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Nathan is ready to get things started.

He recently graduated from Iowa State University, and is excited to finally get the opportunity to channel his creative vision into “real world” problems. To him, a designer’s job is that of artist and organizer, finding the best solution to the problem involves finesse, attention to detail, and a clear sense of hierarchy.

As a self-described book nerd, Nathan worked his way through college in both public and academic libraries. This probably explains his fascination with paper samples, book cloth, publication design, and good fantasy novels.

nathan@oxidedesign.com

Nathan Kirkman and Michael Jackson

“Design should begin with a clear understanding of the problem.”

Nathan's books
Nathan Kirkman

Nathan’s inspiration

  1. September Industry
  2. Book Cover Archive
  3. Under Consideration
  4. French Paper
  5. Google News

5 Mar 2013

Becoming a designer

A couple of weeks ago, I participated in Meet the Pros (read Drew Gourley’s account of it here), and it got me thinking about my own time in school and my own path towards becoming a designer. 

After spending almost ten months out of school, 2013 is the first full year that I haven’t been attending an educational institution since 1992.

That being said, it took me a little longer to get through college then most. Right after high school I attended Muscatine Community College, a great little campus in the “big city” just south of my little hometown. At the time, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with my life. Well, if i’m honest… I knew. But I wasn’t sure it was possible. And I wanted to be sure that it was the right decision. (It was.) …


10 Jan 2013

Nathan’s book recommendations

Almost everyone else over here at the Oxide office is a giant movie buff.
I’ve never really been into movies, but if you’ve read my profile you know that
I love books. (Thankfully, now I have Rainbow to talk about them with.)

Earlier this week, the conclusion to one of my personal favorite series was released. So in honor of A Memory of Light by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson, so I’ve decided to give you some recommendations for some of my favorite fantasy series.

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17 Jul 2012

The reasons I chose Omaha

My last year of college seemed to be mostly about getting class projects done and figuring out what I was going to be doing with my life. But by the time a new semester rolled around, it’s safe to say that I was much more concerned about the fact I had no idea what I was doing with my life then about anything my classes were asking from me. My boyfriend, Jordan Becker (Art Director at SKAR), and I were both graduating at the same time from Iowa State’s graphic design program and were ready to move somewhere together to start living a “real” life out of college. Neither of us liked the idea of both of us looking for jobs all across the country and then having to make a decision based on who got a better job where. So we decided to look for a city that met the key factors we were looking for in where we wanted to live and work. …


5 Jun 2012

Designer Nathan Kirkman joins Oxide

I am excited to announce that Nathan Kirkman has joined the Oxide team as a full-time designer. Nathan is a self-described book nerd who’s spent an inordinate amount of his life in libraries (and interning at McGraw-Hill Education). He’s a graduate of Iowa State University, with a BFA in graphic design and a minor in art history. Nathan couldn’t be a more perfect fit for Oxide.
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