Grand Rapids host
Emily Scholl
Creativity takes courage.
West Michigan design legend Steve Frykholm speaks on Pioneer for CreativeMornings Grand Rapids.
About the speaker
In 1970 Steve was employed at Herman Miller, their first internal graphic designer, and retired in 2015. He received Herman Miller’s highest recognition for an employee in 1986, The Carl F. Frost Award. In 2007 he received an AIGA Fellow, and in 2010 he received the AIGA Medal, the highest recognition from AIGA, the professional association for design. He’s recognized as an annual report legend in Graphis, and an American design icon in the 50th Anniversary Issue of Communication Arts.
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“If you have what you believe is an original, creative, terrific idea but you get timid and wonder what your client might think ... present it anyway. — Steve Frykholm
“So I taught them screenprinting. I didn’t know about screenprinting either, so I was actually teaching myself. Little did I know that when I joined Herman Miller in 1970 and they asked me if I would design a [picnic] poster and I said I would. I would do 19 more and they’ve gotten a fair amount of recognition. That was my own personal pioneer story. — Steve Frykholm
“If you take nothing away from this morning except this statement, "think about it—there always can be a first time." — Steve Frykholm
“I had my own pioneer story of sorts when I joined the Peace Corps in 1965. My assignment was to teach at a government trade school for girls. — Steve Frykholm
“Because you'll have an opportunity and the odds are in your favor. You'll either hear no, maybe, or yes. 2 out of 3 .... the odds are in your favor. — Steve Frykholm