About
Aarron Walter is a Designer, Developer, Teacher, and Author
I am an Interactive Designer very much captivated by this medium which continues to grow and evolve, keeping me on my toes. Designing for the web is much like painting while playing chess. It challenges one to think logically, aesthetically, to delve deep into the creative process, yet remain cognizant of the viewer's perspective and needs. It is a renaissance discipline engaging one's entire brain.
My background is in painting (BFA, Painting University of Iowa, MFA Painting Tyler School of Art), which has shaped my visual sensibilities and creative process. A professor of mine once said,
“Regardless of what you do after school, a creative education will shape the way you think and solve problems.”- Stanley Whitney
I discover this truth in all endeavors of my life, be it designing, programming, teaching, traveling, making friends, arranging my living space, or even the mundane routine of life. Remaining creative is a daily challenge that requires much patience, nurturing, and diligence.
A Journey Back In Time
While in graduate school I began using Photoshop as a tool to quickly sort through painting ideas. My digital images took on a life of their own, and eventually lead to explorations in CD-ROM development through which I could animate and interact with the images.
My peers in the painting department were intrigued (some positively and some not) by my interactive work. After graduating, the Painting, Drawing and Sculpture faculty at the Tyler School of Art asked me to teach a course to graduate and undergraduate students exploring interactive CD-ROMs as an emerging creative medium. The course was quite a hit, so much so it spawned a number of other courses now permanently added to the curriculum.
Around the same time, I was hired by a quirky, little Interactive Design firm in Philadelphia that really embodied the Web bubble lifestyle. I think I learned more while working there for clients like David Bowie, Barnes and Noble,and Universal Studios than I did in my entire 6 years in college. I got my first taste of real programming, learned tons about business, and transitioned from CD-ROMs to the Web.
Designer
Like many in the Interactive Design world, I have arrived here with a related, yet different educational background. There simply were no Interactive Design departments that explored all aspects of this multifaceted discipline when I was in school. Subsequently, I have shaped my own understanding of design and the technologies that make the web tick through years of research, experimentation, and an insatiable desire to learn.
In my design work I strive to:
- Find the essence of the message
- Let the design be a conduit for and embodiment of the message
- Eliminate the unnecessary
- Never rely on habit or vice
- Learn from my peers and predecessors
- Refine the details
I maintain a busy commercial interactive design practice working independently and on a consulting basis.
Interactive Media Design Faculty
I am a full-time faculty member in the Interactive Media Design department at The Art Institute of Atlanta. I absolutely love learning new things, and teaching allows me to do just that. My students keep me on my toes, and we learn together.
Author
From time to time I publish articles on various online magazines that teach readers how to solve problems in web design. Recently, I wrote an article on SitePoint entitled Use Ajax and PHP to Build Your Mailing List, and another on DMXZone entitled Speedy Feed Readings With Ajax and Magpie.