After graduating from Art Center in 1963, Hinrichs served in the Marine Corps. Hinrichs then moved to New York and, after a few years, partnered with Anthony Russell to form Russell and Hinrichs, an independent design consultancy.[2] Seven years later, Hinrichs and his wife, Linda Hinrichs, established Hinrichs Design Associates[2] which "focused on reinterpreting the annual report with a concentration on the character of particular companies."[1] They moved to San Francisco in 1976 and formed a bi-coastal partnership with Vance Jonson, B. Martin Pedersen, and Neil Shakery called Jonson, Pedersen, Hinrichs & Shakery.[3] In 1986 the San Francisco office merged with Pentagram and Hinrichs became a partner at Pentagram.[1] Hinrichs was a partner at Pentagram's San Francisco office from 1986 to 2009.[4] In 2009, Hinrichs founded Studio Hinrichs, an independent design firm in San Francisco, California.[4]
Hinrichs is the co-author of seven books: Vegetables,[13]Stars & Stripes: Ninety-six Top Designers and Graphic Artists Offer Their Personal Interpretations of Old Glory,[14]TypeWise,[15]Long May She Wave: A Graphic History of the American Flag,[16]The Pentagram Papers: A Collection of Thirty-six Papers,[17]100 American Flags: A Unique Collection of Old Glory Memorabilia,[18] and 100 Baseball Icons: From the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum Archive.[19] He also co-founded @Issue: The Journal of Business and Design with Delphine Hirasuna.[1]
Philip B. Meggs and Alston W. Purvis describe Hinrichs as a "visual storyteller" whose "designs are distinguished by a keen understanding of the narrative and abundant interpretations on a theme."[1] According to Hinrichs, "[o]ne thing you'll find is that whether I'm talking or designing, there are always metaphors involved. Parables. Simple stories that anyone can understand. Before I solve the styling—the way in which an idea is going to be presented—I ask 'Who are we talking to, and how can I best tell the story?' That process of telling the story verbally automatically triggers ideas about the way in which I'll tell it visually."[7]
@Issue: The Journal of Business Design
In or about 1986, Kit Hinrichs and writer Delphine Hirasuna conceived of a magazine to bridge "designers and corporate clients, addressing the ever-present perception that neither party clearly understands what each other contributes to their intended collaboration."[21] In 1994, Potlatch papers agreed to underwrite the project, and in 1995 the Corporate Design Foundation became involved as the official publisher of @Issue: The Journal of Business and Design.[21]@Issue is focused on the "effective use of design in business,"[22] and includes case studies, interviews, and articles about client-designer collaborations.[21]@Issue "was immediately embraced by the design and business communities because it was the only publication that really addressed how design directly impacts businesses and their brands."[23] In 2006, @Issue's circulation (available only by subscription) reached 100,000, and a spinoff conference was started.[21] In 2009, @Issue transformed from a printed publication to a digital platform.[23]
Kit Hinrichs has written and/or designed four books about the American flag: Stars & Stripes: Ninety-six Top Designers and Graphic Artists Offer Their Personal Interpretations of Old Glory,[14]Long May She Wave: A Graphic History of the American Flag,[16]100 American Flags: A Unique Collection of Old Glory Memorabilia,[18] and The American Flag: Two Centuries of Concord and Conflict.[29]
Awards and recognition
Hinrichs has won hundreds of design awards, including the AIGA Medal in 2004[3] and an honorary Doctorate of Letters by Art Center College of Design in 2009.[30] He is represented in several permanent collections including: the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)[31] in New York City; the Library of Congress in Washington, DC; and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA).[32] He has been a featured speaker at national design conferences including the HOW Design Live Conference,[33]Adobe MAX,[34] the Stanford Design Conference, the AIGA National Conferences, as well as at regional AIGA chapters and at universities and design schools across the country.[10]
Hinrichs is an AIGA fellow, a member of the Alliance Graphique Internationale, and a trustee of Art Center College of Design.[3] He is a former executive board member of the AIGA, and served on the Accessions Design and Architecture committee at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.[3] Hinrichs was chair of the AIGA California Show (the first regional show in AIGA's 100-year history), the AIGA Business Conference, and the San Francisco Design Lecture Series;[4] he co-chaired the Alliance Graphique Internationale Congress.[10]
Hinrichs, Kit, and Delphine Hirasuna. Vegetables. San Francisco: Chronicle, 1985. Print. ISBN0877013616.
Hinrichs, Kit, and Delphine Hirasuna. Stars & Stripes: Ninety-six Top Designers and Graphic Artists Offer Their Personal Interpretations of Old Glory. San Francisco: Chronicle, 1987. Print. ISBN158008916X.
Hinrichs, Kit, and Delphine Hirasuna. TypeWise. Cincinnati, OH: North Light, 1990. Print. ISBN0891343563.
Hinrichs, Kit, Delphine Hirasuna, and Terry Heffernan. Long May She Wave: A Graphic History of the American Flag. Berkeley, CA: Ten Speed, 2001. Print. ISBN1580082408.
Hinrichs, Kit, and Delphine Hirasuna. The Pentagram Papers: A Collection of Thirty-six Papers ... London: Thames & Hudson, 2006. Print. ISBN0811855635.
Hinrichs, Kit, Delphine Hirasuna, and Terry Heffernan. 100 American Flags: A Unique Collection of Old Glory Memorabilia. Berkeley, CA: Ten Speed, 2008. Print. ISBN1580089208.
Heffernan, Terry, Kit Hinrichs, and Delphine Hirasuna. 100 Baseball Icons: From the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum Archive. Berkeley, CA: Ten Speed, 2008. Print. ISBN158008916X.
^Hinrichs, Kit, and Delphine Hirasuna. Vegetables. San Francisco: Chronicle, 1985. Print. ISBN0877013616.
^ abHinrichs, Kit, and Delphine Hirasuna. Stars & Stripes: Ninety-six Top Designers and Graphic Artists Offer Their Personal Interpretations of Old Glory. San Francisco: Chronicle, 1987. Print. ISBN158008916X.
^Hinrichs, Kit, and Delphine Hirasuna. TypeWise. Cincinnati, OH: North Light, 1990. Print. ISBN0891343563.
^ abHinrichs, Kit, Delphine Hirasuna, and Terry Heffernan. Long May She Wave: A Graphic History of the American Flag. Berkeley, CA: Ten Speed, 2001. Print. ISBN1580082408.
^Hinrichs, Kit, and Delphine Hirasuna. The Pentagram Papers: A Collection of Thirty-six Papers ... London: Thames & Hudson, 2006. Print. ISBN0811855635.
^ abHinrichs, Kit, Delphine Hirasuna, and Terry Heffernan. 100 American Flags: A Unique Collection of Old Glory Memorabilia. Berkeley, CA: Ten Speed, 2008. Print. ISBN1580089208.
^Heffernan, Terry, Kit Hinrichs, and Delphine Hirasuna. 100 Baseball Icons: From the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum Archive. Berkeley, CA: Ten Speed, 2008. Print. ISBN158008916X.
^ abcdGomez-Palacio, Bryony, and Armin Vit. Graphic Design, Referenced: A Visual Guide to the Language, Applications, and History of Graphic Design. Beverly, MA: Rockport, 2009, p. 103.
^Lawrence, Peter. "Welcome." @issue: Journal of Business & Design Fall 1995: 1. Print.
^Madaus, Howard Michael, and Whitney Smith. The American Flag: Two Centuries of Concord & Conflict. Santa Cruz, CA: VZ Publications, 2006. Print.
^"Metropolis Publisher, Editor Honored with Art Center College of Design Degrees." Dexigner, http://www.dexigner.com/news/9877. Accessed: November 9, 2016 (archived at [9] ).