Meet the Isaacson School Graphic Design Faculty

Tinker, Brian

Brian Tinker

Dr. Brian K. Tinker

Professor, Digital Media and Graphic Design
970-947-8203 | btinker@coloradomtn.edu
Pronouns: He/Him

Education

  • EdD, Argosy University
  • M.F.A., Miami International University
  • B.A., Anderson College

Awards

  • Addy, Graphex, Advertising Age

Professional Associations

  • American Institute of Graphic Arts
  • Society of Experiential Graphic Design
  • Broadcast Education Association

Personal Interests

  • Cinema
  • Computer gaming
  • 3D design and fabrication
  • Competitive trivia

Brian Tinker understands the practical knowledge today’s students need to succeed in the modern mass communication environment. This understanding was developed during years of professional practice in marketing, advertising, and visual communications. His award-winning experience includes positions across the marketing communications spectrum, including creative director, marketing director, and designer.

His academic experience includes serving on the faculty of University of Nevada Las Vegas, Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design, The Art Institutes, and The New School of Architecture & Design. A particular focus of his academic endeavors is forward-thinking curriculum design, for which he has been awarded contracts by UNLV, American Public University and The Art Institutes.

“This is the most exciting time ever to be a designer,” said Brian. “The challenges and opportunities are unprecedented. Today’s designer is really a professional communicator, and is expected to communicate via an ever-expanding number of means. They must have a host of skills and aptitudes, including aesthetic judgment, marketing savvy, and technical proficiency. It’s about a lot more than cropping a photograph or setting some type. Videography, audio engineering, social media expertise, and more are all areas where today’s designer is expected to practice.”

“This means that choosing the right place to study is crucial to starting a successful career. Students who complete our Bachelor of Applied Science in Integrated Media (which includes an AAS in Graphic Design or Digital Media) enter the marketplace with the specific skillset that employers and clients tell us they desire: Strong technological foundations; a portfolio that demonstrates creative problem solving in a variety of media; understanding of commercial business environments; critical thinking skills developed in an inter-disciplinary environment.”