Joe Isaak, Designer And Paper Expert, On Working With Kit Hinrichs, Mechanical Pencils, And Sandhill Cranes

Oct 15

Oct 15 Joe Isaak, Designer And Paper Expert, On Working With Kit Hinrichs, Mechanical Pencils, And Sandhill Cranes

What is the one book people should read to understand what you do?

Generations: The History of Americas Future: the authors, Strauss and Howe, present a series of generational biographies, dating back to before the Revolution, that trace four repeating cohort groups. Each is affected and influenced by Social and Societal events, such as WWII and the Flower Child movement. I like people, which means I like to understand, observe, and try to help them. Maybe that’s why I morphed from an art director to a marketing and sales manager.

Who is the one person, living or dead, in your profession who you most admire?

Besides my wife Barbara, it is KIT HINRICHS. He is my hero, and mentor, the most humble, thoughtful, kind, and never seems to be too busy to talk to anyone, and is one of my favorite designers. In 1987-ish, I was the typical young art director and while reading a CA Annual, saw the Potlatch Annual Report he designed and thought, “I want to do work like that, with Kit Hinrichs, and have it featured in CA”. I was fortunate to work with Kit, as the client of sorts, while I was at Potlatch Paper, and our work was in the CA Design Annual.

What have you been associated with that has been inspiring?

In 2002 my company, Potlatch Paper, was acquired by Sappi Fine Paper. This involved a transfer from Minnesota to Massachusetts. One of my new colleagues handed me a bankers box filled with various FedEx envelopes. I had inherited the SAPPI IDEAS THAT MATTER program. The goal of ITM was to provide grants to designers who submitted their pro bono projects for 501(c)(3) organizations. For almost ten years we provided nearly $10 million to help produce this work. The program I believe is still in existence, though on a COVID pause.

What are you excited about now?

So many things, helping my packaging clients meet their challenges and goals. I’m excited about the fall bird migration along the Mississippi Flyway, especially Sandhill Cranes at Sherburne NWR.

What’s your favorite desktop/office item?

My wife gave me an antique pencil lead pointer for old school mechanical pencils. As I have a bit of a pen/pencil collection, I use it mostly as a paperweight and bookend.

Do you have a pet?

My pet has a human, if I’m honest. Lilli is an eight-year old Shih Tsu Poodle, or ShiPoo. She likes birding and breweries, two of our favorite pastimes, usually enjoyed together. She likes cheese, and a good belly rub too.

Joe Isaak and I go back to my very first job as a copywriter. We loved advertising, talking about it endlessly, even after work, generating campaigns in pizza places across the metro, and starting a side gig called Adrenalin. In the course of his career, Joes has moved into sales but he has brought the heart and soul of a designer to everything he undertakes, whether it’s serving on the AIGA-MN Board or helping a client see how paper can transform a project.