VOICEMAIL? HOW 20th CENTURY...

While I'm glad that the free international voicemail box served its purpose so dutifully while I was abroad, the time has come for me to retire the good ol' ISIC's Connect 800-line. (although I did enjoy the operator's cheeky british accent!) For those who recently left messages within the past week, I was unable to access them, due to low account balance (I said it was free for you, but not for me!) In it's stead, I have installed a new sidebar to satisfy all your instant international communication needs...instant text messaging, from T-Mobile!

Now you can reach me RIGHT NOW, wherever I am, sleeping or awake. That doesn't mean I'll respond instantly, mind you...a jet-setting man-about-town has hardly a minute to spare! But it is a nifty trick, and is almost as fun as the aforementioned "leave a comment" alphabet soup game.

Ciao, kiddies!

BLOGSPAM

In light of the most recent techno-swarm of unwanted comment spam, I've activated a light security feature on this blog. Please don't let this extra step deter you from sharing your thoughts! Your comments make this site worthwhile...

Warm Regards,
Nate

CO-OP #4: STUDIO RED @ THE ROCKWELL GROUP (NYC)

It happened! After all the work in ramping up my portfolio, the hours spent finessing cover letters, the days waiting by the phone... the first phone call finally came through, and suddently all the effort was validated: it was none other than my dream employer, Studio Red, New York.

Once the private think-tank for Coca-Cola, Studio Red now is one of the hottest new design consultancies in New York, working with major global clients (Nokia, Club Med) to create innovative product opportunities, branded environments, and designed experiences. At 20 designers strong, the studio is relatively large considering it was formed just 2 years ago. It figures in as one of five studios which collectively form the Rockwell Group, a creative powerhouse consisting of 150 designers and architects. Their collective portfolio includes the Kodak Theater (home to the Academy Awards), the Sony/Loews Theatre in Times Square, and the permanent performance space for Cirque du Soleil at Walt Disney World. They've even have a monograph published of their work, Pleasure: Rockwell Group Architecture and Design", available at bookstores everywhere.

My excitement surrounding this particular co-op stems from my recent work in Hong Kong working in the budding field of experience design, as well as my previous "themed environment" design work at Cincinnati-based Bruce Robinson Architecture & Design. Of course, I'm also thrilled to return to the Northeast and to live and work in New York City for the first time. I can't wait to reunite with all my Big Apple friends!

So, wish me luck. I'll probably move to NYC in mid-December and start working the first week of January. If anyone is in New York during Jan-Mar, please give me a call, and we'll hang out! Special thanks to all those who supported me and critiqued my work as I worked toward this goal...

NYC, here I come!

PORTFOLIO 3.0



At long last, the most recent update of my portfolio is complete! The much-improved version includes work from Hasbro, Samsung, and Hong Kong, and will hopefully help me land a sweet co-op for winter quarter. Click on the cover above to download the PDF (about 2.8MBs) and review my latest work. All comments are encouraged and appreciated!

GO JOE!


Click to see how it works!


At long last, my first design in production! The GI Joe Weapons Case is included with every action figure in the new Sigma Six line, and recently hit toy store shelves nationwide! I designed the case last winter while on co-op at Hasrbo, Inc in Pawtucket, RI. They liked my design so much, they used it as a graphic motif on the Official GI Joe Website, online games, and the cardboard packaging of future products.

STATESIDE



I have arrived safely in the US, and am getting settled at my "headquarters" in Cincinnati. This quarter seems to hold much in store, including a studio project sponsored by Proctor & Gamble. The topic is disaster relief; it's very motivating to design for such a poignant area. In more lighthearted news, the scooter has been awakened from her slumber, cleaned up, fuel lines cleared, gassed up (all time high: $3.96 to fill er up!) and will be taken out for her first autumn ride tomorrow morning...it's good to be home.

χαιρετισμοί από την Ελλάδα!



Well, with a few days left before classes start in Cincinnati, I thought I would take the opportunity to visit my mother at her new flat in Athens, Greece. Of course, flying directly from Hong Kong to Athens would be too easy (and too expen$ive!) and so I opted for a more circuitous route from Hong Kong, to Seoul, to San Francisco, to Cincinnati, to New York, to Athens. See how much fun flying 3/4 of the circumference of the Earth can be?

Greece is amazing, simply stated. What a culture shock from Hong Kong! Athens, a large city of 4 million people, has almost no buildings over 5 storeys tall, and the landscape is composed of dusty hills speckled with shrubbery and olive trees - a far cry from the urban and natural jungles of HK! It has been fantastic to see my mom (and my brother flew out, as well), and the architectural historian inside is just bursting with joy to see and touch the ruins I studied so long ago. Tomorrow we head out to Mykonos for an island vacation, and I'll be returning to Cinci on Sept 19th just in time for school.

See Cinci soon! Missing HK!