Parker Sprout

In a couple sentences, describe what you do for work and how you feel about it.

I started my own design studio this past September. I have mostly been working with artists, galleries and the occasional tech client. Currently, the studio is working on a book and a long term identity project. I feel great about the work I’m currently doing. I’m busy and it's great to be creative.

How did you get your job?

Starting my own studio had always been a dream while I was in school. It seemed like the time to do it because a lot of freelance projects were coming my way and I recently left a position as a graphic designer at the Aspen Art Museum to move back to Los Angeles. It all sort of fell into place.

What was your major and how did you choose it? Was it the right choice?

My major was graphic design. I chose it because I wanted to major in something I knew I could get a job with right out of school. It was definitely the right major for me; it's exactly how my brain has always worked. I always find and look for visual relationships.

Who was your favorite teacher and why?

Jan Jancourt. He is able to make you see and think differently, and question your design decisions. This has been very helpful in my professional career.

Tell us about your internship.

I interned at Bullett Magazine, and the Walker Art Center. Working at Bullett was amazing. I lived in New York City and worked on their very last print issue and iPad magazine. It was fast-paced and wild. It was my first experience working in a room with other designers. Working at the Walker helped me realize what I wanted to do with my career. After working there I knew I wanted to be involved with design for cultural institutions. I felt a connection to design history there and I felt I could achieve what I wanted to do aesthetically. It helped me focus and hone in on my future. The Walker has editors, which was new to me at the time. I now find editors to be an essential part of my design process.

Best thing you ever got/saw on the free shelf?

A Jimi Hendrix Purple Haze T-shirt.

Name your one biggest takeaway from MCAD?

A degree in graphic design and all the knowledge and amazing relationships I have from my time there.

What inspires you/your work?

My biggest inspiration is walking down the street and seeing all the strange and funny ways people choose to lay out typography.

Has your work evolved since leaving MCAD? How so?

I hope so. I know my work doesn't live in a vacuum now and there is an audience for it. I think about this a lot more and it is more important to me than when I was a student. Communicating first instead of inserting in a personal aesthetic.

What advice do you have for current MCAD students?

Try to look at what you made from a different point of view. Squint your eyes, look at the negative space.

How do you network yourself and your art?

I think I do this naturally by valuing my relationships and just being myself. I think moving out of Minnesota is a great way to network.

What is your favorite place on Eat Street?

Black Forest Inn.

Current obsession?

My dog Lenny