Harrison Fairbanks
Bio
Harrison (Harry) Fairbanks is not your average designer. His interest in design stems far beyond simply looking for an easy career in college. It started at near the beginning of his life at Age 3 when he was diagnosed with Autism, where his parents were told he would be incapable of reading a book, finishing first grade, or going to college at all. They instead raised Harry to the point where he proved the doctors who diagnosed him wrong by achieving everything they said he wouldn’t do, being in his senior year at UW Milwaukee with four years at Peck School of the Arts under his belt. UWM isn’t the only place where he’s done design work either. He did it in his free time as far back as 8 years old after being taught by his father how to do it, and this would lead to the creation of a non-profit organization called “Islands of Brilliance”, which teaches kids with Autism, much like Harry, how to use programs that can land them careers in the program field such as Illustrator, Photoshop, and more. He has also done internships with Ink to the People, Student Affairs IT Services at UWM, and Brilliant Studios.
In his freetime Harry loves to, unsurprisingly, create, draw, and play around with all sorts of creative hobbies. This includes miniatures, stemming from his lifelong passion of trains, drawing and reading comic strips with his brother, and even editing and creating videos and movies alongside his design proficiency. Harry loves classics like Art Deco from the 50’s and 60’s, Hollywood spotlights, and music and movies from the 80’s. He takes a lot of his interests and blends them into his design work as an inspiration. Harry always says that nothing can take you off on an interest besides some sort of inspiration. Some of his favorite designers include both historic people and friends he’s met through Islands of Brilliance and UWM. He himself is considered as an inspiration to many through his constant battle to become the best he can be, and is a role model for neurotypical kids everywhere.
Portfolio
