This is the 74th article in Bears Doing Big Things, a weekly column celebrating the stories of notable M-A alumni.
“I credit a lot of my work in design today to my background in theater. It’s where I fell in love with storytelling,” said graphic designer Gigi Rutsky ‘18.
Growing up, Rutsky was reserved in her everyday life, but “always loved performing.” At Hillview, Rutsky’s friends introduced her to theater when she played Benvolio in Romeo and Juliet. “I never thought much about theater before I got to Hillview, but I really discovered my passion for it there thanks to my peers,” Rutsky said.
Rutsky was involved in all aspects of theater throughout her four years at M-A and forged lifelong friendships in the program. Her favorite productions were both during her freshman year as she was a stage manager for Dracula and was a member of the ensemble in Bye Bye Birdie. “Being a stage manager instead of acting was the first time I realized how much the little things like lighting and set design matter,” Rutsky said.
In high school, Rutsky loved all things English, especially AP Language and Composition. “I was obsessed with reading and writing on a deeper level,” she said. “I even thought I would go into teaching or journalism.”
After M-A, Rutsky attended the University of Oregon and majored in advertising with a focus in graphic design. “Advertising is in the School of Journalism at Oregon rather than the College of Business, which gave me more creative opportunities,” she explained.
Rutsky’s fervor for graphic design started when she took an online intro to design course in the peak of COVID-19. “I fell in love with the process of receiving a brief and turning it into something visual. It’s like I was telling a story through more than just words,” she said.
During her senior year, Rutsky was the lead designer for Oregon’s School of Journalism and Communication’s capstone publication, FLUX magazine. There, she directed a team of seven designers to create key parts of their 2022 edition magazine.
Rutsky’s experience at a large university felt familiar after attending such a big high school: “I found smaller communities like Greek life and clubs at Oregon as I did at M-A with theater,” she said.
I found smaller communities like Greek life and clubs at Oregon as I did at M-A with theater.
Following college, Rutsky worked at Banana Republic doing digital production. There, she created digital content for their website, helped with email campaigns, and tracked their overall media performance. “It was more technical work than what I did in college, so it took some adjusting, but it was a really cool experience seeing how such a big company markets their products,” she said.
Rutsky then moved to Newport Beach and began working at Pure Salt Interiors, an interior design firm with a staff of around 40 people.
As the only graphic designer there, Rutsky juggled many responsibilities. “It was very hands-on, but I really did whatever project was needed. I created new fonts for holiday campaigns, introduced new colors to their website, and made print brochures for advertising purposes,” she said.
This past month, Rutsky moved to San Diego for her next role with Cymbiotika, a health and wellness supplement company. On the side, Rutsky is a freelance graphic designer, mainly focusing on digital marketing. “I knew I didn’t want a job where I just sat looking at numbers all day,” Rutsky said. “Everyday is a little different with graphic design and that’s what makes it special.”
“I love learning about the nitty gritty details of how to advertise products that connect with people and make them engaged. It’s a big puzzle and I get to play with the pieces and see how it all comes together,” she said.
I love learning about the nitty gritty details of how to advertise products that connect with people and make them engaged. It’s a big puzzle and I get to play with the pieces and see how it all comes together.
Rutsky’s advice to current students: “Think outside the box. There are so many career paths out there that aren’t just business or engineering. Figure out what makes you happy and how that can translate to other things.”
For students interested in graphic design: “Pay attention to brand strategies in your everyday life. It’s all about taking in the world around you and figuring out what people connect with and how to get their attention.”
