Between art and service: The design work of Justin Herman opens at OHIO’s VisCom Focus Gallery

For nearly three decades, Ohio University School of Visual Communication alumnus Justin Herman (BSVC '01) has helped shape the visual language of modern culture—from MTV promos and Paramount branding to animated collaborations with hip-hop legends. 

The School of Visual Communication proudly presents Design: Love and Service, an exhibition and artist talk celebrating Herman’s expansive creative career as a designer, animator, musician and visual storyteller. Opening Oct. 22, at the VisCom Focus Gallery, the exhibition explores how design, at its best, transcends aesthetics to become an act of meaning, connection and service.

Herman has built an extraordinary career at the intersection of art, technology and storytelling. Currently Vice President and Senior Design Director at Paramount Global (CBS), he leads a team of 13 to 18 designers, illustrators, animators, developers and video editors within the Sales and Marketing division. His team’s work drives the visual communication of advertising for major networks such as CBS, MTV, Comedy Central and Paramount+, as well as cultural tentpoles like the Grammys, VMAs, VidCon, CES and more.

An eight-time Platinum (Best-in-Show) Muse Award winner, Herman is celebrated for his innovation in animation, branding, presentation design and motion language definition. His original animation artwork has been featured on Adult Swim, MTV, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and other major platforms. Over the years, he has created design and motion solutions for an impressive roster of clients, including Nike, Samsung, Google, Apple, Microsoft, P&G, EA Sports, Xbox, PlayStation, Subway, McDonald’s, Visa and Honda.

Beyond the corporate world, Herman’s creative vision extends into music and cultural activism. As a visual designer and producer in the hip-hop community, he has collaborated with Rakim, RUN-DMC, Snoop Dogg, Talib Kweli, Madlib, J Dilla, Souls of Mischief, E-40, Hieroglyphics, Roc Marciano, Ice Cube and Mahershala Ali, among many others. He is known for merging sonic and visual experiences—a sensibility rooted in his childhood.

“Whenever I heard a song as a kid, I’d see colors and shapes,” Herman recalls. “I never thought of any song as just music, but as an experience.”

This philosophy comes alive in Design: Love and Service, which runs from Oct. 22, to Nov. 14. The exhibition examines the connection between artistic purpose and design practice, revealing how creativity can both elevate value and serve communities.

Visitors will experience projects spanning branding systems, data visualization, editorial design, and motion graphics, including works from Herman’s 15 years with CBS, Viacom and Paramount.

The show culminates in a centerpiece installation of projection-mapped animated videos from Herman’s multimedia collaboration with hip-hop artist Brother Ali, also titled Love & Service. Released as a vinyl album accompanied by a parchment-weight booklet and an animated film, the project has earned accolades at over 19 international film festivals. Produced, designed and scored entirely by Herman, these works merge light, rhythm and narrative into immersive storytelling.

“Love and Service is an Islamic concept that Ali introduced me to, and it resonated deeply with me—both personally and creatively,” Herman explains. “I’ve long lived this dual creative experience of raw self-expression and ‘commercial art.’ Viewing it all through this lens, design becomes an act of service—a deeply meaningful form of communication and a vital part of a much larger ecosystem. As designers, we must de-center ourselves, remove our egos, and focus on the needs of our co-workers, clients, collaborators, and communities. How you make people feel is what truly matters.”

Herman’s pioneering spirit is also evident in his phonotropic animations—hidden looping visuals embedded on vinyl records that come to life through a camera—and his projection-mapped murals, which transform static art into interactive light experiences. Across every medium, he pushes boundaries, blending craft with conscience.

“I truly believe a good story can change the world,” he says. “Design is the visual language of intention. It lives in all things and exists throughout our lives experientially. It’s crucially definitive in how we communicate as a species—constantly evolving, changing, reverting, and being completely reborn.”

Herman will deliver an artist talk and screening on Oct. 22 at 5:30 p.m. in Schoonover Center 145, where he will discuss his creative process, career trajectory, and the evolving role of design in the age of artificial intelligence and multimedia storytelling.

Driven by a belief that creativity can foster growth, belonging and peace, Herman views design as a lifelong act of service. Whether working with Fortune 500 brands or independent musicians, he continues to champion art as a tool for empathy, innovation, and human connection.

The VisCom Focus Gallery is open Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is located on the first floor of Schoonover Center in 140. For more info about the gallery, visit: https://www.ohio.edu/scripps-college/viscom/student-gallery