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CASSIDY RITTER
@CassidyRitter
At 5:30 a.m., when most students are still asleep and the sun hasn't yet risen, Tad Carpenter is awake and ready for the gym. He's running two miles, taking a moment to de-stress and collect his thoughts before beginning the long day ahead.
Carpenter's gym routine is similar to the rest of his day — always varving.
From 5:30 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., Carpenter is running around. This is typical for the University graphic design instructor and owner of Carpenter Collective, a design firm in Kansas City, Mo.
At the University, Carpenter teaches a visual communications class. At Carpenter Collective, he designs everything from book illustrations and designs to branding for microbrewer-
ies and salons.
"I'd say creating brand identities is probably one of my favorite things to do just because it encompasses so many different elements and applications," Carpenter said. "I mean, to be honest, even when I design a book or anything like that I kind of approach it from a brand identity standpoint just because you're creating a little identity in itself with pallet and type recommendations and style."
Carpenter said it probably sounds like "the most boring job" but his love for design runs deep. His father, an illustrator, is a lifelong employee for Hallmark Cards.
"I'm lucky that I've been around design and art my whole life, more or less," Carpenter said. "A lot of kids growing up wanted to be firemen or policemen or football players, and yeah, maybe a little part of me wanted
Carpenter said each day is different. On Tuesdays and Thursdays he teaches Visual Communications 204 at the University, leaving less time to work for his clients at Carpenter Collective. He said his clients are brave and willing to take risks when it comes to design.
"I want them to trust us and be willing to take risks, and those are the kind of clients we want to continue to work with," he said. "We've been lucky to work with a lot of people like that. We hope that those are the kind of people we can continue to work with and just continue to do the kind of stuff that we really enjoy doing."
Sally Carmichael, a former intern at Carpenter Collective and student of Carpenter's in 2011, is now a designer
those things, but when I was a kid I knew I always wanted to be an artist or designer."
"He's an insane powerhouse basically," Carmichael said. "It's insane how great he is. He's incredibly efficient."
for Airbnb in San Francisco. She said Carpenter makes flawless designs and is also a kind, personal person, making him a great business owner.
When Carmichael worked with him, she said she remembered he would print designs, talk to clients on the phone and prepare for a presentation, all while trying to eat lunch.
"I don't know how he does it," Carmichael continued.
The Carpenter Collective office is a short walk down two flights of stairs. Carpenter and his wife converted an old house in West Plaza into a live/ work space. The top two levels are for living, and the bottom level is a walkout office space where he works. Living so close to work makes it hard for Carpenter to take a break, but he
doesn't mind.
"It can be an early Sunday morning when I can't sleep, and instead of going to watch TV, I typically find myself going to the office, making stuff," he said.
Carpenter's wife works for Carpenter Collective, too, which is a great part of their relationship, he said. While he's in Lawrence teaching, his wife is making progress on deadlines at the office.
"So I might be here [in Lawrence] teaching, but the train's still on the tracks," he said.
Before beginning work in the office, Carpenter works out. With such a busy schedule of teaching and consulting, this is a release for Carpenter
"It just makes me more focused," he said. "It makes me more productive, just stronger in general, if I can do some sort of physical activity, because
Graphic by Jake Kaufmann/KANSAN
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