About

Phil Hamlett is formerly the Executive Director of the School of Graphic Design at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, one of the largest art and design schools in the country. From this setting, he is accustomed to teaching classes, developing curriculum, recruiting and managing instructors, advising students, managing the graduate thesis development process, conducting outreach and establishing the strategic agenda for the School. His students emerged as advanced design practitioners and have gone on to acquire positions at leading studios and companies in the Bay Area and around the world. Phil joined the Academy in 2004 and served for thirteen years as the Graduate Director for the School of Graphic Design, building the nascent MFA program from scratch.

Prior to joining the Academy, Phil led design studios on both coasts, creating award-winning work for clients large and small. His past work for companies such as Coca-Cola, IBM, AT&T, Seagate Technologies, Clorox, Yahoo!, Invisalign, Cost Plus World Market and innumerable Bay Area startups and tech companies can be seen in a variety of design publications, annuals and awards shows. 

Phil is a past president of the AIGA San Francisco chapter, for which he continues to serve on the executive board and as an advisor for San Francisco Design Week, the chapter’s signature initiative. He is also a former AIGA national board member, founder of Compostmodern and co-author of the Living Principles for Design — the means by which he guides the development of sustainable business practice within the design community. As a charter member of the Winterhouse Institute Founder’s Circle, he helps articulate the value of design education for social impact.

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"Throughout my career — whether in a professional, academic or mission-driven setting — I have spent my time and energy uniting creative minds to common purpose.

As an educator, I have changed the stars for vast numbers of students — awakening them to the transformative power of design and setting them upon lifelong journeys into the profession. As a practitioner, I have led design firms on both coasts for clients large and small — first identifying problems, then crafting the briefs, developing the strategy, building the teams and creating the materials that will make it all better. As an industry leader, I have provided guidance for the development of the profession and stewardship for one of its most vital communities."

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phil@philhamlett.com

@phil_hamlett

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Available upon request: