David Lee
Surrounded By Graphics

FIDM Graduate David Lee Designs Extraordinary 3D Exhibits

David Lee faced a world of career possibilities after graduating from Norwalk High School in 1986. Like many of us, he wasn't sure at that point what he wanted to do with his future. With the suggestion of his parents, David decided to follow in his older brother's footsteps and pursue engineering at University California at Irvine.

David had a difficult time adjusting to the demands of college life and in his very first quarter, both his grades and his desire to succeed plummeted. David finally came to the distinct realization that physics, chemistry, and math were not subjects he enjoyed! He trudged through engineering for one more quarter, but when summer came, he took it easy and enrolled in a ceramics class.

David found art so enjoyable that he continued with a sketching class, which transported him back to his childhood passion for drawing and art. While at the time he didn't know which field or direction he would choose, David was positive of one thing: his career must involve creativity and the arts.

In the next quarter, David acted on his resolution and switched his major to art, which brought his grades soaring back up. After his sophomore year at UCI, David sought career direction. A friend that attended FIDM recommended that David check it out, so he did. David was impressed with the campus and knew that the Visual Communications Program was definitely for him.

With the help of a scholarship, David attended FIDM's Orange County campus and worked hard pursuing two degrees at once. He received his BFA from UCI in 1990. Just one year later in 1991, David graduated from FIDM with Cum Laude honors.

Why attend FIDM when he was already going for his BFA? Because David appreciated the focused curriculum that FIDM offered. He explains, "At FIDM, you turn theory into application. I wanted that specialized training." The training in visual presentation and space design that he received at FIDM would prove invaluable in his future career designing exhibits!

After graduation, David used FIDM's Career Center to find several retail merchandising jobs. Through these, he discovered his niche in designing graphics and signage. At IKEA, David was in charge of creating signs and implemented signage throughout the store. Soon he found a job in graphics and strengthened his computer design skills.

Eventually David began working as a graphic designer for Skyline, a leading designer of portable displays, quality graphics, and modular exhibits that are collapsible and reusable. Have you ever been to a special event related to your interest, like comics, antiques, or music? How about a job fair at your school? Career fairs, conferences, conventions, meetings, public shows, trade shows & exhibitions, and seminars all require special displays and graphics.

Every industry has its own trade show-from aerospace and automotive to banking, architecture, construction, tourism, sports, medicine, and every industry in between. The apparel, graphics, retail, textile, interiors, and cosmetics industries each have their professional shows too, like MAGIC International, the Bobbin Show, and SIGGRAPH. Trade show exhibitors use attractive displays to draw attendees into their mini-environments.

David creates the look of these display worlds. He has designed exhibits for clients like the Los Angeles Public Library, the J. Paul Getty Museum, Toyota, and most recently, the Mexican Tourism Board. David enjoys working with a wide variety of companies, ranging in scope and size from large to small.

For every new project, David sits down with his client and discusses their needs and budget. From there, he comes up with design ideas for their displays, graphics, and signage. He presents these ideas to the client and with their approval, David uses a computer program called Strata StudioPro to create 3-dimensional renderings that get made into the actual real exhibit displays. He also designs original artwork, layouts, and creates graphics for the displays, using programs like Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, Quark Xpress, and CAD.

David is most proud of his design for Tri-Star Global Inc., an automotive company that needed an exhibit for a new line of tire rims. For that project, he created all the graphics and signs, plus designed the impressive streamlined exhibit.

At FIDM, David appreciated all the resources available to him. He advises students to make full use of the library, the Internet, and especially instructors and classmates. "They are the contacts that can help you get a job!" He also highly recommends working while in college. "Get all the experience you can, whether it's through internships, work study programs, or part-time jobs. FIDM encourages that, and it's very important."

Recently, David visited FIDM to talk about his career and share his experiences. The audience? Juniors and seniors from the same high school David attended in Norwalk! He encouraged students to follow their dreams and not get discouraged by roadblocks that inevitably will come up along the way. David's career path is a perfect example of this-a winding road that began with indecision, detoured into engineering, curved into the arts, and ultimately led straight into graphic design!

Please Note: The information contained herein was confirmed at the time of original publication