My name is Ella and I am a freshman Fine Arts major.
On February 4, I attended my first Roski Talk in the Gin D. Wong Auditorium. It was held at 7 pm and the featured guest of the night was Michael Lejeune, who is the Creative Director for Metro LA (formally known as Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority). Lejeune was the first person to hold the title of creative director at Metro. He came in with Metro needing help in appealing to the public and attracting citizens of L.A. to use public transit. The first thing Lejeune talked about was how he noticed immediately that the name needed to be shortened. He comically noted how nothing with the word 'authority' in its name would appeal to the public. Lejeune continued to talk about how he dove headfirst into his job and became responsible for creating ad campaigns that were aesthetically pleasing, eye-catching and most importantly persuasive. In addition, he and his team re-did the route maps, brochures and security signs. Lejeune's presentation was far from mundane; his presentation felt like a journey through the creative life of Metro. He not only presented images and explained the ideas behind certain campaigns, but also doled out supportive advice regarding careers in design. He left with one small, yet powerful tip: always communicate who you are, and what your story is. Always have your personality shine through and illuminate your work.
After hearing Michael Lejeune speak at Roski, I felt excited to take the Metro and explore LA! He showed me that design and art can be meaningful in the most unexpected areas.
Here are some images of Metro's ad campaigns to give you a taste of Lejeune's bright ideas and hard work. (the first of which hits close to home!)
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