Membership Spotlight: Giulio Turturro

March 02, 2009 Filed Under: Member Spotlight 2 Comments

Giulio Turturro, member since 1999
Art Direction & Design
www.giulioturturro.com
 

What is my proudest accomplishment?
Personally, it would be my two daughters, Maya and Luisa. They bring a tremendous amount of joy and happiness.
Professionally, I would have to say it would be my CD box sets designs (they can be seen at: www.giulioturturro.com). I love working 3 dimensionally (maybe because of my interest in architecture). Bringing together all the components of the set, in a cohesive way brings me great satisfaction. Although they have won many awards for me, including Grammy nominations for “Best Packaging”, I am most proud of the way they solved the problem and give the purchaser an extra level of enjoyment. It’s great to hear someone say that they bought the set because of the packaging. It makes all the hard work worthwhile.

What is my favorite font?
Tough question. I would have to say Helvetica is, not only because it’s so well designed, but also because it’s ubiquitous. It can be used for anything and doesn’t take over (unless you want it to). It may also be because of my influence by Swiss graphic design. Besides, it’s the only font that has its own movie, a must see for anyone in our industry. AIGA Charlotte should show it again.

What profession other than my own would I like to attempt?
Teaching. I am actually attempting it. I started teaching part time at the Art Institute here in Charlotte since the summer session in 2008. It was something I always thought I would do, but never felt I had the time to do it well, until now. I think it’s important to share your experiences with future generations; the significance of design and communication in our future is only getting greater. I gained a lot from the experienced teachers/designers in my life and felt I should do the same. I love the challenge and problem solving aspects of teaching. There is a lot of work involved, but it’s worth it when you see a student “getting it”.

How and why did I get involved with AIGA? Approximately how long have you been involved with the organization?
I have been a member since 1999. And I became a member because AIGA is the premiere design association in the country. AIGA exposes you to all aspects of the design field; it has well respected design competitions, great events and lectures with prominent designers, and a great networking environment. When I came to Charlotte from NYC, I was so glad to know there was a chapter here and it was one of the first things I did to get me familiar with the design community here. AIGA Charlotte specifically, has been very welcoming and helpful. I volunteer whenever I can.

What is my favorite word?
Concept. It’s the part of designing that means so much to me. It is the center of all my design and the most important thing I try to teach my students. Once I have a solid concept, everything is easy.

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