Jill Tanenbaum is the president and creative director of Jill Tanenbaum Graphic Design & Advertising, an award-winning marketing, advertising, and graphic design firm in Bethesda, Maryland. Originally trained as a fine artist, Jill received her bachelor's in studio art and later a master's degree in publication design. Over the years, in her free time, she's worked in many artistic mediums including clay, mosaic, screen-printing, found objects and fabric, but no other has been as intriguing to her as glass. Jill is from Long Island, New York and lives with her family in Maryland where she's an adjunct professor of Branding and Advertising at Johns Hopkins University.
01.21.09
Between Design and Fine Art
If you have a degree in what field is it? I have a master’s in publication design from the University of Baltimore.
Which designer (or design studio), other than yours, do you most admire? Milton Glaser, Pentagram. I also love the furniture designs by Knoll, Herman Miller, Mies van der Rohe, Marcel Breuer and George Nelson.
What’s the strangest request you’ve received from a client? To create a budget to brand a downtown section of a city.
If you weren’t working as a designer what would you be doing? Probably being a fused glass artist.
What well-known identity is most desperately in need of a redesign? I think that banks in general could use a facelift. They’re uninviting, and uninformative and have a lot to do to grow and brand themselves. Especially with the upcoming generation, which knows almost nothing about money and how to invest it. In order to rebrand themselves, they are really going to have to begin to offer information (and a relaxing environment conducive to learning) about ways for people to grow their money.
From where do your best ideas originate? Travel. Art shows. Movies. Music. People.
How do you overcome a creative block? I get a massage, take a hot tub or walk on the canal.
What’s your dream project (not client, but project)? To travel internationally (which I did once for a client) and develop marketing/informational materials from my travels.
Do you have creative outlets other than graphic design? Yes. I create fused glass work. I am known for my glass masks but I also create slumped pieces—bowls, plates, tables. I have also worked in found objects, making side tables and sculptures. I also love making books on iPhoto from my travels.
What’s your approach to balancing work and life? Fun is as important as work. I spend lots of time with friends going to restaurants, the theatre, having dinner parties and visiting with family. Other than that, I work a lot!
What product/gadget can you not live without? My computer, unfortunately, and my Palm.
What’s your favorite quote? “I’m willing to admit that I may not always be right, but I am never wrong.” —Samuel Goldwyn
Do you have any advice for people just entering the profession? Work hard. Stick to your passion. Don’t get personally insulted when clients don’t like what you present. This is a business, not a hobby. Make sure to find time to play.
What’s one thing you wish you knew when you started your career? When things get tough, clients stop spending money on marketing.