Graphic design alumnus Jason Bacon attributes his successful career in creative design to his time at the School of Visual, Performing, and Design Arts
By Jessica Florescu, CLA Student Writer - October 2, 2024
It’s been 30 years since Jason Bacon, ‘93, graduated from what is now known as the School of Visual, Performing, and Design Arts (SVPDA), but he still uses skills from the graphic design program in his work at Big-Giant, the Portland based full service creative studio he founded.
Bacon grew up in an artistic family, but never imagined graphic design as a potential career. The love for drawing, design and creating products that he nurtured during his youth and high school years led him to initially pursue architecture, but after a couple terms he wasn’t quite sure that a more focused and controlled area of creativity was a fit for him. Bacon then was turned on to the more diverse graphic design program through friends within the program, and the rest was history.
“For students who may be on the fence about their major,” Bacon explained, “it’s important to find a program that excites and challenges you. Consider programs that you have a natural talent for and don’t overlook the value of the tendencies that come easily. Those skill sets that feel effortless and allow you to get lost in the craft will likely be the key to your growth and long-term success.”
Bacon thrived in the graphic design program; his creative vision, curiosity and intuitive knack for conceptual thinking translated perfectly. He enjoyed adding more and more tools in his toolbox, and through a lot of hard work, began to see doors opening in front of him.
“What I loved most about the program,” Bacon described, “was the mindful mentorship and very high expectations that were being asked of students. Each professor helped reveal my strengths and channel those talents to push my creative abilities much farther than I thought I could.”
Bacon credits Professor Andrea Marks for helping him understand graphic design from both a historical and contemporary perspective, as well as David Hardesty, the head of the department, for imparting a creative drive in him. Hardesty once kicked Bacon out of class for the term for being tardy and challenged him to “commit to a higher standard.” Bacon jumped into high gear and impressed Hardesty for the rest of his time at Oregon State.
In turn, Hardesty helped Bacon secure an internship at Nike after graduating in 1993, which turned into a full-time job that changed the trajectory of his career. Bacon said he was regularly stretched outside of his comfort zone working on “logos, displays, packaging, environments and event design—Anything that wasn't a product.”
Bacon decided to forego an increasingly less hands-on track at Nike to focus on expanding his creative growth by starting Big-Giant in 1999 with a fellow Nike designer. His new role as an entrepreneur would challenge Bacon in unexpected ways forcing him to grow from both a business and a creative standpoint, which fostered his greatest evolution in the design industry. Now in business for nearly 25 years, Big-Giant has 20 full-time employees and a global portfolio of clients, including Nike, Converse, Specialized Bicycles, Starbucks, The North Face, and Cisco.
Bacon gets a great deal of satisfaction from leading the company, but running a creative agency comes with a unique set of challenges.
“The hardest part is developing a common process within an industry where projects have wildly different parameters and conditions—all with very talented individuals who have their own very unique and valuable skill sets,” said Bacon. “I feel like our advantage has become our ability to get great creative across the finish line at a high level project over project. We have to consistently combine a very structured and cerebral approach with our more intuitive creative instincts to be successful as a team. That diligence applies to both our creative client work and operating a sustainable business. Each involves the critical thinking and problem solving that was the foundation of the design program at Oregon State, and I’m continually thankful for those early lessons.”
The latter part of Bacon’s career has focused more on the benefits of helping others achieve their objectives within the creative industry. Rather than prioritizing his individual design contributions, he is using his extensive experience to guide teams and develop creatives who can grow into strong critical and conceptual thinkers who ultimately deliver impactful work for both themselves and their clients.
Bacon has made an effort throughout his career to give back to SVPDA’s graphic design program, as well as the School of Business, through direct involvement with students as an adjunct professor earlier in his professional journey, to speaking engagements and ongoing participation in student portfolio reviews. He also utilizes his organization whenever possible to provide internships and agency team members to participate in professional development including mentoring design cohorts from the competitive FLUX design class, a student-driven design studio that undertakes external client work.
Overall, Bacon credits SVPDA and the College of Liberal Arts for setting him up for success. “In the graphic design field, you have the opportunity to learn about so many different and incredibly interesting subjects,” said Bacon. “The faculty and curriculum certainly foster that understanding of the value of curiosity which prepares you for a career in the creative industry, but more importantly sets you up to be a critical thinker and invaluable team member in tackling the complex challenges that come with each project in the world of design.”