CalArts Graphic Design Almanac

2024/25
2023/24
2022/23
2021/22
2020/21
2019/20
2018/19
2017/18
2016/17
2015/16
2014/15
2013/14
2012/13
2011/12
2010/11
2009/10
2008/09
2007/08
2006/07
2005/06
2004/05
2003/04
2002/03
2001/02
2000/01
1999/00
1998/99
1997/98
1996/97
1995/96
1994/95
1993/94
1992/93
1991/92
1990/91
1989/90
1988/89
1987/88
1986/87
1985/86
1984/85
1983/84
1982/83
1981/82
1980/81

Background

The idea for the CalArts Design Almanac grew out of my realization that there is no definitive list of all CalArts graphic design alumni. I know many people who have studied design at CalArts, but I often don't know exactly when they were students and who their peers were. A few years ago, I thought that Wikipedia might provide a workable solution...I created a page and added the names of a few graduating classes with the hope that others could expand the list. But, sadly, the page was taken down after only a few minutes. Wikipedia, it turns out, is actually pretty difficult.

So I decided to build a website myself. Early prototypes emerged in the beginning of 2015, which were critiqued by my pals in Design Friends Club. My business partner, Nicole Jaffe, also lent valuable insights about the functionality and visual design. Earnest development started in September 2015 and the site launched in April 2016.

I've written more extensively about the story of the almanac on the CalArts inform.design blog.

Data

Gathering and verifying the data turned out to be the most challenging part. The more recent history was fairly easily attained via archived versions of design.calarts.edu, the department's website that has been listing current students since 2006. My own recollections reach back to 2003, when I started at CalArts. Going back further, however, proved more and more difficult. I thought that the CalArts registrar would be able to help, but they had privacy concerns. So this turned into a crowd-sourced project instead. I contacted alumni from each year and asked for their help. In addition, Shelley Stepp and Caryn Aono provided valuable information from their archives. Nate Schulman kindly researched and sent lists of people's portfolio websites. Many thanks to everybody else who was so kind to lend their time to this project!

My sense is that the student data is almost entirely correct going back to 2000. It gets more and more speculative from there. (The MFAs are probably more solid than the BFAs. The faculty still needs a lot of help.) Over time, I hope that with even more input from alumni, a thorough and accurate history will emerge.

Note: A person is included for a specific year if he or she spent any time in the graphic design department during the spring or fall semester of that academic year. Being listed in the almanac does not indicate that someone actually graduated.