Nate Heuer on the Evolving World of Design—Meet Our Faculty

On one hand, Nate Heuer loves how the world of art never stays the same. On the other, he loves its core principles that took root centuries ago. Now a faculty member in the Department of Art and Design, he shares his passions for drawing, design, and other mediums every day with his students. Learn more about him in this installment of Meet Our Faculty.

What is it about the graphic design field that initially drew you in-and ultimately keeps you interested?

My background is in the allied disciplines of illustration and drawing, which, like graphic design, are about visual problem-solving. I love the idea of carefully engineering an image, a set of images, or a layout to communicate an idea, a story, or the value of product.

Because there is no single, finite solution to any visual problem, the field of graphic design, along with illustration, is endlessly interesting, endlessly changing, and endlessly challenging to teach in new and meaningful ways. If you get bored easily, like I do, it is an exciting set of fields in which to work.

Why do you enjoy teaching in this discipline?

The same themes of change and endless solutions to visual problems are as exciting to teach now, as a faculty member, as they were to learn when I was a student. Much of what I was taught mattered when I graduated but doesn't apply today, because popular design styles and industry software have changed so much. And that change will continue throughout my career.

On the other hand, much of what we teach in graphic design and illustration is steeped in a body of ancient knowledge of which few outside the field are aware. When we teach students how to make a successful composition, for example, we discuss proportional ratios first used by the ancient Greeks. When the principles of linear and atmospheric perspective are taught, we present a system codified during the Renaissance. Even many of the modern fonts that students utilize in a layout are near cousins of fonts from the time of Gutenberg and the first printing press.

I enjoy the seemingly contradictory mixture of creativity, innovation, and tradition that defines teaching in my field.

What advice would you give students about how to succeed in college?

We live in a world full of distractions and easily available excuses. Put down your phone, limit the time you play video games, start taking accountability for being on time, do the work that you committed to doing, and see yourself as the only factor determining whether you succeed or fail. It works.

Tell us something most of your students may not know about you.

In addition to art, I really, really love music and have a low-key obsession with learning how to play the pedal steel guitar.

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