My background is in graphics and packaging, says Mitchell Mauk, founder of the San Francisco-based company that bears his name. Graphic designers do flat things, industrial designers do three-dimensional things and I like the space between the two. Among his former employers is a firm that did a lot of graphic work for Apple Computers, including the design of a logo, software boxes and a stationary system. When Mauk got a chance to design a stand for Apple, he convinced the client of the value of a harmonious image a display whose various elements clearly came from the same mind , as he puts it. The fact that the majority of his clients are in the field of technology is simply a matter of geography, according to Mitchell Mauk.
Silicon Valley is right around the corner.
Nowadays every project in this vicinity is connected in one way or another to the technology industry. Working for companies that represent the New Economy demands a special approach, particularly when the subject is exhibition design. The ability to come up with a visual for something you can t put your hands on, like software, takes real effort. You have to use metaphor. The stand that Mauk Design created to introduce Intel s Xeon chip is a good example of what he s saying.