Nicholas
Rock
Designer, educator, and founder of Station. Associate Professor of Graphic Design at Boston University.
Education
MFA Graphic Design
This graphic design thesis explored the development of a process and methodology for graphic design practice. Under the premise that the process of discovery is a method for communication, I developed a body of work demonstrating this concept across multiple forms of content and media. This thesis culminated in the development of a publication and exhibition of this body of work.
BFA Studio Arts
Professional Practice
Art Director, Designer, Founder
I partner with organizations to articulate a clear vision and mission for their work while leveraging this work to inform strategic objectives and tactics for their brand’s future. The outcome of this work is guiding principles and strategy documentation, including strategic planning and visual branding.
My practice in experience design is focused on designing opportunities for someone to have an experience regardless of form or media. How can we design ways to create or enable more connections? What is a meaningful human connection? How can that drive our work and our purpose? If more people or businesses focused on connecting with people, it could transform the work they do.
I work across all forms of media in graphic design and visual communication from printed matter, publication design, web and interactive, environmental, identity and branding. Design is rooted in a history of visual culture and storytelling, so my work incorporates intentional research and connection to visual culture and relationships.
Senior Designer / Web Design Lead
Led graphic design projects for print and web, including branding, website design, promotional materials, editorial publication design, and advertising.
Senior Designer
Led graphic design projects for print and web, including but not limited to: branding, website design, promotional materials, editorial publication design, and advertising.
Designer
Worked on various editorial and visual identity design projects for clients, including Good Magazine, Architecture Research Office, Michael Van Valkenburgh Landscape Architects, and The National MS Society.
Civil Affairs Specialist
Acted as liaison between civilians, military and foreign governments. Responsibilities included negotiating problems in foreign communities and organizing and planning the redevelopment of countries affected by war.
Awards + Exhibitions
2016 marked a shift in focus for my professional practice: submitting less work to exhibition and design competition, and more to design strategy and consulting.
Tend — Participatory Exhibition
Conceived and designed a collaborative exhibition exploring growth, regrowth, and renewal. Facilitated the participatory design process with studio members and designed, produced, and installed the resulting window installation.
Gold Award: Packaging
Awarded Gold Award for packaging design for Beautiful Day granola packaging. Beautiful Day is an organization whose mission is to help refugees find their way into a US workforce through a job training and mentoring program producing and selling granola. Commissioned by Giant Shoulders Design Agency.
Volunteer of the Year
PeaceLove is a non-profit organization committed to helping support mental health and create mental health awareness through expressive arts programming. Awarded for the ongoing commitment and support through graphic design and design strategy contributions towards the PeaceLove mission.
Form and Pedagogy Book Exhibition and Launch
Best Book Design
AIGA — The Professional Association for Design Best of New England is a bi-annual, nationally recognized juried competition and traveling exhibition showcasing the best graphic design across New England. Awarded for the design of the publication, A Line in the Andes; selected by a panel of judges as the best example of visually and conceptually strong book design over hundreds of entries from designers throughout New England.
Faculty Spotlight
Recognized for efforts and impact in the classroom.
AIGA Best of New England — Design Retrospective Exhibition
AIGA Best of New England — Traveling Design Exhibition
X-Dialogue: For Nature and the Future
Roma per Obama 2012
Exhibition and Political Rally — Unite Us, Poster, 2008.
A Line in the Andes Book Launch + Exhibition of Work
Roma per Obama
Exhibition and Political Rally — Unite Us, Poster, 2008.
Competition Winner, Manifest Hope Competition
Award was for poster design in support of Barack Obama for the 2008 presidential election. Manifest Hope, along with its online partner MoveOn.org, challenges the artistic world to engage their local communities in a meaningful way by inviting all artists to compete for a chance to present their works alongside these acclaimed and celebrated artists.
Dawdle & Gape
Group exhibition. Discovery in Design, Publication, 2008.
Manifest Hope — Democratic National Convention
Unite Us, Poster, 2008.
Left Right Up Down Under Over
Group exhibition.
