21 years of business brings you....a new way to problem solve!!

Adriane Gilbert
Mike Keefe

Mike Keefe, Chief Tech. Officer and Co-founder of Popular Front, began the graphic design company in 1989.

"Technical piece was always interesting to me', says Mike Keefe, "time base medium (the web) became a natural way to get things out there. A new way to problem solve."

Keefe did not start out with web advertising. Keefe has a background of a Film and Photography.

"We had nothing. We were renting a [small] space, [smaller] than this room (conference room). We had little staff and no money. As the company grew, we out grew the space. We rented a larger space, then out grew that. Now we are here."

Popular front is located in a tucked away area off of 1st avenue in Minneapolis.

"Popular Front is always competing with people who do things the old way" (Keefe).

"As a marketer, you have to go where people are talking about your project." Adriane Gilbert, Associate Creative Director, who recently worked on 'The Secret Powers of Time.'

"Talks about the differences in how people's sense of time varies in a small country like Italy."

Gilbert states, "I'd say that his findings hold true to my personal experiences as someone from Northern Italian decent. Regardless of your culture or background, this is a super interesting take on time and society."

Gilbert found (studied at) MCAD during the "Media Art Stage".

"I love to do it all. To think about things as a story."

Gilbert doubled majored in her education. Now, Gilbert often works with Manhattan Toy, Hasbro, and Target. Who does not love a good Target (rhetorical question)?

KP: "What made you decide to into the graphic design business/industry?"

Keefe: "Digital Advertising. Designing stuff to direct traffic to more information about a project."

KP: "For your 'Project Groups', are there different people in a group for each new project? Does each new project call for a new project group?"

Gilbert: "The project groups change based on if the company we are working for at that time wants one of our clients in which they are familiar with to work on the project."

Keefe: "The people in which the company is familiar with stay and help the people who were designated to work on their project."

Gilbert: "Our process is to sketch board. Sketch boarding is a process in which yellow, fat black and grey markers are used on a board to get creative juices flowing and to bring the project group together at an early stage."

Popular Front may not always have an open position, but they are always looking for fun and motivated people interested in the graphic design industry.

I encourage you to go to the Popular Front website (http://www.popularfront.com/) and check it out.

"Everyone that works at this company went to art school." Keefe. :-)

Xoxo,

KP (and RO)