Collin Harbison
Art Director
Since graduating from Purdue University with a BS in Computer Graphics Technology, Collin has proven he’s a jack-of-all-trades in the fast-paced design industry. Prior to joining Dearing Group, Collin spent two years with the Lafayette Journal & Courier as Senior Graphic Designer in print design before moving to the newspaper’s online department as Digital Designer and Producer for www.jconline.com.
Collin’s vast expertise and experience fuels his enthusiasm for art and technology, allows his imagination to run wild and helps create brands that are memorable, consistent and committed to their audiences.
Outside the office, Collin admits he misses his former life as an avid video gamer, but he now enjoys the life of a new father. He currently resides in Lafayette with his wife, Laurie, and their daughter, Saylor.
Education
BS in Computer Graphics Technology from Purdue University
Relevant professional experience
After college, I spent two years as Senior Graphic Designer in the pre-press department of the Lafayette Journal & Courier newspaper. I then moved from the pre-press department to the online department and spent three years as Digital Designer & Producer for www.jconline.com.
Relevant skills and awards
Having spent significant time in both print-design and Web-design capacities, I have a good understanding of how to clearly communicate ideas through a variety of mediums. I am proficient with most industry-standard design tools and also possess knowledge of many relevant Web technologies.
Why are you in this profession?
Because I believed them when they said to do what you love, and what I love is using my imagination and creative thinking to solve interesting problems. Not to mention that things change so fast in this industry, I’m never bored.
Who or what was a big career influence?
My high school art teacher. She showed me a way to combine my two passions in life — art and technology — by teaching me about computer graphics.
What are your career goals?
My goal is to always have fun producing great work with great people.
Why are you at Dearing Group?
I am at Dearing Group because of the breadth and quality of work that gets produced here. Also, it’s fantastic to find myself in a position where I’m not only encouraged to spread my creative wings and fly, but it’s expected of me. Besides, if you want to be one of the best, you have to work with the best.
What advertising campaign do you wish you had worked on?
Dos Equis’ "Most Interesting Man in the World," and I find those “IBM: Let’s build a smarter planet” commercials to be inspiring.
What makes a great brand?
A brand that’s memorable, consistent and committed to its audience.
Significant other
My wife, Laurie.
Children
My daughter, Saylor.
Pets
No pets.
Where do you reside?
Lafayette
Hometown?
Rockville, Indiana
Astrological sign?
Gemini
Your finest moment or thing of which you are most proud?
Becoming a father. Now, no matter what happens, I will always know I have done something meaningful with my life.
What talent do you most wish you had?
I wish I could play an instrument and sing at the same time.
What is your most embarrassing moment?
I once ran over a fire hydrant on my way to crashing into a house. Fun fact: Fire hydrants don’t actually spew water when you hit one; they have a safety mechanism that prevents the flow of water when the hydrant is damaged.
What do you find extremely frustrating?
- Stubborn people
- Not knowing how something works
- The fact that it’s impossible to sync my turn signals to those of the car in front of me
Favorite television show?
Anything on the Discovery, History, or Science channels; I also love the Adult Swim lineup on Cartoon Network.
Favorite book?
I don’t know what my favorite book would be. I’ve recently read “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance," so I’ll call that my favorite book of the year so far.
Favorite movie?
Growing up, it was “Hackers” because I desperately wanted to be one.
Favorite video game?
Oh man, too many to list. I can tell you that I’m a sucker for sandbox-style gameplay.
Favorite board game?
"Balderdash." I'm all about a game that rewards clever deception.
Favorite cartoon?
Somehow, I find "SpongeBob SquarePants" amusing.
Favorite childhood meal?
Kraft Mac ‘n Cheese.
Favorite childhood pastime?
Baseball at the park with my buddies.
Who is the best superhero?
I was never much into the comic-book scene, but Dr. Manhattan’s abilities are pretty slick.
Favorite subjects in elementary school?
Art and science.
What are your favorite internet sites?
What is the best vacation you have ever taken?
A Mediterranean cruise for my honeymoon.
What is your favorite amusement park ride?
Go-karts.
What is the weirdest thing you have ever eaten?
Cow tongue. Is that weird?
What is your current ring tone?
Default iPhone ringtone, although most of the time I leave it on silent.
What song do you sing in the shower?
I mix it up. I like to sing the lyrics of one song to the tune of a completely different song.
What words of wisdom changed your life?
“Instead of trying to think outside of the box, make the box bigger.” I don’t know who said it or where I heard it, but when I get stuck on something, it reminds me that any problem can be solved if I just continue to seek knowledge and look at it from different perspectives — i.e. increase the size of the “box."
Who would you like to interview?
The guy who created Comic Sans typeface, so I can say to him: “Hey Comic Sans guy, why couldn’t you be more like Helvetica guy? At least his widely used typeface isn’t silly looking.
What is your favorite sport to watch?
Football
What is your favorite sport to play?
Golf. It’s the only one in which I have any shot left of being decent.
What is your most treasured possession?
There aren’t many things I would become severely depressed over losing, but I suppose if my house were on fire, I’d seriously contemplate running in to save my computer — just so I don’t have to try to replace my 25,000-plus mp3 collection.
What is the worst gift you have ever received?
Honestly, I can’t recall any specific gifts that were particularly bad.
What was your first job?
Clerk at a local video store. Watched a lot of movies that summer.
What was your first car?
90-something Chrysler Concorde.
What was your first concert?
Vans Warped Tour back in the late '90s. The music was average, but the people were fun.
What is your favorite restaurant?
The one that serves the food I’m craving. But for now, I’ll go with Outback Steakhouse.
What gadget could you not live without?
iPhone
What type of music do you like?
I’ll give anything a fair shake, but I usually dislike the songs that get overplayed on the radio.
Favorite band or artist?
It’s difficult to narrow my list down to a manageable amount of favorites. I generally appreciate artists who try to do something different.
Late to bed or early to rise?
Late to bed; the most profound thoughts occur in the wee hours.
Three things you want to do someday?
- Get on a motorcycle and ride west until I hit the ocean.
- Write a book.
- Know all of the answers.
What are your hobbies?
Video gaming, painting, being outside and getting my hands dirty.
