Form and Function

“Work hard. Work hard. And work hard.” This is the parting advice Edgar Valenzuela serves up for incoming Graphic Design students at The Art Institute of Vancouver. He is not coy about his ambition. By combining talent with a relentless work ethic, he is already making a name for himself in graphic design circles.
Recently, Valenzuela’s senior portfolio was chosen for inclusion in the Spring 2005 issue of the New York design magazine CMYK, and he is already booking international clients.

“Be ready to be in an extremely competitive field. Many people think they can be designers with just a few of hours of work a day, but you just can’t and shouldn’t. If your classmates work four hours a day then you should work six, if they work six hours a day then you should work eight. The key is to always do a little more than the people around you.”

That extra initiative has generated positive results. During his last quarter, Valenzuela took first place in the National Hewlett Packard (HP) Poster Contest, besting five other entrants selected from local competitions throughout North America. As first place winner, he received an HP Workstation xw4100 and his entry was used in HP’s Web and print collateral materials and business-to-business marketing communications for 2004.

Valenzuela’s inclusion in the CMYK Art School Showcase is a good indication of the upward path his career is taking. Curtis Clarkson, Publisher of CMYK, notes that the Student Work series is incredibly popular. “We get plenty of entries from all over the world. Enough to fill our portfolio with the best student work out there.”
According to Clarkson, Art School Showcase judges are selected on their career histories and presence within the industry. This year’s panel of judges included Robert Lee from Methane Studios in Atlanta, Georgia in the design category.

Taking part in competitions is an important step in evolving as an artist, adds Clarkson. “Learning to believe in your work is one of the first steps toward a career in communication art. And it betters your work. Contests are all part of it.”

Michael Whitney, a Graphic Design instructor, was one of Valenzuela’s mentors and encouraged him to promote his work. “His work is amazing, and very well-thought out, and he has amazing technical software skills as well.”

Whitney extends this praise to the piece selected by CMYK. “When he did his senior project, it was a multi-page booklet, showcasing his life, including his move from Mexico to here, and the pieces were extremely unique and conceptually very strong. So, in the end, it was a perfect vehicle to send to a competition.”

Valenzuela says his inspiration comes from a number of sources: From books and TV to movies and even his own memories and life experiences. He thanks his teachers at The Art Institute of Vancouver as well. “Not only were they knowledgeable, but they were very helpful. They all had something
different to share with us . . . they made the whole experience more enjoyable and were so helpful even when they were busy.

Currently Valenzuela is working on multiple T-shirt designs for a new Japanese clothing company, and has lined up a website project with a Mexican student agency. As a member of the newest graphic design cohort to enter the professional realm, Valenzuela says his goals are to improve everyday and to be respected and recognized by the people around him. With two high profile successes under his belt, it appears his inner circle is growing.

“I waited a long time to see whether I was going to be included in CMYK or not. The competition is hard and there are a lot of great designers out there. It was exciting to see my work and my name in the magazine.” He is excited about the exposure the magazine will generate, and is looking forward to having other designers around the world viewing his work. “Plus,” he adds, “It won’t look bad on my resume!”