The Art of Design

Last week I had the opportunity to sit and down and talk with Ron Miriello, principal of Miriello Grafico, a San Diego design firm. At the suggestion of a mutual friend, I rang him up; actually it was like a cold call because I hadn’t ever met him before. Any reservations I had about taking this approach soon dissipated, Ron is a really nice guy... and, far too polite to come out and say that he had no recollection of his friend mentioning me. At any rate, I asked him if I could interview him for Art and Letter, and fortunately he agreed.

Miriello Grafico is located at 419 West G Street, a relatively quiet block in the downtown area, with a really nice neighborhood vibe. After finding the address, I walked in and it turned out they have this great space in an older loft type building, the street wall being made up almost entirely of windows and white washed mullions. Inside there is remodeling going on, and a nice blend of contemporary interior architecture co-exists with the older block walls, and exterior facade.
I was a little bit early and as I was sitting in the waiting area, I noticed that everything seemed to have a place. I mean, even the firm brochures were standing upright in slots specially made to hold individual copies. It was one of those small things that stick in your mind, noting that attention to detail is important here.

Ron came in and we moved to the conference room.
If I had to make up a short list of words to describe Ron, it would read like this - Italian (Italy), artist/designer, collector, and businessman.

While talking to Ron it becomes apparent that Italy has played a strong role in both his design aesthetic and philosophy. After receiving a grant to study in Italy, Ron went on to teach at the same arts academy he attended, met his Italian relatives for the first time, bought a house in a small Italian hill town, and became a business liaison between a design firm in Venice, and the Seattle based retailer Nordstrom. He and his wife were also married overseas. So to say that Italy has played a part in Ron’s life is probably an understatement.

As a designer, the European influence continues. In fact, Ron likens his firm to the guilds of a past era, striving for excellence and craftsmanship within their discipline. If you’ve ever seen any of the pieces that Miriello Grafico has designed, you’ll know why their work holds a special appeal to those who appreciate a blend of sophisticated, yet accessible, and artistic design. Whether it be a contemporary layout, or a composition that takes its cue from the past, in between the lines, and through the details, quality and sensitivity to aesthetics are conveyed in their projects. Ron comes across valuing art as much as design, and I think that really shows in their work.

As an artist, Ron has a background in sculpting, painting and printmaking. Like many people in creative fields, he has a wide and diverse set of artistic interests. He told me he is currently working on a series of wood-carved automobiles from the 1930s, as well as some ideas utilizing unusual boxes relating to the region in Italy where he has his home. He has also toyed with the idea of opening a small storefront there, and having it double as an art studio. Not a bad life.

Collecting. When we started talking one of the first things Ron mentioned was finding a stack of old Italian land deeds, printed in unique script, and dated and numbered. Now to some of you, that may not mean anything, but to anyone who has a penchant for ephemera, collage, or anything of that ilk, finding something like that is, well, a find... almost a holy moment.

Upstairs in his office there are other objects that give clues to Ron’s interests, design style, and personality. The first thing you’ll notice is his collection of event posters from a press in, I think he said Pittsburgh. They’re the kind of mini-posters you see for bands, and things of that nature, and he has them mixed together giving the appearance of a really vibrant collage that covers most of the wall. It’s very cool without being contrived, and makes for interesting wallpaper.

Also in view is a huge book containing over-sized engraved maps, a promotional piece designed with the Bauhaus movement in mind, and a handmade book from Japan documenting hundreds of retro Japanese matchbox covers. They’re actually pasted into the book, making it not only a great tactile piece, but a fantastic resource for color and design. Not a book, but still intriguing, is a giant insect of the sort that is comes to mind when you think Amazon jungle. Encased in a wood and glass fronted apocathary box, it adds to the atmosphere that crosses somewhere between atelier, and tidy, modern design space.

Lastly, Ron the businessman. Ron began his business like so many others, in his garage. Unlike most others, he succeeded, and gradually watched his business grow to what it has become today, a studio of twelve that counts Hewlett-Packard, Intel, Callaway Golf, and Della Robbia as clients among many, many others. More than just graphic design, Miriello Grafico works with clients in environmental ideas as well. On their website you’ll see examples of work for Nancy Lopez Golf, MCI, and Handspring trade show exhibits, and the lobby for the Qualcomm CDMA headquarters they took part in.
I asked Ron about marketing, and how he was able to assemble the client list he has. He said marketing was something that his firm invested a fair amount of energy in, but that the bulk of clients came by word of mouth so marketing to current clients by keeping them satisfied was their best plan. They do send out promotional pieces though, and if you’re lucky enough to be on their mailing list, you’ll receive things like post card packets in beautifully designed boxes.

Towards the end of the interview Ron took me on a quick tour around the rest of the office, and then I was off. Not two days later, before I had even sent him a thank you card for the interview, he sent me one, with a set of five small prints designed with unique photo-collage. Now how many times does that happen? I can only imagine what it must be like to one of his clients.

For more information on Ron and his team, check out their website at Miriellografico.com