Bruce Turkel doesn’t care for blue cheese but he is making an effort to appreciate it. As a child, he didn’t like avocados or cilantro, but now that he is all grown up, he loves avocados and thinks cilantro is one of the best things ever invented or discovered. Why is this?
Because he believes in his ability to change and grow. And isn’t that the mantra of Portfolio Center, and the creative industry in general, that the more we know and the more we learn and are open to learning, the more we can grow and change.
When I asked him why it was important to him--this trying to appreciate blue cheese--he said, “Because people who know food enjoy blue cheese, so there must be something in it that I am not savvy enough to get.” This led us into a conversation about design and how “you don’t have to like a particular design to know it is good.”
But what IS good design?
“Good design is conceptual design.” Bruce prefers design that shows how a person thinks and how a concept evolves. He wants to know that the potential designer can add value to a creative department. He believes in “showing the work,” just like we all did in our second grade math class. He wants to see process, sketches, the evolution of a concept. In the end, he says, “things may not work out because they are off strategy, don’t fit into the budget, or a myriad of other things. Ultimately, it’s not really about the final product; it’s about how you got to the final product.”
So how does Bruce approach design? “In theory, it’s simple-- careful research, detailed strategies, and the meticulous following of the 7 points of BrainDarts®”:
Hearts Then Minds
Make It Simple
Make It Quick
Make It Yours
All Five Senses
Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.
Portfolio Center students share a strong desire to communicate ideas, the willingness to let go of preconceived notions, and the compulsion to learn new ways of thinking. These qualities are fostered by the school’s constant stream of industry bigwigs, who bring their varied and colorful perspectives from all over the country. These creatives, who are always generous with their time and energy, tend to hang out with students, conducting informal workshops and continuing the day’s discussions over dinner. Often, what results are provocative interviews—written, shot, and designed by PC students.
