jillian erhardt :: alum :: rockstar designer

Jillian Erhardt is a graphic designer living and working in Baltimore City. A graduate of Webster Thomas High School in 2006 (where she rocked AP Drawing), she went on to get her BFA from the Maryland Institute College of Art where she studied graphic design and took a particular interest in social design. Her work has been featured in HOW Magazine’s International Design Annual AIGA awards and the Art Directors Club.

While at MICA, Jillian worked to engage the community in Baltimore through her work, creating posters that highlight the cities in which she has lived, a business package and promotional poster for the Baker Artist Awards and an educational campaign to promote Social Design.

Jillian's social design work

Jillian's Baltimore print

Presently she works as an in-house graphic designer for Ayers Saint Gross, a multi-disciplinary design firm where she has continued her social design work on projects such as the Baltimore Design School cafeteria renovation. This project was recently awarded an AIGA 50 award, a juried exhibition that showcases 50 of the strongest examples of design produced in the Baltimore/DC region as well as a the  PRINT + HOW Color in Design Award sponsored by two of the largest graphic design publications, Print Magazine and HOW Magazine. Click the link to find out what the award was all about!

The 1950s cafeteria of the Baltimore Design School now provides sixth- and seventh-graders with plenty of food for thought. The makeover is part of a pro bono overhaul of the public middle school by local Baltimore design firms. With just a few weeks to design and install the solution, Jillian and her team approached the project through low-cost, low-tech enhancements. Typographic statements stenciled onto walls, framed posters and original sumi ink drawings (created by her sister Hannah Erhardt, another Webster Thomas High School and MICA Alumni) on Pantone sheets invite students to learn about typography, color, line and shape.

These girls are awesome, and both of their works blend together perfectly to create an inviting environment to eat and learn. 

Jillian - I am proud of the work you continue to do - using your powers for good!