Written by Colleen Miller, photos by Nick Thomsen
Thomas Hull, SCAD professor of graphic design, received his B.F.A from Brigham Young University (BYU) where he was formerly an adjunct professor. In 2005 Hull became a partner at Rigsby Hull, a design studio in Houston. Even with joining the SCAD team this summer, Hull continues his involvement with the studio.
Hull’s journey to SCAD began with a call from Jason Fox, SCAD Executive Director for Academic Services, inviting his studio to collaborate on a project for Arthur M. Blank, owner of the Atlanta Falcons. This project became a large format book detailing the story of Mercedes-Benz stadium in Atlanta.
Before taking on the project, Fox requested a sample of the studio’s work. The team at Rigsby Hull got to work right away, printing a book of their design work. When it came time to deliver the portfolio, problems at the print shop forced Hull to deliver it in person. “I just booked an airline ticket to fly to Atlanta and drop it off,” Hull said. Little did he know, he was in for a surprise. “I didn’t quite catch on at the time Jason Fox was emailing us from SCAD Atlanta but the portfolio book was supposed to be sent to Savannah,” Hull said. “So I booked a trip to Atlanta and then got to Atlanta and looked at the address. I realized I had to be down in Savannah, so I hopped in a car after staying up all night to drop it off.” This misadventure led to Hull’s first trip to Savannah.
After the whirlwind travels, Rigsby Hull began work on the final product. Much of the artwork was created closely with SCAD and its professors. After the book’s completion, Hull and his partner, Lana Rigsby, were invited to speak to SCAD students about the stadium book, their process and teamwork. A short time later, lunch with Anthony Fisher, SCAD Dean of Communication Arts, and Fox led to an offer to teach. The next week, Hull took the job.
Now a SCAD professor, Hull believes his classroom has three rules: don’t give excuses, don’t be late and do good work. With this philosophy, he hopes to bring a sense of professionalism into the classroom, something that was instilled in him at BYU. He also emphasizes the importance of speaking intelligently about student work and offers many opportunities for public speaking. He doesn’t take all the credit for himself. “A big part of my job is creating an environment where people can make connections and suddenly go, ‘Oh, that’s it’ and gain confidence in their own abilities,” Hull said. “That’s a brilliant moment.”
Hull teaches both the Introduction to Graphic Design courses and a SCADPro collaboration, he’s excited to see where students begin and where their skills will end up in three years. “At SCAD, we are the professional design school. There’s a lot of design programs out there that teach good technique, great design, outstanding typography,” Hull said. “We do that plus teach you how to be a professional when you leave school.”