Award for Typographic Excellence
Recognized for work done as part of OPEN, NYC on the development of GOOD Magazine.
Published in Anthology
Teaching
Associate Professor, Graphic Design · Director of Graduate Studies
Full-time faculty at Boston University’s College of Fine Arts responsible for teaching 15 contact hours per semester; participating in college recruitment and admission processes; serving on School and College-wide committees, and mentoring and advising students through the individual development of projects and skills.
- Developed new courses and workshops to expand the breadth of the Graphic Design curriculum.
- Recruited new faculty locally to support the development of a more rigorous curriculum in BU’s Venice, Italy, graphic design program.
- Worked closely with the graphic design department to restructure the graduate curriculum to raise its profile and standards.
- Developed the course Graphic Design: Studio Practice, which teaches students the professional and business sides of the graphic design industry while giving them first-hand, real-world experience working directly with clients.
- Redesigned the second-year MFA Design Studio course and syllabus to deeply integrate research and development of the thesis work.
- Developed a signature public speaking event — Design Inquiry Lectures — for second-year MFA Design candidates.
- Led the development of critical courses in the BFA Graphic Design major to align with the University’s HUB general education curriculum.
Assistant Professor, Graphic Design
Visiting Critic, Innovation Studio
Critic for final project presentations for an interdisciplinary initiative, co-sponsored by Industrial Design and Landscape Architecture at RISD, that typically tackles large scale environmental or infrastructure problems.
Visiting Critic, BFA Degree Project
Critic for final degree project presentations and reviews of BFA Graphic Design Candidates.
Adjunct Faculty, Graphic Design
Part-time faculty responsible for developing and teaching Typography 1 course.
Adjunct Faculty, Graphic Design
Part-time faculty responsible for teaching multi-week workshop as part of Senior Design Studio course.
Published Abstracts
A project to organize and catalog resources to facilitate specific reference searches and discover experience design information. October 25, 2024.
A research project with the intent of understanding the parallels between chefs and designers. March 16, 2020.
Speaking, Presenting, Participating
Design Incubation Colloquium 11.1: Boston University
October 25, 2024.
Young Ones Student Design Awards, The One Club for Creativity
One of the most acclaimed international advertising, interactive, and design student competitions.
Startup City Acceleration Program (SCAP)
Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO). September–December, 2022.
Design Thinking 2022 Chicago
Design Thinking USA Conference, Chicago, IL. April 4–6, 2022.
Young Ones Student Design Awards, The One Club for Creativity
One of the most acclaimed international advertising, interactive, and design student competitions.
Facilitate, Participate & Interact
Multiple Formats Contemporary Art Book Symposium. February 24–26, 2022.
RI Design Week 2021
Lecture: Opportunity for Experience: Creative Perspectives on Connecting with People. Design x RI, October 2021.
Young Ones Student Design Awards, The One Club for Creativity
One of the most acclaimed international advertising, interactive, and design student competitions.
“5 Keys to Developing Meaningful Connection and Powerful Cultures Remotely.”
Chow, Tino. Giant Shoulders, 2 Mar. 2021.
Design Incubation Colloquium 6.3: Fordham University
Virtual Conference. May 16, 2020.
#InRealLife: Design Thinking Workshop
Innovate@BU, Boston.
PeaceLove Storytellers Exhibition
An event to support and share stories and programming for mental health awareness and therapy through the expressive arts.
Global Disruptors: Lightning Talks on International Innovations
Innovate@BU, Boston.
IDEAS Salon: Mapping the Human Condition
IDEAS Salon, Westerly, RI.
Design Incubation — Graphic Arts in the Liberal Arts
Type Directors Club, NYC.
Arts and Ideas in Action: Art + Business + Social Impact
Led design thinking work session as part of this cross disciplinary event.
MIY Story Studio
Temporary, pop-up public engagement campaign developed by Epic Decade. Participated in implementing and facilitating the workshop designed to engage Rhode Islanders to tell their stories about the state. This was an engagement campaign to support the development of the brand of the State of Rhode Island.
IDEAS Salon: Fruition Labs
IDEAS Salon, Westerly, RI.
