About
Who | Harpel Studio = Scott Harpel
Where | Sandusky, OH > Columbus, OH > London, UK > North Canton, OH > NYC Tri State
When | 1983 - Present
How | Sandusky High > The Ohio State University > Chelsea School of Art & Design > Sotheby's Institute
Why | Passion
More
Scott Harpel is a multi-disciplined, poly-math designer who draws inspiration as much from the past as from current trends. His work is a combination of digital and analogue with equal amounts of nostalgia and bold vision.
Heroes
“In a sense, a corporation should be like a good painting; everything visible should contribute to the correct total statement; nothing visible should detract" Elliot Noyes
"Every child is born blessed with a vivid imagination. But just as a muscle grows flabby with disuse, so the bright imagination of a child pales in later years if he ceases to exercise it." Walt Disney
"Eventually everything connects - people, ideas, objects. The quality of the connections is the key to quality per se." Charles Eames
"A chair is to have no backside. It should be beautiful from all sides and angles." Hans Wegner
"I expound vociferously to students of architecture and photography, the significance of design. A photograph is a design in which you assemble thoughts in your mind" Julius Shulman
"The life of a designer is a life of fight against the ugliness." Massimo Vignelli
Further Reading
First and foremost, Scott is a visual communicator, collector, connector, and creator. Through his background in history, business and design he understands good design; its past successes and its undeniable emotional connection to humans. He strives to form an innate relationship between the design and its target market. In order to create compelling and creative concepts, he long ago learned to focus on the idea before the medium. The concept is the foundation of everything else. He understands that his broader range of interests enables him to connect disparate points that lead to more meaningful outcomes. He feels designers should not be constrained to a singular expertise. To survive and excel within the creative realm, it is essential to know there is no single, absolute solution to any given problem. To immerse oneself in different avenues allows consideration of the otherwise unconsidered. It’s this method of working that excites and serves to drive him in the fight against the ugliness.