Alumni Profile: Erik Edelman
Hear from alum Erik Edelman ’19, BS Art/Graphic Design about his time at SUNY Brockport and his career path since graduation.
Erik Edelman ’19, BS Art/ Graphic Design, completed an internship in his last semester at Brockport that led to a position as production designer at the strategy and design firm SYPartners in NYC, NY.
What are you currently doing in your career/what’s your job like?
What kinds of projects do you work on?
Currently I’m a Designer at SYPartners, a strategy and design firm. My role as a designer is to be a creative thought partner to our strategists — together creating materials for our clients. What I produce can range from a simple deck of cards to an entire interactive immersive experience. Projects that I work on can vary from client to client. Most of what we do empowers our clients grow and transform, working to help them navigate through complicated times and in visioning new futures. Some of my Client teams have been American Express, Paypal, and AARP.
How did Brockport and/or the Department of Art influence your career?
The Department of Art professors helped me understand what was possible. They were all invested in my time at school and where I would be post-graduation. Regardless of their area of discipline, each one found a way to change how I look at the world — expanding my understanding of what design means while elevating my creative thinking.
Any other interesting tidbits or stories you’d like to share.
Since starting my career, I’ve learned that the word “design” encompasses a lot. Not every project is about making something that looks cool or how many shortcuts you know for Photoshop — design is so much more. It’s how we live, it’s how we think, everything made by humans was designed in some way, intentionally or otherwise. For me, the term “Graphic Designer” could mean anything. The specificity comes in how you want your designs to be seen, and how it impacts the world.
Posted: February 11, 2022