What is design really and how to work with designers?
Boston University College of Communication. Lecture to Public Relations Student Society of America, Boston University Chapter.
AIGA Best of New England Design Exhibition
Co-director and designer for retrospective design award competition.
Courses Taught
Course Descriptions
Sophomore Graphic Design — Spring: Form + Communication
Students investigate how ideas and messages can be interpreted visually through a variety of projects. Form—content relationships are the context for all projects. Students study the broad concepts of denotation and connotation through projects including information design, communication through proxy and juxtaposition and communication through symbols, metaphor and metonymy. Static and dynamic design solutions are explored. Open to undergraduate sophomore graphic design students. This is a required course for graphic design majors.
Junior Graphic Design — Fall: Audience + Authorship
Junior Graphic Design exercises a student’s knowledge of graphic design fundamentals—form development and communication strategies—to solve more complex design problems. Variables such as audience, context, authorship and issues relevant to contemporary practice will be investigated and discussed. Context driven platforms for communication will be explored as students consider how to reach both narrow and broad audiences across multiple mediums.
Junior Graphic Design — Spring: Audience + Authorship
Students examine design as cultural practice as they explore their own design sensibilities and interests through a sequence of self-authored projects in preparation for senior year. Projects and discussion focus on how narrow and broad social contexts/environments impact the way in which graphic design lives and functions.
Senior Graphic Design — Fall: Collaboration
Group collaboration and design as an agent for social change are areas that challenge students to develop their own content, point of view and to learn their audience. Students work in teams representing a professional studio environment. Students manage multiple work streams through lead and supportive roles. Thesis research complements group activities throughout the fall. Research begins in fall semester and serves as a launching point for self-directed study during the final semester.
Senior Graphic Design — Spring: Senior Thesis
In this culminating semester students independently develop systems and methodologies for solving real world, pragmatic design problems. Students start by identifying an area of research and discussing its relationship to graphic design. The idea of ‘designer as author’ is emphasized through a self-motivated design project that will strengthen individual processes and problem solving capabilities. Upon graduation students have developed a refined, intelligent, professional-grade body of work.
Graphic Design Studio Practice
Graphic Design Studio Practice is real world practical experience for undergraduate juniors and seniors and graduate students planning to pursue a career in graphic design or other careers related to visual communication. Takes advantage of and builds upon the skills and knowledge students have gained in their coursework during the academic year. Students apply existing skills while developing new skills in graphic design, verbal and written communication, client relationships, business practices, production, presentation, and the culture of studio practice. Simultaneously serves as a classroom studio and internship/work experience.
Web Design
This course addresses the principles, problems, and applications of web design. HTML and CSS will be taught, giving the students the ability to control the design and presentation of online information in its most basic form. Emphasis is on content, usability, site architecture, navigation and interactivity.
Experience Design
Students study and design interactive experiences in physical space. Emphasis is on how user experience shapes design. Projects include designing usable, interactive environments across a range of scales from mobile devices to social networks to museum displays and finally full scale architectural spaces. Work will be generated and discussed in terms of: concept development, media production, prototyping and implementation.
Graduate Design Studio 1
A continuation of CFA AR 881. Comprehensive exercises in graphic design leading to the solution of advanced visual problems through a structured curriculum of both theoretical and practical studies. In addition to computer-aided graphic design, traditional methods, such as letterpress and photography are emphasized. The program is conceived to enable graduates to function in a constantly changing and expanding field. 3 cr, each semester. 8 cr. 2nd sem.
Graduate Design Studio 2
A continuation of Graduate Graphic Design 1, emphasizing the thesis — an advanced and extensive individual project proposed by the student in consultation with the graphic design faculty. The thesis project is explored in depth and presented in a major exhibit at the end of the second year. Independent contact with faculty members is stressed. 8 cr. 1st sem.
Graduate Design Studio 2
A continuation of CFA AR 883. Emphasizes the thesis — an advanced and extensive individual project proposed by the student in consultation with the graphic design faculty. The thesis project is explored in depth and presented in a major exhibit at the end of the second year. Independent contact with faculty members is stressed. Offered each semester.
