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Eric Benson

About Eric Benson

Eric is an Associate Professor of Graphic Design at the University of Illinois. He has worked as a professional designer for such companies as Razorfish and Texas Instruments. His research as a professor explores how design can be sustainable and consequently how to teach it. Eric has a BFA in Industrial/Graphic design from the University of Michigan and an MFA in Design from the University of Texas.
Systems Thinking is the way

A Proposal to Connect all Design for the Common Good

(Read the full call to action here). Systems Thinking is “the way” The current model of teaching and practicing design is rooted in Colonial Imperialism which rejects the cyclical process of... read more →
  • February 18, 2021
  • Eric Benson
  • Systems thinking
what makes a good day print

“What makes a good day?” Print

As part of my existential search to figure out my life, I'm taking it day-by-day. In that journey, I have asked myself for years "what makes a good day?" I... read more →
  • January 28, 2021
  • Eric Benson
  • Projects
what makes a good day?

What makes a good day?

What makes a good day?  This is a question I’ve been asking myself daily even before my normal routine was hijacked by the 2020 pandemic. Days currently blend together. I... read more →
  • December 21, 2020
  • Eric Benson
  • Projects
Behind the Syllabus

Climate Designers – Behind the Syllabus: A Four-Episode Climate Podcast!

Since the summer of 2019, Re-nourish has been helping to get the Climate Designers project launched and effective in creating climate action in the design community. As part of that... read more →
  • July 17, 2020
  • Eric Benson
  • Articles, Climate Desigenrs, Systems thinking, Teaching
Veronica Pham

Behind the Pen: How our illustrations were made with artist Veronica Pham

When we decided to re-do the content and look of our site, we knew we wanted to return to our roots of digital illustrations. When we switched to photography, it... read more →
  • January 29, 2020
  • Eric Benson
  • Articles, Artists, Projects

Systems Thinking for the Graphic Designer 101: A Toolkit for Making Positive Impact

The planet and humanity needs designers to change the way they make things. This was the astutely accurate thesis from the 2002 book Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things by... read more →
  • December 8, 2019
  • Eric Benson
  • Projects, Systems thinking, Workshops

Trees are our past & future

As a kid I played outside mainly because my parents forced me too. However, I turned those demands into adventures filled with many good memories from my backyard, playgrounds, and... read more →
  • October 3, 2019
  • Eric Benson
  • Articles
I am a climate designer

I am a climate designer

In early 2019, I started to prepare for my spring 2019 courses at the University of Illinois. That term I was assigned to teach EDGE (Ethics of a Designer in... read more →
  • September 30, 2019
  • Eric Benson
  • Articles, Teaching

My Climate Diary 2

This is my second cathartic installment charting my personal and emotional journey as a designer and educator coming to grips with the possible death of many of Earth’s ecological systems.... read more →
  • June 5, 2019
  • Eric Benson
  • Diary

My Climate Diary

This is my first cathartic installment charting my personal and emotional journey as a designer and educator coming to grips with the possible death of many of Earth’s ecological systems.... read more →
  • April 23, 2019
  • Eric Benson
  • Diary
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  • 2
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  • ...
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Recent Posts

  • A Proposal to Connect all Design for the Common Good
  • “What makes a good day?” Print
  • What makes a good day?
  • Climate Designers – Behind the Syllabus: A Four-Episode Climate Podcast!
  • Behind the Pen: How our illustrations were made with artist Veronica Pham

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