Graham Hanson Design
About
Studio Size
Medium (6-20)
Year founded
1997
Borough
Manhattan
Studio Bio/Philosophy
GHD is an internationally recognized branding and design agency. For over 15 years, GHD has been driving results-oriented solutions for some of the world’s leading corporations and organizations. Our holistic approach and comprehensive methodology are hallmarks of our passion for innovative thinking, design excellence and timeless quality.
The Team
Graham Hanson Design has 17 people. Of those, 3 are studio heads and 3 are managerial.
24% of studios are medium-sized (6-20 people).
Gender Breakdown
41% male
59% female
Average height
5’7”-5’9”
Shortest: 5’0”
Tallest: 6’2”
Average age
30-35
Youngest: 23
Oldest: 48
Number of interns/year
3-4
Average: 1-2
Studio Disciplines
Breakdown of Work
Number of studio projects
100+
Pro-bono projects
1–5
Strategy/Execution
60% Strategy
40% Execution
Primary Specialties
- Art Direction (58)
- Books (52)
- Brand Strategy (42)
- Branding & Identity (77)
- Environmental Design (38)
- Exhibition Design (33)
- Experience Design (33)
- Information Graphics (41)
- Interaction Design (36)
- Mobile Design (30)
- Packaging (45)
- Print (75)
- Web Design (59)
- Web Development (25)
Clients’ Industries
- Fashion (45)
- Finance & Investment (26)
- Local & community organizations (41)
- Media & Publishing (58)
- Movies/Film (19)
- Music (28)
- Products (32)
- Real Estate (24)
- Restaurants & Food (29)
- Retail (43)
- Technology (37)
- The Arts/Cultural Institutions (71)
Graham Hanson Design’s Clients
- American Express (3)
- Carnegie Hall
- Cohen Brothers Realty
- Google (14)
- Gramercy Park Hotel
- Motorola Mobility
- National 9/11 Memorial & Museum
- Panasonic
- RFR
- Saks Fifth Avenue OFF 5TH
- Tishman Speyer
- Undertone
- Vbeaute Skin Care
- Vornado Realty Trust
- Zagat
Graham Hanson, Principal
Demographics
Age 48, Male, from Grand Forks, North Dakota, USA, now lives in Rhinebeck, NY. Formal education is undergraduate degree, primary design education is school (Iowa State University).
What’s been the biggest influence on your design career?
Massimo Vignelli, Armin Hofmann, Pierre Mendel, Otl Aicher, Max Huber, Richard Poulin
Years in Design Industry
22 years
Average: 17 years
Industry before design
Truck Driver
Previous Design Employment
- de Harak & Poulin Associates
- Vignelli Associates (2)
Teaching Design
- Pratt Institute — 18 years
- Parsons The New School for Design — 7 years
Board Member on Professional Design Organizations
- AIGA New York — 2 years
- Society for Environmental Graphic Design (SEGD) — 1 years
Mariana Uchoa, Associate Design Director
Demographics
Female, from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, now lives in São Paulo, Brazil. Formal education is graduate degree, primary design education is school (School of Visual Arts).
What’s been the biggest influence on your design career?
A mix between the very distinct styles of Louise Fili and Massimo Vignelli are my greatest graphic design influences; Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer; "Form follows function" Bauhaus philosophy.
Years in Design Industry
9 years
Previous Design Employment
- Cuca Design
Pilar Freire, Associate Partner
Demographics
Age 37, Female, from Panama City, Panama, now lives in Union Square, New York, NY. Formal education is graduate degree, primary design education is school (Pratt Institute).
What’s been the biggest influence on your design career?
Massimo Vignelli, Graham Hanson, Josef Müller-Brockmann, Armin Hofmann, Hoefler & Frere-Jones
Years in Design Industry
10 years
Industry before design
Management Consulting
Previous Design Employment
- Booz Allen Hamilton
Time spent designing
50% actual
30% desired
Location
São Paulo, São Paulo
Brazil
The Space
They’ve been there for 10 years, 7 months.
Number of times moved
3
Total people in space
17
Number of conference rooms
2
Client meetings held in studio: Less than half
Number of plants
6-10
Working Days
Working week
The work week is 40-49 hours/week, core hours are 9:00-5:30, with the first in at 8:30am and the last out at 7:00pm.
50% of studios work 40-49 hours/week.
The average is 40-49 hours/week.
Paid Holidays
12 days
Average: 7
Work Weekends?
Once a month
Take Summer Fridays?
Yes
Busiest Time of day?
It’s high intensity all day
Favorite Typefaces:
Culture
Music
Plays music for 50% of the day at a quiet volume.
Biking to work
3
127 bikers across all studios
Pick your poison
Beer
Overall Noise Level
Average
59% of studios are average
Extra-curricular activities
book club, knitting club, English class, Summer Movie Series, SET card game, Angry Bird Tossing
Working groups
Encourage freelance work?
No
Internal studio meetings
A couple times/month
Eat out for lunch?
A couple times/week
Favorite sit-down lunch: Calexico
Critiquing Process
Studio Outings
Drinks after work, Annual retreat
Favorite Place(s): Rhinebeck, NY