Approach for Directed / Independent Studies
My approach for directed/independent studies is to take on the role of art director and mentor in addition to being a professor for each student. I allow graduate students and advanced Junior and Senior undergraduate students to enroll in a directed or independent study. Enrollment in directed studies is not permitted solely for filling in credits or making up courses. I require students to develop a project or series of assignments that will enhance their development as a designer, in a way that they haven’t been able to achieve through standard course offerings. Each student is then required to develop a detailed proposal with what they would like to study and why I am the right faculty member for their project. We discuss this proposal in detail before approval. Graphic design is a collaborative and studio driven profession. When I have multiple students for a directed study, I require them to meet together as a group to learn from each other in addition to the direction they receive from me. In this way, even though they are working independently, they continue to develop their skills in collaborative project development. On most occasions, while a student comes to me with an idea, I help to shape it to ensure they are receiving rigorous development from the work they are doing. Alongside guidance and direction, I will often add assignments to their original brief.
Student Mentorship
Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program
Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) at Boston University connects BU undergraduate students with funded, faculty-mentored research experiences.
“Framework and Database for Exploring Works of Experience”
This student mentorship was part of developing a design research project to develop and test a framework for cataloging and evaluating case studies in Experience Design as a teaching tool with potential future use as a public resource. The goals of this mentorship project were to use the initial set of data and case studies to refine the framework, add to the database and publish a beta version of the database as a public-facing resource for the design, education, and business communities.
Graduate Thesis Supervision
Thesis project advising is part of the responsibility of teaching the Graduate Graphic Design Studio 2 course. Individual project advising happens alongside the studio instruction and culminates with the MFA Graphic Design Exhibition so that all MFA students receive regular feedback and guidance from both faculty at a minimum. That said, many students often decide to work more closely with a faculty member to help further guide and develop their process. Since I have arrived at BU there are graduate students with whom I have had significant impact on and a more instrumental role as an advisor and mentor on their thesis work.
Co-Advised, Outside Graphic Design
Boston University, College of Fine Arts, School of Visual Arts
Academic Service
School of Visual Arts
Responsible for overseeing and coordinating the graduate programs within the School while working closely with faculty members to plan and align shared interests between the programs while acting as liaison to the Director of the School of Visual Arts and chairing the graduate committee.
College of Fine Arts
Responsible for ensuring TA and GA student roles track and submit time properly while authorizing weekly time for payment.
School of Visual Arts
Responsible for overseeing and coordinating the graduate programs within the School while working closely with faculty members to plan and align shared interests between the programs while acting as liaison to the Director of the School of Visual Arts and chairing the graduate committee.
College of Fine Arts
Responsible for ensuring TA and GA student roles track and submit time properly while authorizing weekly time for payment.
School of Visual Arts
Responsible for overseeing and coordinating the graduate programs within the School while working closely with faculty members to plan and align shared interests between the programs while acting as liaison to the Director of the School of Visual Arts and chairing the graduate committee.
School of Visual Arts
Responsible for overseeing and coordinating the graduate programs within the School while working closely with faculty members to plan and align shared interests between the programs while acting as liaison to the Director of the School of Visual Arts and chairing the graduate committee.
School of Visual Arts Strategic Planning Committee
Responsible for helping to shape the future direction of the school. This involves working with other committee members to assess the current state of the school, identify areas for growth and improvement, and develop a comprehensive plan for achieving its goals and objectives.
School of Visual Arts
Responsible for overseeing and coordinating the graduate programs within the School while working closely with faculty members to plan and align shared interests between the programs while acting as liaison to the Director of the School of Visual Arts and chairing the graduate committee.
Strategic Planning Committee
Responsible for helping to shape the future direction of the school. This involves working with other committee members to assess the current state of the school, identify areas for growth and improvement, and develop a comprehensive plan for achieving its goals and objectives.
