HEY THERE.
Rose Gonnella-- writer, designer, illustrator-artist, idea-maven, craftynut, and good daughter, Rose Gonnella is the Executive Director of the Robert Busch School of Design at Kean University in Union County and Ocean County, New Jersey, and Wenzhou-Kean University, China. Rose has taught graphic design for over 25 years including courses in design theory, materials and techniques, as well as guiding the web design curriculum at its inception. Believe it or not.
As co-author, Rose has contributed research and writing to seven books and has written numerous magazine and newspaper articles on creativity, art, and architecture, and design. Her latest co-authored adventure book before the Design Fund series is titled, Design To Touch: Engraving History, Process, Concepts, and Creativity. The book includes 30 beautifully engraved images contributed by many generous professional designers. Find the book through IEGA.org.
Rose is also the director of the Kean University "Thinking Creatively" design conference (thinkingcreatively.org) as well as director of the award-winning KeanCre8tive.com, the RB/School of Design in-house graphic design studio.
Rose fully enjoys her life in New York, and at Kean, and her hideaway on island (that would be Nantucket) where she finds the peace and quiet to write —please don't ask where her favorite hideaway beach is located...find your own private beach.
Christopher J. Navetta’s diverse career boasts an eclectic group of clients that includes Wendy’s, Kay-Bee Toys, Natural Wonders, Jersey City Public Schools, Thomson Delmar Learning (now Cengage), PFLAG, Prentice Hall, Warner Bros./Six Flags, the Mall of America, and Nickelodeon. He is the co-author and designer of Comp It Up: A Studio Skills Foundation, and a contributing writer, designer, researcher, and photographer for Design To Touch: Engraving History, Process, Concepts, and Creativity. He is a founding member of The Kean Cre8tive, where he serves as writer, historian, illustrator, and sabersmith.
He currently teaches design at the Robert Busch School of Design, Michael Graves College, Kean University, and has developed curricula for undergraduate courses and a summer design program for high school students. By night, he fights injustice and bad design as Scanman, hero of high-res images everywhere (alongside his trusty sidekick, Doodle Boy).
Max Friedman is an award-winning graphic designer, junior art director, published illustrator, and professional Doodle Boy. While attending
Kean University, Max was recognized as the 2015 Undergraduate Researcher of the Year, received
an Outstanding Human Rights Young Adult Activist Award, and was the single recipient of
the prestigious Visual and Performing Arts Scholarship In Graphic Design for his four
years of study at Kean.
His design work has been recognized by the Art Directors Club of New York (winning the Portfolio Night All Star award), ADC New Jersey, and American Illustration/American Photography among others. Upon graduation, Max landed a job at top advertising agencies in Manhattan,
Droga5. He is thrilled to be working on projects for Under Armour, and Blizzard Entertainment.
BONUS!
“An Interview with Rose Gonnella and Max Friedman
on Design Fundamentals: Notes on Color Theory”
Nikki Echler McDonald is the senior acquisitions editor responsible for acquiring and editing design titles for Peachpit Press and New Riders, imprints of Pearson Education. Her bestselling titles include David Airey's Logo Design Love, Stefan Bucher's 344 Questions: The Creative Person's Do-It-Yourself Guide to Insight, Survival, and Artistic Fulfillment, and Mike Rohde's The Sketchnote Handbook, among many others. In addition to acquiring new and talented design authors, Nikki works with authors, freelancers, and graphic designers from concept to creation on many of her titles and follows up after publication to assist with marketing and promotional efforts. She is known in certain circles as The Red Deadline— the bane of all authors and designers who dare cross her!
SUPER-MEGA TERRIFIC BONUS COVERED IN AWESOMESAUCE!
Download your own posters of Scanman, Doodle Boy, The Red Deadline,
Queen Fickla, and all the Design Fundamentals heroes:
• Scanman & Doodle Boy (Retro)
• Scanman & Doodle Boy (Modern)
• The Red Deadline
And don't forget about our amazing, excellent interns!
(Blood, sweat, and tears not included.)
Kaila Edmondson, Maria Finelli, Hannah Friedman, Nancy Fuentes, Samantha Gniazdowski, Kyle Godfrey, Maraget Grzymkowski, David Haase,
Earl Hickson, Chris Hopkins, Alexa Matos, Jon Mui, Stephen Sepulveda, Ria Venturina, Lillianna Vazquez, John Weigele.