The Artist
Artist Statement
For me, design is a universal language constantly evolving to work together with society daily. It can consist of artistic to minimalist creations that all serve a unique purpose in visual & physical communication. I fell in love with the art of design as for me, it is the bridge between functionality of industrialism and the creative world of art blended together to create forward-thinking end products. These are a couple of reasons I am passionate about the creative design field. As a student in graphic design, I have learned extensively about the philosophy behind visual communication within most mediums, whether that be graphic, product, interior, architecture, etc. As an artist in the field, I believe that design as a concept has a big role in how it works together in the lives of the everyday individual. To me, form and function are parallel with each other in the successful world of creative arts.

I am inspired by Swiss design for all mediums since their style is based on minimalism, asymmetrical layouts, and bold typography. Their technique and philosophy of form has functionality and functionality has form along with the emphasis on objectivity is what I am most inspired by. Swiss design utilizes lots of photographic elements as a primary tool in their works, something that I’m skilled in especially traditional analog formats. Since attending my digital media courses, I have been fortunate to develop a deeper understanding of how visual communication is imperative for a successful project. Being able to learn multiple Adobe programs and UI/UX has greatly honed my skills for becoming a successful designer.
Artist Bio
Tom Hankan is a California-based graphic designer. He is currently a full-time student at the College of San Mateo. As an upcoming graduate and receiving his AA degree in Graphic Design Production, he is planning to transfer to a 4-year program to obtain a Bachelor’s degree. Tom has exhibited his work in local Bay Area business Photoworks and published works in the Labyrinth magazine. His work was featured recently in a photo gallery showing “Happened Upon” in San Francisco.
Work Experience
2021 - Present
Graphic Designer & Photographer
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Started photography journey in 2015 as a hobby
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Continued photography to current day as a freelance photography for 35mm film or digital formats
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Have a photo studio located in Burlingame @ Avenue Art Studios
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Started Graphic Design major in 2021 at College of San Mateo
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Have done many projects for courses and a few personal projects
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2022 - 2023
Store Retail Associate
(Pressed Juicery)
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Managed complete store operation alone along with handling customers & sales all shift. Certified Food Safety License.
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Tasks ranged from opening store to managing sales operations, shipments, analytics, stocking, prepping, cashiering, and sampling.
2018 - 2019
Tech Consultant
(Target Corporation)
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Created promotional ads for products, handle inventory/store audits, stock inventory for backroom/floor, and reported sale analytics to management on valued tech products.
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Managed registers at the tech department, customer service representative for the tech department.
Tools
Adobe
Lightroom
Photoshop
Illustrator
InDesign
PremierPro
Animate
Dimension
UI/UX
Figma
Code
Eclipse (JavaScript)
Xcode (C++ or Swift)
HTML