CORVALLIS, Ore. - Darrin Crescenzi, a 2007 Oregon State University design graduate named by Fast Company magazine as one of the 100 most creative people in business, will return to OSU this weekend for a free presentation Friday on how "design thinking" opens the door to a wide variety of fields.

The former Nike designer gained notice for an array of work including the initials-and-crown personal logo of NBA superstar LeBron James, the uniforms worn by the American men's Olympic basketball team in London in 2012, and a wildly popular poster he produced of the sigils (family seals) for the fictional Houses of Westeros in the book and TV hit "Game of Thrones."

Crescenzi graduated from high school in tiny Gilchrist, Ore., in a class of 14, and is now senior designer in the Manhattan offices of Prophet, a worldwide brand and marketing firm. Joining him in the presentation will be his longtime partner Erin Mintun, also a former Nike designer and a 2007 OSU design graduate. She has special expertise in the role of color in consumer choices, and now works as a style forecaster for companies that must anticipate fashion trends.

Both will show examples of their work. The two designers were featured in the most recent issue of the OSU alumni magazine, the Oregon Stater. That story is available at http://j.mp/crescenzi.

The free public presentation, sponsored by the School of Design and Human Environment in OSU's College of Business, will run from noon until 1 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 25, in the Willamette Room of the CH2M HILL Alumni Center, which is across 26th Street from Reser Stadium. Crescenzi will be in town to accept the OSU Alumni Association's Young Alumni Award at a ceremony that night at the alumni center, where he will be joined by six fellow alumni who will be honored as OSUAA Alumni Fellows.

The alumni fellow honorees include:

  • The Honorable Jack R. Borsting, College of Science;
  • Martin Goebel, College of Forestry.
  • Sandra Henderson, College of Science;
  • Debra Nelson, College of Veterinary Medicine;
  • Carol Hill Pickard, College of Home Economics;
  • James E. Womack, College of Agricultural Sciences.

Reservations are required to attend the awards gala, which starts at 6 p.m. For more information on this and other Homecoming events, visit www.osualum.com/homecoming.

Source: 

Kate Sanders, 541-737-6220

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