School of Visual Arts Curriculum Committee
Responsible for reviewing and making recommendations for the educational content, courses, and objectives for the art program. This includes assessing existing curricula, exploring current trends and developments in the field, and collaborating with other members of the committee and faculty to design and implement an effective and relevant curriculum.
School of Visual Arts
Responsible for overseeing and coordinating the graduate programs within the School while working closely with faculty members to plan and align shared interests between the programs while acting as liaison to the Director of the School of Visual Arts and chairing the graduate committee.
School of Visual Arts Curriculum Committee
Responsible for reviewing and making recommendations for the educational content, courses, and objectives for the art program. This includes assessing existing curricula, exploring current trends and developments in the field, and collaborating with other members of the committee and faculty to design and implement an effective and relevant curriculum.
Undergraduate Graphic Design
Serve as the department’s representative to the wider visual arts and university community while overseeing and managing the departmental curriculum updates and yearly undergraduate and graduate admissions.
College of Fine Arts Executive Committee
Serve as the School of Visual Arts’ representative to the Dean of the College of Fine Arts to discuss matters across the College’s three schools.
School of Visual Arts
Responsible for overseeing and coordinating the graduate programs within the School while working closely with faculty members to plan and align shared interests between the programs while acting as liaison to the Director of the School of Visual Arts and chairing the graduate committee.
School of Visual Arts Curriculum Committee
Responsible for reviewing and making recommendations for the educational content, courses, and objectives for the art program. This includes assessing existing curricula, exploring current trends and developments in the field, and collaborating with other members of the committee and faculty to design and implement an effective and relevant curriculum.
Undergraduate Graphic Design
Serve as the department’s representative to the wider visual arts and university community while overseeing and managing the departmental curriculum updates and yearly undergraduate and graduate admissions.
College of Fine Arts Executive Committee
Serve as the School of Visual Arts’ representative to the Dean of the College of Fine Arts to discuss matters across the College’s three schools.
School of Visual Arts Curriculum Committee
Responsible for reviewing and making recommendations for the educational content, courses, and objectives for the art program. This includes assessing existing curricula, exploring current trends and developments in the field, and collaborating with other members of the committee and faculty to design and implement an effective and relevant curriculum.
Undergraduate Graphic Design
Serve as the department’s representative to the wider visual arts and university community while overseeing and managing the departmental curriculum updates and yearly undergraduate and graduate admissions.
College of Fine Arts Executive Committee
Serve as the School of Visual Arts’ representative to the Dean of the College of Fine Arts to discuss matters across the College’s three schools.
University Council Committee on Undergraduate Academic Programs & Policies
Serve as a representative to the University on committee to discuss and manage the advancement of programmatic and policy changes and updates university wide.
Cross College Challenge Committee
Served to advise and help design and develop the Cross College Challenge as a signature program for Boston University’s undergraduates.
University Council Committee on Undergraduate Academic Programs & Policies
Serve as a representative to the University on committee to discuss and manage the advancement of programmatic and policy changes and updates university wide.
Cross College Challenge Committee
Served to advise and help design and develop the Cross College Challenge as a signature program for Boston University’s undergraduates.
University Council Committee on Undergraduate Academic Programs & Policies
Serve as a representative to the University on committee to discuss and manage the advancement of programmatic and policy changes and updates university wide.
President’s Committee on Entrepreneurship
Serve as faculty advisor to the President of Boston University on the advancement of student and faculty entrepreneurship.
School of Visual Arts Admissions and Outreach Committee
Worked alongside members to help shape the promotion of the school’s programs, reputation and values to prospective students, families and other stakeholders.
Cross College Challenge Committee
Served to advise and help design and develop the Cross College Challenge as a signature program for Boston University’s undergraduates.
School of Visual Arts Admissions and Outreach Committee
Worked alongside members to help shape the promotion of the school’s programs, reputation and values to prospective students, families and other stakeholders.
President’s Committee on Entrepreneurship
Serve as faculty advisor to the President of Boston University on the advancement of student and faculty entrepreneurship.
College of Fine Arts Dean’s Task Force
Worked alongside members to help shape a future vision for the Boston University College of Fine Arts that could be leveraged in the process to hire a new Dean.
