Eric Benson
Associate Professor Graphic Design at University of Illinois
Eric Benson was born in Arizona and raised in Mid-Michigan where he later received his BFA in graphic and industrial design from the University of Michigan in 1998. He worked professionally as a UI/UX designer at Razorfish and Texas Instruments before he received his MFA in design from the University of Texas at Austin in 2006. His MFA thesis became the internationally recognized and award-winning sustainable design website www.re-nourish.org. His work with Re-nourish translated into an academic career where he currently is an Associate Professor of Graphic Design at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His research asks how life-centered systems thinking informs the way designers think, critique existing work, create responsible solutions, and craft engaging stories of climate action within the profession and in the classroom. This research is most notably seen at his agri-fiber paper lab Fresh Press and his climate action podcast, Climify.
Benson has published and lectured internationally on the importance of sustainable design. His work has also garnered numerous design awards and has been seen in notable venues like The Walker Art Center, the Smithsonian Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum, the Hammer Museum, the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, and RISD.
Experience
- Chair, Graphic Design Program at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
- August 2015 – May 2020 Champaign, IL
- Co-Founder & Chief Researcher at Fresh Press
- Feb 2012 – Present Champaign, IL
- Co-Founder & Principal at Re-nourish, LTD.
- April 2006 – Present Tewksbury, MA
- Associate Professor of Graphic Design at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
- May 2012 – Present Champaign, IL
- Assistant Professor of Graphic Design at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
- August 2006 – May 2012 Champaign, IL
- Contract Print Designer at Whole Foods Market
- Aug 2005 – Dec 2005 Austin, TX
- Senior Web Designer at Texas Instruments
- March 2002 – Aug 2004 Dallas, TX
- Senior Web Designer at Dawson & Duncan
- Nov 2001 – March 2002 Dallas, TX
- Senior UI/UX Designer at Razorfish
- March 2000 – Feb 2001 Cambridge, MA
- Graphic Designer at Lexicom Publishing
- Dec. 1998 – Feb 2000 Ann Arbor, MI
Education
- MFA Design at University of Texas
- August 2004 – May 2006 Austin, TX
- BFA Graphic & Industrial Design at University of Michigan
- August 1993 – May 1998 Ann Arbor, MI
Awards
- 2022
- Graphic Design Award, GDUSA
- 2019
- Graphic Design Award, GDUSA
- 2017
- Excellence in Innovation Award, SSC
- 2017
- Merit Award, UCDA
- 2013
- (Re)Design Award, AIGA
- 2013
- Silver Medal, International Design Awards
- 2012
- Award of Excellence, UCDA
- 2011
- Winner, Poster Heroes
- 2009
- (Re)Design Award, AIGA
- 2009
- Award of Excellence, 16th Annual Communicator Awards
- 2008
- Bronze Award Winner, Admissions Marketing Report (AMR)
- 2009
- People’s Design Award Finalist, Cooper-Hewitt
- 2009
- Winner, American Corporate ID
- 2009
- Gold Award Winner, Admissions Marketing Report (AMR)
- 2008
- Gold Merit Award, UCDA
- 2007
- Silver Merit Award, UCDA
- 2007
- Merit Award Winner, Admissions Marketing Report (AMR)
- 2007
- Mission Sustainability Winner, German Council for Sustainable Development
- 2006
- First Prize, Foresight Design Initiative
Exhibitions
- 2019
- The Alchemy of Paper at Herron School of Art, Indianapolis, IN
- 2018
- Fresh Press at McLean Count Arts Center, Bloomington, IL.
- 2017
- Paper, Paper, Paper at Taos Center for the Arts, Encore Gallery, Taos, NM
- 2017
- Pulp as Portal: Socially Engaged Hand Papermaking at The Center for Book Arts, New York, NY
- 2014
- Social Paper at Columbia College, Chicago, IL
- 2014
- Green Patriot Posters: The Revolution Will Be Designed at Design Museum Boston, Boston, MA
- 2013
- Printing Green: American Print Alliance at Illges Gallery, Columbus State University, Columbus, GA
- 2013-2016
- Graphic Advocacy: International Posters for the Digital Age at University Galleries, MCAD, Boston, MA
- 2012-2014
- Graphic Design: Now in Production at Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, MN
- 2011
- The Wearable Arts Awards at City Hall Galleria, Port Moody, Canada
- 2010
- The Great Oil Leak Show at Bricks & Bombs Gallery, Baton Rouge, LA
- 2010
- Spill>>Forward at MediaNoche, New York, NY
- 2010
- Art D’Eco at Gallery 125, Trenton, NJ
- 2010
- Hello: Graphic Design Group Invitational at University Art Galleries, Univ. of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD
- 2009
- Sustainable? at Central Connecticut State Univ., Chen Art Gallery, New Britain, CT
- 2008
- Live Debris at Hangar Gallery of Umam Documentation & Research, Beirut, Lebanon
- 2007
- Earth Matters: International Art Exhibit at The University of Texas Pan-American, Edinburg, TX
- 2007
- The means by which we find our way. A project in two parts at Waikato Institute of Technology, Ramp Gallery, Hamilton, New Zealand
- 2007
- Sublime Climate at Cambridge School of Weston Gallery, Weston, MA
- 2007
- Global Warming 2007 at Orange County Center for Contemporary Art, Santa Ana, CA
- 2007
- Other Heroes at Jackson State Gallery, Jackson State University, Jackson, MS
- 2007
- Subvertisements: Using Ads and Logos for Protest at California State Univ., Northridge Art Gallery, Northridge, CA
- 2007
- Tossed and Found at Outside In Gallery, Portland, OR
Clients
- Toyota
- Whole Foods
- Vanguard Group
- Scholastic
- New Leaf Paper
- Banato
Specialties
- Sustainable Design
- Systems Thinking
- Graphic Design
- Education
- User Interface Design
- Speaking