Today we’d like to introduce you to Josh Ege.
Josh, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I was born, raised, and educated in North Texas. I began my career as a designer at an advertising agency in Dallas. Over the next 12 years, I worked for various design firms, agencies, and in-house design departments throughout the area.
Early in my career, I was recruited to serve on the board of directors for the Dallas Society of Visual Communications (DSVC). That was one of the most pivotal points of my career. I credit that organization for preparing me to lead by example. Over the next 17+ years, I strengthened my leadership, management, and creative skills by jumping into the deep end and helping run the non-profit in a variety of roles including running a national student design conference, writing press releases, and doing student outreach at high schools and universities. I had the pleasure of leading the organization as president from 2009-2010, and a few years later, I transitioned to the board of directors of the DSVC Foundation, where I served as president from 2018-2021.
After running the National Student Show for the DSVC, the Director of Visual Communications at Texas A&M University-Commerce, Lee Hackett, reached out to me and asked me if I had ever considered teaching. There was an opening to teach a design course and thought I would be a good fit. I really wasn’t sure if it was something I could do, but I decided the only way I could find out is if I tried. That phone call and the class I taught changed the trajectory of my career. I found that I loved teaching. I felt like I found the career I was destined for. Just a few years later, I enrolled in graduate school and set out on a path to becoming a full-time professor of Visual Communication.
In 2013, I accepted a position at the university which gave me my start in educating future designers, art directors, and motion designers. Over the past 10 years teaching in Dallas, I have been promoted to Associate Professor. I love helping students find their path to a career using their conceptual thinking and refining a craft in an industry that everyone interacts with 1,000’s times a day.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Ha! Is anything a smooth road? Life is full of challenges, it is what makes life interesting. I try to turn many of my challenges into opportunities. The biggest one that comes to mind helped me get to where I am today professionally.
In 2008, I was a senior designer for a small boutique design firm. One of our focuses at the time was branding and design for real estate and resorts. Due to the housing and financial crisis of 2007, I was laid off just a few weeks after buying a house. I was able to find small amounts of work here and there, but nothing that was really consistent and paid well.
During this time, my amazingly supportive and insightful wife, Deeanna encouraged me to begin my path to getting my terminal degree so I could teach at the college level full-time. Even though it was a career goal, I had not planned to start for another year or two. Her support was a game-changer. Not long after starting my graduate studies, I accepted a position with a large fashion accessory company as an Art Director leading one of the web design teams. The timing was almost poetic. For the next 3 years, I worked full-time, taught as an adjunct once a week, worked on my Master of Fine Arts degree in the evening, and somehow found time to volunteer for the DSVC. To say it was a challenge is a bit of an understatement. There were several times during this period of my life I thought I was not going to succeed. Luckily, I had a great support system of family, colleagues, and friends that believed in me.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a graphic designer, art director, printmaker, and above all, educator.
In my career, I have two passions, poster design and visual communication education.
Without a doubt, my favorite type of project involves designing posters. I get excited about creating visuals that play with visual metaphors. I strive to present concepts with hidden (and sometimes not-so-hidden) meanings in my work. When I am at my best, I communicate complex ideas in simple graphic forms to inform my audience and community.
As an educator, I take great pride in watching students find and earn success. Over the past 10 years of full-time teaching Visual Communication, students at A&M Commerce have received hundreds of awards and published recognition from regional, national, and international competitions including the American Advertising Federation, The One Show, and Graphis New Talent Annual among several others. Beyond the awards, it is great to stay in contact with alumni and see where their careers and lives are taking them.
I enjoy helping students discover and refine their skills in visual storytelling. I believe visual communication is a reflection of culture. We are influenced by culture, and culture is influenced by the work of artists, designers, and art directors. Each person brings their own background, experiences, and micro-cultures into each project. I am grateful to get to assist in the development and refinement of students‘ creative processes. For many, those skills are then used to create fruitful careers.
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
The DFW Metroplex offers so many opportunities to engage with different arts and cultures. The variety of venues for theatre, music, studio art, design, and even television and film is astounding. There is strong support for the Arts from private and public industry, and I am so glad my family and friends get to not only experience it but be a part of it.
In my chosen career path, organizations, including the Dallas Society of Visual Communications, The American Institute of Graphic Arts, and the American Adverting Federation, provide programming that inspires and recognizes the talents of the individuals and institutions that make Dallas a destination for talent.
When it comes to dislikes, I can sum it up in one word, traffic.
Contact Info:
- Website: joshuaege.com, tamuc.edu
- Instagram: instagram.com/joshege
- Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/joshege
Image Credits
Stacey Jemison
Cooper Weinstein
