Full Sail Stories

“Designing something pretty when it comes to advertising is great, but if it's not effective and it doesn't make the phone ring, who wants that?” says Joe Gornik, a course director for the graphic design curriculum. Joe brings that thought process to his classes, where he helps students create design projects that have both style and substance – and he’s got years of agency experience that informs his approach to teaching.

Joe was previously the CEO of Gornik Advertising, where he created advertising, sales, and marketing materials for state and national brands. He also had a successful career working on projects in Hollywood, including title sequence designs for HBO’s Winchell, Twentieth Century Fox’s Doctor Dolittle, and Touchstone Pictures & Harpo Films’ Beloved, among others. Currently, Joe is a freelance Creative Director for efectiv, where he’s designed digital ads that have been featured on ESPN’s Bleacher Report, CNBC News, Fox News, and more.

Those experiences have helped Joe build classes that encourage design students to use critical thinking skills for projects that speak to their interests. From day one, Joe forges connections with his students through candid conversations about their passions, then uses that information to tailor their projects. For example, if a student is interested in skateboarding, Joe might encourage them to create branding for a skateboarding company or for organizations related to skateboarding, like skate parks.

Creating projects that keep students engaged is just one of Joe’s tools for teaching. He also tries to prepare students for the professional world by encouraging them to conduct in-depth research before they create designs or brand experiences.

“One of the big things I try to convey to students is [the importance of] research,” Joe shares. “Before you put pencil to paper, let's figure out exactly what makes this brand different… We're not just trying to make things look pretty, we're trying to persuade people to go out and buy a product or service that they probably didn't plan on buying that day.

“I don't want anybody doing anything until they understand the project,” he continues. “Let's go out to the store and take a look at whatever it is we're advertising and do our homework and find out who else is doing it. Why are they doing it and what makes them different? What makes the brand that you're choosing different? It’s all about encouraging students to understand the value of research.”

Once students have used their research to work out their initial designs, Joe helps them navigate the workflow they’d experience in a design agency setting. He teaches them how to explain the reasoning behind their design choices and encourages them to look critically at their projects. Editing their work with meaningful revisions can take their designs to the next level.

“[I might point out to them that] the headline could be shorter. The visual image could be stronger. The call to action could be clearer, the composition could be a little bit better. So let's tighten all that up and look at it again, and then let's do that again. Let's keep polishing it until we have something [that looks professional]. I want them to come out of my class with work that doesn't look like student work,” he says.

The feedback and editing process in Joe’s classes cuts both ways: Joe encourages his students to share their experiences during an “exit interview” at the end of his course to help him make intelligent changes to his curriculum.

“[I ask the students for feedback about] everything from how the workload was to how the class is structured and what they think about the assignments. Then I take that feedback and take a look at things and go, okay, you know what? That's a valid point. Maybe that is a bit confusing, or maybe this doesn't link so well to that. So my class is continually evolving because of the student input.”