Jan Fairbairn is a designer, artist, educator, and Principal of Fairbairn & Company, a graphic design studio that has produced a range of print publications in mid-coast Maine.
Since earning her MFA in Graphic Design from Yale University School of Art and BFA in Graphic Design from the Maine College of Art, Fairbairn has held academic positions at the Rhode Island School of Design; the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth; SUNY Fredonia; Maine College of Art & Design, and Rhode Island College. Her juried shows include: aiga 50 Books/50 Covers; aiga Design of Understanding 2; “New York is Book Country” festival; the International Platform Association, and Maine Coast Artists, among others, and she has lectured and offered workshops in Beijing, Venice and across the US.
“The design process begins with inspiration, with curiosity. I am continually moved by the natural world in this regard. Consideration of diverse audiences and their cultural and historical contexts shape my pedagogy and the content and approach of my design work: to see and think differently. The careful choices I make with typography, color, form and space lead to persuasive, memorable and successful solutions for clients and their communities.”