School of Visual Arts
Continuing Education, New York 2004-2005
In addition to my role as Creative Director at Music Choice, I enrolled in a number of Continuing Education programs at New York’s School of Visual Arts during 2004-2005. My goal was to build out and deepen my understanding of what it means (and takes) to make truly great work, and in particular my time on the Advanced Copywriting and Product Positioning course with Professor Robert Mackall was challenging, inspiring, and genuinely rewarding.
Advanced Copywriting and Product Positioning (2004)
Over 12 weeks we were tasked with developing and writing an ad based on a specific audience, brand and product challenge. These ranged from ‘Singles night at the Metropolitan Museum’ to ‘Rogain for Women’, and exposed us to what it took to be consistently creative, succinct with copy and visually adventurous within a fixed, weekly deadline.
Advanced Graphic Design & Typography (2005)
Led by SpotCo’s Gail Anderson, the Advanced Graphic Design & Typography course focused on projects ranging from Broadway theater poster design to book jackets, and candy wrappers to institutional design.
Rebranding Project: British Cuisine (2005)
Rebranding Project: C-Span (2005)
Working closely with Adjunct Professor at School of Visual Arts Master's in Branding Program, David Wiseman, we learned how to develop, position and define what it means to build a brand.
As David puts it:
Branding is the process of developing a business spirit.
Branding is the process of identifying and leveraging tangible and intangible assets to become more competitive in the marketplace.
Branding is the shoes your company wears.
“Matthew is very talented. Use him wisely.”
Robert Mackall
School of Visual Arts, New York
"...hard-working, intelligent and highly motivated... able to work independently towards his goals. He is also a very affable and sociable character, who is willing to listen to others and act accordingly."
Chris Horrocks
Department of Art History, Kingston University, England