Draft:Alex Center

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  • Comment: Thank you for properly indicating that you have a COI, however, the draft is clearly not neutral, contains puffery, and looks like a resume. I would recommend reading through WP:WTW and trimming unnecessary content. TipsyElephant (talk) 13:10, 19 May 2024 (UTC)
  • Comment: Please remove all inline external links from body text; convert to inline citations where relevant. DoubleGrazing (talk) 16:04, 9 February 2024 (UTC)


Introduction[edit]

Alex Center is an American designer, creative director, podcaster and founder of the Brooklyn based branding studio CENTER. He grew up in Oceanside, NY. Prior to opening his own studio, he spent over a decade working for The Coca-Cola Company.[1] Much of his early career as Design Director was spent building the beverage brands vitaminwater, smartwater, and Powerade.[2] In 2018 he founded CENTER, and has worked with brands such as United Sodas of America, Kin Euphorics, Simulate, Conbody, and New Balance.[3]

Early Life and education[edit]

Center was born in 1984 in Oceanside, New York, where he grew up. He graduated from the University at Buffalo in 2006, where he received a BFA in Communication Design.[4]

Career[edit]

Center started his career as an intern for the New York Knicks and New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden.[4] In 2006, he was hired to be the first full time graphic designer at the beverage company Glaceau Energy Brands, where he designed for the brands vitaminwater and smartwater.[5]

In 2007, The Coca-Cola Company purchased Glaceau Energy Brands for 4.1 Billion dollars in the biggest beverage acquisition of all time.[6] After this acquisition, Center was the Design Director at The Coca-Cola Company from 2007 to 2017.[7]

Center was named one of the 200 Best Packaging Designers in 2011 by Luerzers Archive.[8] In 2013, he started participating in speaking engagements, covering topics on design, branding, and his career. He has presented with The Dieline, Brand New, American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA), HOW Design Live, RGD DesignThinkers, The Advertising & Design Club of Canada (ADCC), and more.[9][10] He appeared as a guest on Debbie Millman's podcast, Design Matters in 2013.[11]In 2014, Center was named a Person To Watch by GDUSA Magazine.[12] In 2015, he became a columnist for HOW Magazine, writing about the expanding landscape of In-House design.[13] Center was chosen to be a 2024 program partner for HOW Design Live, where he has also been a keynote speaker.[14]

Center left The Coca-Cola Company in 2017 to open his own branding and design studio CENTER. The team has built and partnered with new to world brands such as Kin Euphorics, Conbody, Liquid Death, Magic Spoon, Simulate, and United Sodas of America, as well as legacy brands such as Apple Inc., New Balance, and Coinbase.[3][15]

Front & Center, a podcast co-hosted by Center and CENTER team member Kevin Batory, was launched in 2021. The show has featured guests such as educator, designer, and writer Debbie Millman, visual artist and graphic designer Cey Adams, and owner and designer at Peters Design Company Allan Peters.[16]

Reception and awards[edit]

Since its opening, the CENTER team, led by Alex Center, has had their work featured in publications such as Fast Company, It's Nice That, and The Dieline.[3][17][18][19] In 2022, CENTER was named one of ten studios and agencies to watch by The Dieline.[20]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "How Alex Center, Former Design Director at Coca-Cola, Gets Amazing Work from His New Creative Team". Working Not Working. 9 October 2019. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
  2. ^ "Fireside Chat With Alex Center". AIGA. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
  3. ^ a b c Clark, Yaya Azariah. "Inside Center and its bold and striking approach to branding". It's Nice That. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
  4. ^ a b Flatt, Michael. "Sporting a Brand". University at Buffalo. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
  5. ^ Drumm, Perrin. "6 Things Designer Alex Center Learned From Working at Coca-Cola". AIGA Eye on Design. AIGA. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
  6. ^ "The Coca-Cola Company to Acquire Glaceau, Maker of Vitaminwater, for $4.1 Billion". The Coca-Cola Company. 25 May 2007. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
  7. ^ "Q&A: Coca-Cola's Alex Center". Adobe Creative Cloud. Adobe. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
  8. ^ Millman, Debbie (15 December 2013). "Alex Center". PRINT. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
  9. ^ "Alex Center". 2022 Brand New Conference. UnderConsideration LLC. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
  10. ^ "In & Around Design: Alex Center". ADCC. The Advertising & Design Club of Canada. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
  11. ^ "Alex Center". Design Matters with Debbie Millman. Design Matters Media. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
  12. ^ "50-Plus Years of GDUSA People To Watch". Graphic Design USA. 4 February 2016. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
  13. ^ "Alex Center". Skillshare. Skillshare, Inc. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
  14. ^ "Program Partners". HOW Design Live. Emerald X, LLC. 8 September 2020. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
  15. ^ Gosling, Emily (23 March 2021). "Center Design looks to 'completely reinvent' soft drinks with minimalist United Soda branding". Creative Boom. Creative Boom Ltd. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
  16. ^ "Front and Center". Apple Podcasts. Apple Inc. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
  17. ^ Segran, Elizabeth. "Revolutionary culinary collective Ghetto Gastro is bringing its goods to Target". FastCompany. FastCompany & Inc. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
  18. ^ Sanchez, Rudy (2 February 2023). "Center-Designed KatKin Is For Hardcore Cat Parents". The Dieline. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
  19. ^ Sanchez, Rudy (30 June 2023). "CENTER and Suncare Brand Pavise Make Science Sexy". The Dieline. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
  20. ^ "10 Studios & Agencies To Watch". The Dieline. 23 December 2022. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
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