John Urquiza
Landing A Successful Career In Graphic Design

When John Urquiza attended FIDM in 1986, there was no graphic design major, as there is now. So he majored in Visual Communications.

Very importantly, he says, "At FIDM, I was enticed to look at the possibilities ahead of me. That kind of thinking pushes you forward." He came to FIDM with experience as a photographer, intrigued by FIDM's combination of design and fashion expertise. FIDM gave him a great foundation of basic skills--"I'm still using them," he says.


Package design for
Whole Bean Coffee.

These skills helped John get his first big break. Urquiza had designed a logo for himself as a class project. Immediately after graduation, freelance prospects were thin. One night, he stuck his business card, with others, under a glass-topped table at a local restaurant. Someone saw it and called him to bid on their company's project.


Logo design for
Authentic Pictures Corporation.

He remembers the meeting where he sold his ideas--using techniques he learned in his FIDM marketing classes. He got the job. The company: Piacere, a leading coffee roaster. "They're my oldest client," says John.At his successful design business in Pasadena, Urquiza uses his conceptual skills to develop advertising and marketing materials for a wide range of companies.


Logo design forAbri Studios(Interior design firm).

Part of his business comes from his bilingual abilities. He serves as go-between for companies from South America and Mexico and advertisers in the U.S. Among his goals: organizing a Latino Creative Network among city designers.


Annual report cover for NALEO.

Urquiza recently came back to the FIDM L.A. campus for Career Connections, a day-long event where alumni share career-building secrets. As he viewed the school's new graphic design labs, Urquiza admits to feeling some degree of envy."I thought, oh man, look at that -- FIDM's got better computers than my office does."

Please Note: The information contained herein was confirmed at the time of original publication