Over a decade or so, themes emerge, and then it becomes an archive of a certain place in space and time that you, or we, occupied. I love the feeling of place that you can get just from seeing the way something was designed.
– Erica Endicott
Tell us a little about yourself and your work.
I’m a freelance graphic designer working mainly in publications (magazines, annual reports, viewbooks) for higher-education clients. I grew up in St. Louis, Missouri and graduated from Mizzou with a journalism degree. I moved to Atlanta after college and worked in-house as a web and print designer at Atlanta International School, Emory, and Georgia Tech. In 2020 I started my own business, Erica Endicott Design Studio.
What do you geek out about?
I told my husband about this question and he said, “What don’t you geek out about?” (He knows me so well.) Here are just a few of the things my friends wish I would shut up about: International political poster design, color gamuts, university brand guides, Robert Bringhurst’s Elements of Typographic Style, Cavalier King Charles spaniels, Ben Hogan and the perfect golf swing, public health, VOX ATL, etymology, Star Trek, Jonathan Coulton, the X-Files, and pie.
What brought you to Atlanta, and how long have you lived here?
My fiance and I had a deal when we left college that we’d go wherever the first job offer came from. And he beat me — by four hours. We got job offers on the same day, his at 9 a.m. and mine at 1 p.m. His was from the AJC, where he went on to establish their first blogging platform, and then managed the team that developed a content management system for all of Cox’s media properties. We had never been to Atlanta before the day we moved here, but it’s been our home now for 20 years.
Why did you join AIGA?
I became an official member of AIGA only after the membership model changed in 2012 to include lower price points for entry. Before that, I couldn’t afford the fees out of my pocket. Now that I have my own successful business, I have been fortunate to be able to continue being a member, but I really stick around because of the community and the programming. The mentorship program has been an amazing benefit to the community — I participated for the fifth time this year. The In-House Insider has always provided interesting behind-the-scenes talks from other in-house creative leaders. And the Poster Show is one of my favorite events of the year. I love to bring friends who aren’t designers just to see the amazing range of creative ideas this community puts together!
What inspires you to do the work you do?
I’m very fortunate that I get to produce work that supports a community of learning that is exceptional and inspirational in itself. Higher education is so important for young people, but it is also wondrous to see the work that faculty, staff, and administrators are doing at their universities and schools. Supporting new student learning, but also cutting edge research, fundraising, and diversity of thought — it absolutely keeps me going every single day.
Whatdesign trends do you love?
I’m too much of a contrarian to love any particular design trend. I am a person who always has to zig while others zag. But I love that there are design trends, that design is a cultural conversation we’re having across space and time. Over a decade or so, themes emerge, and then it becomes an archive of a certain place in space and time that you, or we, occupied. I love the feeling of place that you can get just from seeing the way something was designed.
