Who's Behind the Earth Week Logo?

As Earth Week at The New School approaches, the Tishman Center talks logistics with Earth Week Logo creator, George Ellis. George Ellis, who graduated from Parsons in the Spring of 2016 with an M.S. in Strategic Design and Management, has had quite the journey to get to where he is now.George came to the United States from London, UK in 2009 to study Sociology at Quinnipiac University in Connecticut. After two years, he then transferred to Manhattan College where he graduated with honors with a B.A. in Sociology in the year 2013. After graduation, George decided to pursue a graduate degree that encompassed his true passion, Strategic Design.Currently, George is back in London where he is a freelance Creative Strategist. Before moving back to London at the end of 2016, the Tishman Center reached out and decided to collaborate with George in designing this year's Earth Week Logo. We asked George a few questions relating to his work, and here's what he had to say:

Q. What does Earth Week at The New School mean to you?

Originally I only knew of Earth Day, which as those who know, is a celebration of our earth and bringing to light the environmental concerns that we are facing each year. This awareness is key to the longevity of the world we live in, not just for us, but mostly for the generations of human and animals alike in the future. Our respect, in this day in age, marks the benefit of those in 50, 100, 200 and more years. Through clothing drives, guest speakers, installations, jobs and more, The New Schools initiatives are a driving force in the local community in New York City and must be respected and backed as such.

Q. What inspired you to create this logo?

This circular representation of the earth connects the land life to the ocean life by not creating space between the blue and the green circles. The earth would not exist without the two sets joined together. The circles vary in size to give weight to the fact that there are large and small problems that exist on both land and sea, yet there are large entities and small entities that have the potential to rectify these issues. If there is anything that Earth Week can do it is to encourage larger corporations and entities to understand the environment better and take the necessary steps to reduce, and eventually have a positive impact on it. This is what this logo stands for.​A logo should also be visually accepted by the layman which is why there is a definitive shape and structure that more literally represents the world we live in. This includes The Americas, The Atlantic, Europe, and Africa.

Q. What is one thing you wish you would have known before attending The New School that you could pass on as advice to current students?

The New School is an incredibly diverse community with so many opportunities and avenues to explore. My typical undergraduate experience was pretty uniform and so to engage in extra-curricular's wasn't the done thing. However, The New School celebrates differences and immersing oneself in all these verticals provides a unique perspective on life and the world post-graduation. Knowing this would have inspired me to do more actively, rather than be a passive bystander for the first of my two years as a grad student.

Q. What does the future hold for you? (What's next?)

The future is bright. So far I have moved back to my home country in the UK, which was a daunting, yet exciting step having spent the last 7/8 years in the States. I am getting married in May 2018, which is equally as daunting, but also a very exciting step in the right direction for us. I am currently freelancing as a design strategist on a number of exciting projects in the UK, which was the premise of my education at the New School. I imagine in the not too distant future I will make the move from freelance to permanent, with a view to setting up my own firm down the line.