DM Alumni Ben Knight Develops Sustainable Publishing Standards for the United Nations
By Haris Silic
Issue 10 Winter 2012
Ben Knight primarily works as a multilingual typographic coordinator for the United Nations in NYC. His position entails managing design work for print, web and tablet devices, while advocating sustainable design practices. Ben develops the most sustainable solutions, analyzes small and large publications and is developing sustainable publishing standards for the United Nations. Ben often finds himself thinking about and sharing the Pratt definition of Design Management during his work week. A native of Long Island, New York, as a teenager Ben worked as a Production Designer for the full-length feature film, Threat.
After undergraduate school Ben began his design career as a trade magazine designer as well as an interactive designer, while at the same time was living a double life as a Fine Artist and showing in many group shows as well as a solo show in Brooklyn. Ben graduated from Pratt Institute’s Design Management program in 2008, and prior to graduating he began utilizing tools he developed in the Design Management curriculum both in his work at the UN, as well as in the artwork he creates.
Ben believes his degree in Design Management from Pratt was one of the best choices he made in accelerating his organizational career. He feels that one of the strongest attributes of the program is the diversity both in terms of cultural origins and various design disciplines. Ben firmly believes that strategic creative thinking is the only way toward a sustainable world. In addition to his M.P.S. in Design Management from Pratt Institute, Ben holds a B.F.A. in Graphic Design and Fine Art from Long Island University. Ben posts a weekly blog post at his site; it usually covers his sustainable/creative activities: www.benknight.net Ben lives in Brooklyn with wife and newborn son, Javier.
