Cover Letter

Hi and welcome!  I’m Ernie Campos of Gloucester, Virginia.  My approach to graphic-and-web design is simple and practical but I’m always focused on design fundamentals and core concepts that have worked through the centuries of graphic design.  Don’t mistake that for a marriage to outdated techniques and designs, though.  I’m always questing after new inspirations and ideas!

About my work:

Leonardo is quoted as saying “Simplicity is the ultimate form of sophistication,”  and that is exactly how I feel about design work.  All design is communication and when an idea gets bogged down with extraneous detail and minutiae, it can become difficult to understand.  In my work, I wholly respect the power of a simply stated message.  To deliver that message effectively, I generally start with what an observer of my process might call chaos and clutter.  I have come to grips with the goblin in me that loves to make a mess of things.  He’s a nasty creature but  I have to pay him his due, or he’ll run amok on my project and I’ll never achieve the result I know I’m capable of.  In the beginning, nothing is forbidden; there is no filter as every single idea that crosses my mind finds its way to the canvas.  It’s only after all of my messy friend’s work is done that I can begin to elegantly carve away to reveal the clean beauty underneath.  I take away superfluous, distill the design to it’s most simple idea.

I understand that not all clients are the same as me and some prefer as much information as can fit on the canvas.  Worry not, knowing that I entirely respect my clients ability to visualize the solution they need as we work together to communicate an idea that is both original and successful.

First Place Poster Design

About me:

I got my start and initial interest in web design at Thomas Nelson Community College in Hampton, Virginia.  People say don’t make a mountain out of a molehill but I say that in that molehill, there’s often a mountain’s share of adventure and riches!  I’m sure I’m not the first to say that it’s all a matter of perspective.  At TNCC, I got a solid foundation of the history of graphic design as well as on site training through two internships, one at a local print shop and the other at NASA Langley Research Center.  I was encouraged to join local art organizations and maintain an active role in the graphic design scene.  My personal interests lie in story telling and role playing as I believe that communication is one of the most important traits a human being can poses.  In my spare time I play Pathfinder, which is a tabletop role playing game employing the use of polygonal dice and character sheets that help the players to determine how their actions affect each other and the world they are interacting with.  This kind of leisure is paramount in fostering unabashed creativity, risk-free problem solving exploration and even basic public relation skills.  It might be a game on the surface, but table top role playing has played a large part in the development of my social skills.

Prior to Thomas Nelson Community College, my background was almost entirely customer service.  I have been a full time waiter at the same restaurant for over 10 years, while at the same time going part time to school.  I even managed the restaurant for a while before going to TNCC.  In the decade I’ve been with the restaurant, I’ve been able to perfect my customer care skills, an asset that has assisted me greatly in serving the needs of my graphic design clients.

On the Ferris Wheel at HEP5 in Umeda, Osaka, Japan.

During my time at NASA as a student intern, I was responsible for graphics that the research center uses in promotion of their services when they do outreach.  I worked closely with the Outreach Manager to produce several large scale graphics that are visible to hundreds of people at a time, some times more during special events.  At NASA, I worked under a high-pressure deadline-sensitive environment where I put in five eight-hour days a week as well as travel, meet with prospective dealers, clients and communicate with other NASA centers to achieve a cohesive brand message in my work.

I’m currently a BFA candidate at Old Dominion University with a concentration in Graphic Design and a dual minor in Japanese Studies and Web Development.