ivan boden

Ivan Boden learned the graphic design business at his father's knee. The creative director at ISO, a leading provider of risk management services, is the son of Arthur Boden, who spent 17 years working under the legendary Paul Rand at IBM. After studying at New Jersey's Ramapo College and the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, the younger Boden followed in his father's footsteps to create award-winning design.

Boden's package design, branding and logo work, tradeshow graphics and other projects—both for ISO and ImageWorks, the firm that Boden founded before joining ISO—has earned recognition from The Art Directors Club of New Jersey, The American Inhouse Design Awards and The American Association of Graphic Arts.

Boden studied color theory at the Graphic Arts Technical Foundation in Sewickley PA and received his webmaster certification from Madison NJ's Fairleigh Dickinson University. He is a member of the board of directors of InSource, a professional organization that supports the inhouse design community. Boden and his wife, Julianne, have two children, Alexandra and Kimberly.

Is graphic design a growth industry? I'm hopelessly optimistic. I've heard folks say it's never been a better time to be a designer, and, yes, there is some truth to that. Because design has proven to be an important component to business success, growth opportunities should develop. The truth, however, is that there are many challenges to overcome. Corporate downsizing, budget and staffing cuts and many other factors are making it tough to do great design. Designers must promote the value of design, not only from an aesthetic perspective but also from the perspective of practical business. Good design creates order and legibility from chaos and confusion.

Do graphic designers have a special responsibility to promote a green society? We must do our part as responsible stewards of this small planet we live on. Up until recently, printing green was expensive. The usual comment was, "Yeah, I'd like to be environmentally responsible, use soy inks on recycled paper. But will it cost more?" Most clients preferred to save the money. I'm pleased to say many printers are stepping up and becoming FSC certified. It's up to us to take advantage of this technology.

ONE THING I CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT IS my family

FAVORITE MOVIES

The African Queen
Cool Hand Luke
Best in Show

FAVORITE BOOKS

Usually, my most recent reads are my favorites. I just finished the last three Harry Potter books. My daughter and I enjoy discussing the details. We're both big fans, and it's been great having this common interest. Another recent favorite is Orbiting the Giant Hairball by Gordon MacKenzie. But my all-time favorite is How to Set Up and Maintain a Web Site with HTML, Javascript, CSS, and PERL by Lincoln Stein. It's scintillating!

FAVORITE SONGS

Here's my most recent iPod plays:
"Your Bird Can Sing" by The Beatles
"Make the Logo Bigger" by Burn Back
"Beyond the Sea" by Bobby Darrin

FAVORITE TV SHOWS

Seinfeld
Antiques Roadshow
Anything on PBS

FAVORITE ARTISTS

Picasso
da Vinci
Vermeer

BOOKMARKED WEBSITES

thomasedison.org
sorryoutofgas.org
direct.motorola.com/hellomoto/colors
iso.com
insource.org
aiga.org
kuler.adobe.com
typophile.com