I'm not just a
graphic designer, btw.
graphic designer, btw.
I’m a graphic designer, an illustrator, a photographer, a video editor, an art director, and a musician, too!
My name is Alex Maniak and I am a 29 year old multimedia artist and graphic designer, living in and working out of Detroit, Michigan. I am proud to have a BFA in Design from Wayne State University.
Alongside pursuing higher education and honors, I have spent a lot of time playing music and touring around the world, which has rewarded me with unique insight on market trends, social media management, a true understanding of freelance and remote work, and most importantly, an eagerness to thrive within creative communities and teams.
I’m happily married. I have two cats named Kyo (7) and Simon (2). I am proud of my adaptability as someone who explores many artistic trades. I play all sorts of instruments and I love to sing. I am a big fan of Michigan springs. I love to write. Video games will never be a waste of time, in my book, and I'm proud of my inner child. I'm currently upping my culinary arts game, and I think I finally understand the differences between avocado oil, olive oil and canola oil. You get the deal. So, about the art...
My Process & Proficiencies
My process is simple, no matter the medium.
We find out what we want to communicate, why we want to communicate it, and we take whatever steps necessary to make it happen.
I can design both for print and web, create vector illustrations as well as traditional illustrations and paintings, take photographs, film and edit together videos, make simple animations for things like Spotify canvases and banner ads... As a musician and voice actor, I can even create soundscapes for adwork and "vertical videos" (hello Tik Tok, I'm looking at you).
I love toying with all of the mediums of art I can to synthesize them into unique and eye catching designs. After all, design is all around us. What's the last thing that made you stop and look? I see a lot of value in work that "blends in", too. After all, the world is a busy place, and we can only take in so much at once. Still, I can't help but search for the intersection of fun and function.
We can cut and paste flowers together and wrap them in foil and overlay type for your mom’s steampunk wedding invitations. We can make invitations for your murder mystery night by modify bloody fingerprints into a psychedelic waterfall. I'm a broken record here - I love mixing mediums together, fusing photography, illustration, and typography. The sky is the limit with graphic design, and if I don’t know how to do it, I'm keen to learn. But if you want me to design PowerPoint slides, well, I'll do that too, with my whole heart.
From concept to creation, I’m at your service!
My Education and Work History
As of December 2020, I am happily graduated from Wayne State University in Detroit with a Bachelors of Design. I studied design and played music alongside one another, touring the country and making assets from the road. This gave me extra time to work on my thesis on the intersection of art and music, with 6 total years in school. In addition, I spent the latter 2 years of my high school education in the Graphic Design sector of the Downriver Career Tech Education program. I was screenprinting and designing brochures long before I stepped on campus.
I began my professional career working within the Theatre and Dance department at WSU, as the youngest and primary graphic designer (2015). In 2017 I transitioned to the College of Education's Kinesiology department, as a graphic designer and marketing assistant. Post-grad, I was brought back to work remotely video editing for the COE's PLANE grant, creating physical literacy and nutrition education materials for kids with Autism in the city of Detroit (and their families).
I took a break for a couple of years to make my mark in playing the guitar and touring the world, as one should when given the opportunity. I picked up a lot of freelance work as an artist merchandise designer as well.
Now, I work in the intersection of graphic design and music, as a graphic designer and marketing assistant for the Chicago based booking and production company Kickstand Productions. I have worked remotely from Detroit since 2024.
My Ethics
I am a team player. While I can take on a multitude of rolls, I love (and prefer) working with other creatives, divvying up tasks to make the best end-result possible. I believe full collaborative efforts are important to meet deadlines and to work efficiently within brand guidelines.
I believe that graphic design is, before anything else, the trade of communicating ideas with precision.
And of course... Kindness and empathy are very important to me. I strongly believe that all people are deserving of respect, no matter their gender or sexual identity, heritage, or physical or cognitive abilities.