Eric Benson

Re-nourish

Champaign, IL, USA
Eric Benson is an award-winning designer, educator at the University of Illinois, published author, activist and international speaker on sustainable design theory and practice. He received his BFA in graphic and industrial design from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor in 1998 and his MFA from the University of Texas at Austin in 2006 (with a concentration in design and social responsibility). His work professionally has been focused on creating enriching digital experiences on the web and environmentally friendly print and packaging material. Benson has provided digital and print work for such clients as: Credit Suisse First Boston, MADD, Texas Instruments, Toyota, the Vanguard Group, and Whole Foods Market. His research is available at www.re-nourish.com, which is the industry's first truly independent online toolkit for sustainable graphic design. By providing reliable, accessible sustainability tools untethered to commercial interests, Re-nourish empowers graphic designers to implement sustainable decision making in their day-to-day work, helping sustainable graphic design become what design is, not merely what it "could be."

Work Experience

University Of Illinois

Associate Professor of Graphic Design

August 2012 - Present Champaign, Illinois, United States

University Of Ilinois

Assistant Professor of Graphic Design

August 2006 - August 2012 Champaign, Illinois, United States

Texas Instruments

Senior Designer

March 2002 - August 2004 Dallas, Texas, United States

Dawson Duncan

Senior Designer

November 2001 - February 2002 Dallas, Texas, United States

Razorfish

Senior Designer

February 2000 - February 2001 Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States

Lexicom Publishing

Junior Designer

November 1998 - February 2000 Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States

Education

University Of Michigan

BFA Graphic and Industrial Design

August 1993 - May 1998 Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States

University Of Texas At Austin

MFA Design

August 2004 - May 2006 Austin, Texas, United States

Languages

English (Native),

Awards

The Communicator Awards

Online Activism

2009

AIGA - The Professional Association For Design

AIGA (RE)design 3rd Place Winner for “Sustainable Organization”

2009

American Corporate ID

"Green" Logo Winner

2009

UCDA

Gold Merit Award in the category “Going Green"

2008

UCDA

Silver Merit Award in the category “Going Green."

2007

Higher Education Marketing Report

Bronze Award Winner

2007

Mission Sustainability

Mission Sustainability Winner

2007