Meet Virginia Patterson ’13: SIGD Advisory Council Member

Just over a decade ago, Virginia Patterson ‘13, a graphic designer and design educator, received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design from Auburn.

And you may very well have had a taste of her talent since. Patterson has gone on to gain extensive professional experience in packaging and identity design for consumer packaged goods and brands in the food, beverage and wellness industries. Her design career has taken her many places, from Rome to Boca Raton, and currently to the Queen City of Cincinnati.

She has also shared her knowledge as a design educator, teaching a range of courses between California State University, Fresno and the University of Houston, where she received her Master of Fine Arts. Her teaching reveals her interests in interdisciplinary design, design ethics and equity in design education.

Now she shares her gifts in education and design with SIGD.

“It’s an honor to serve on this council, and I hope I am able to offer perspectives from both my professional and academic experiences to students, faculty and the program as a whole,” Patterson stated. “Having practiced independently, in-house and on agency teams, I bring diverse professional design experience. In my most recent teaching position, I designed and implemented a cross-college interdisciplinary project, which benefited students from both colleges and received institution-wide recognition.

“I hope to take these academic experiences and share them as a member of the SIGD Advisory Council. With feet in academia and practice, in different parts of the country, I hope my network of design professionals and educators is beneficial in this service role, whether through bridging professional connections for students, facilitating research or collaboration opportunities for students and faculty alike or raising public awareness of SIGD.”

Patterson knows the difference a little extra direction can make. In fact, she has often been moved to share the to-the-point, apt advice of Graphic Design Professor Kelly Bryant: “When you work, things happen.” Patterson often shares this quote with students and even finds it helpful her own creative blocks.

“The Auburn Graphic Design program instilled an earnest commitment to craft in my practice,” Patterson noted. “This has served me well at all levels of my career.”