December 11, 2017

Recap: Steven Rank Alumni Talk

Posted in Alumni, Featured, News, Speaker.

It was our pleasure to welcome back to campus Steven Rank, BGSU GD Alum (’93) and Owner/Creative Director of his NYC design firm, Sarankco on October 30, 2017. Rank shared with students the different milestones (geographic locations, design opportunities and personal relationships) that helped him get to where he is today— a successful business owner, beloved boss, and ambitious creative.

During his talk, Rank illustrated the importance of maintaining relationships and how these interactions have a positive effect, not only on your career, but in life. He treats his team as family, and the quality of their work is evidence of the creative and inclusive environment at Sarankco. He is a very positive and motivated speaker who proves that taking risks, hustling, and being genuine are some of the most important elements to propel you to where you want to be in the world.

Steven sat down for an interview with junior graphic design major Nick Welker. Read the interview here.

Rank also met students over lunch, allowing for an intimate Q+A, and advice-sharing session prior to his evening talk. They were thrilled to walk away with swag emblazoned with the firm’s signature yellow.

Senior design students Tricia Kimmel and Taylor Sprague (with the support and grateful help of peers) screen-printed a commemorative 5×7″ print as a thank you to Steven, and momento of the talk. The piece (and event collateral) is visually inspired by Sarankco’s 2015 Share the Warmth letterpress cards. The quote is taken from the Sarankco instagram feed (in which Sprague and Kimmel observed, talks about Mondays frequently). The screen prints were underwritten by AIGA Toledo.