Strategic Planning Committee
Responsible for helping to shape the future direction of the school. This involves working with other committee members to assess the current state of the school, identify areas for growth and improvement, and develop a comprehensive plan for achieving its goals and objectives.
College of Fine Arts Dean’s Task Force
Worked alongside members to help shape a future vision for the Boston University College of Fine Arts that could be leveraged in the process to hire a new Dean.
Strategic Planning Committee
Responsible for helping to shape the future direction of the school. This involves working with other committee members to assess the current state of the school, identify areas for growth and improvement, and develop a comprehensive plan for achieving its goals and objectives.
School of Visual Arts Curriculum Committee
Responsible for reviewing and making recommendations for the educational content, courses, and objectives for the art program. This includes assessing existing curricula, exploring current trends and developments in the field, and collaborating with other members of the committee and faculty to design and implement an effective and relevant curriculum.
School of Visual Arts Curriculum Committee
Responsible for reviewing and making recommendations for the educational content, courses, and objectives for the art program. This includes assessing existing curricula, exploring current trends and developments in the field, and collaborating with other members of the committee and faculty to design and implement an effective and relevant curriculum.
College of Fine Arts Executive Committee
Serve as the School of Visual Arts’ representative to the Dean of the College of Fine Arts to discuss matters across the College’s three schools.
School of Visual Arts Curriculum Committee
Responsible for reviewing and making recommendations for the educational content, courses, and objectives for the art program. This includes assessing existing curricula, exploring current trends and developments in the field, and collaborating with other members of the committee and faculty to design and implement an effective and relevant curriculum.
College of Fine Arts Executive Committee
Serve as the School of Visual Arts’ representative to the Dean of the College of Fine Arts to discuss matters across the College’s three schools.
College of Fine Arts Academic Conduct Committee
Worked alongside members to help address College wide policies on both graduate and undergraduate academic conduct.
School of Visual Arts Faculty Search Committee — Sculpture
Worked alongside members to help shape recruitment approach, review applications and interview candidates and ultimately making a hiring recommendation to the school. Result of this committee was the hiring of Assistant Professor Rune Olsen.
Faculty Search Committee — Graphic Design
Worked alongside members to help shape recruitment approach, review applications and interview candidates and ultimately making a hiring recommendation to the school. Result of this committee was the hiring of Assistant Professor Laura Grey.
School of Visual Arts Self Assessment Committee
Worked alongside members to help evaluate, organize and frame the school’s progress and growth in preparation for accreditation.
School of Visual Arts Curriculum Committee
Responsible for reviewing and making recommendations for the educational content, courses, and objectives for the art program. This includes assessing existing curricula, exploring current trends and developments in the field, and collaborating with other members of the committee and faculty to design and implement an effective and relevant curriculum.
College of Fine Arts Executive Committee
Serve as the School of Visual Arts’ representative to the Dean of the College of Fine Arts to discuss matters across the College’s three schools.
College of Fine Arts Academic Conduct Committee
Worked alongside members to help address College wide policies on both graduate and undergraduate academic conduct.
School of Visual Arts Faculty Search Committee — Sculpture
Worked alongside members to help shape recruitment approach, review applications and interview candidates and ultimately making a hiring recommendation to the school. Result of this committee was the hiring of Rune Olsen.
Faculty Search Committee — Graphic Design
Worked alongside members to help shape recruitment approach, review applications and interview candidates and ultimately making a hiring recommendation to the school.
School of Visual Arts Faculty Search Committee — Sculpture
Worked alongside members to help shape recruitment approach, review applications and interview candidates and ultimately making a hiring recommendation to the school.
Professional Memberships
AIGA — The Professional Association for Design
Professional design community for professional development, continuing education, and a network of mentors, influential designers, design educators, and industry leaders.
College Art Association
Professional community for visual artists and art educators for the engagement in scholarship, theory, criticism, education, and practice in the visual arts.
The One Club for Creativity
Global community championing excellence and supporting creativity, education, and diversity in creative advertising and design in all its forms.
Nothing matches that search.