3rd Place - Buhl Public Art Competition, Buhl, Idaho

December, 2004


POPAI award - Microsoft Game Studios display (Point of Purchase Advertising International)

February, 2002


2nd Place IAAPA - Best Conference Display (International Assoc. of Amusement Parks & Attractions Design Conference)

November, 1999


Winner, Mural Competition - Sony Music Box, Berlin, Germany

April, 1999


1st Place - Logo Competition - L’Enfants de Bosnie (Non-profit organization helping the orphans of war-torn Yugoslavia)

Fall 1995


Tuition Scholarship - Art Center College of Design

Fall 1994 to Spring 1997




 
 


WEB SAMPLES

SVSU Program Pages

Designed to briefly introduce potential students to our different majors and minors (in high school terminology, programs).

See examples of the work…

https://www.svsu.edu/art/

https://www.svsu.edu/psychology/

https://www.svsu.edu/ptw/

https://www.svsu.edu/english/

Learn more about the process at…

https://svsucardinalsolutions.org/svsuwebsite.html



LoDo Chiropractor

New website for Chiropractor in Colorado.

Note: I do not control hosting for this client. Therefore I cannot install the SSL certificate, creating a secure site.

http://lodochiropractor.com/


Cardinal Solutions Site

This site was coded from scratch.

https://svsucardinalsolutions.org/


A Rational Animal Site

This site was also coded from scratch.

https://arationalanimal.com/

 

SKILLS

Excellent Understanding of Adobe Cloud Software

Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, Acrobat, Dreamweaver, etc. Have been using Illustrator and Photoshop since 1988.


Experience in role of Art Director

Consistently oversee design projects, confirming excellence in user experience, quality design, and alignment with client brand as the Director of Cardinal Solutions.


Experience in role of Project Manager

I need to ensure all projects are on track and consistently progressing forward. I oversee the various Cardinal Solutions teams. We average four teams per term.


Solid Understanding of HTML5, and CSS3

I enjoy working with HTML & CSS to make responsive sites. I’m consistently learning more with every site I design. Can use JavaScript in limited applications.


Use of Information Architecture

I use sitemaps and flowcharts when designing. I consider this an important step to be finalized before the traditional design work goes into a project. This helps me work more efficiently.


Successful Design Process

Whenever possible I follow the following process…


- Client interviews

- Competition comparisons

- Potential user interviews

- Brand standards research

- Low fidelity prototypes InVision

- Usability studies

- Regular client feedback

- High fidelity prototypes

- 2nd set of usability studies

- Refinement of high fidelity prototypes

- Client approval

 
 

Contact


Office:

Arbury Fine Arts 117


Office Line:

989-964-2255


Email:

jbjohns1 (at) svsu (dot) edu