Eric Ganci’s collection of dainty green bracelets reflects emerald light as he hands over a hot pink business card. The brand, a sole proprietorship offering a range of creative services, is called “colores.” and it’s run entirely by Ganci. “There are actually different versions,” he explained, referring to the pink rhombus shapes occupying the front of the card. “That’s the second edition. The first was blue.” Ganci is the president of ODU’s graphic design club and a senior in the major. He somehow strikes the balance between mild-mannered and talkative both in and out of class. He’s humble by nature, yet his subtle– and consciously made– style choices indicate what bubbles beneath the surface: he sports a gold chain, black gauges and a twoinch tattoo of a rose on his right hand, complimenting a tangle of loose bracelets. Anyone would assume he’s an artist, and they’d be right. A fulltime student and freelance creative brand owner, he’s spent his entire undergraduate career establishing himself as a Hampton Roads creative. Though neither his sense of style nor his experiences in the art department are by any means exclusive.
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The summer of 2022 saw two of ODU’s full-time associate graphic design professors, married couple David Shields and Ivanete Blanco, flock to “greener pastures.” “Being a professor, especially in graphic design, is a competitive field,” explained John Roth, associate professor and chair of the art department. “Somebody made them a great offer… [and] together they went to another school… Whenever faculty [members] leave the students who are in the process of their program, there’s an adjustment [period] – there’s no denying that.” Shields taught communication design at Texas State University-San Marcos for twenty years before moving to Old Dominion University’s graphic design program in 2012. His resume showcases an array of impressive clients like Taco Bell, Sony Music Entertainment, Motorola, and even the Nickelodeon Network, denoting his mastery of the craft of design. But such wisdom is said to have been paired with a feeling of responsibility for his students’ professional success, at times limiting their range of creative freedom. Shields was widely known for his narrow scope of
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