Designing a Creative Future

Originally from Crete, Greece, Georgios Radamantys Chourdakis moved to the Big Apple to make it big in advertising. The advertising, public relations, and technology major, has already made a name for himself in the world of design. Four of his entries were winners in the Graphis New Talent Annual. “Advertising is a good way to tell a story, and I want to move people,” he said. Chourdakis sat down with digital film and television production major, Mastura Mowla, to talk about the competition and what the future holds.

What is the Graphis New Talent Annual?
Each year, Graphis, a trade publication and creative organization, awards excellence in advertising and graphic arts. The New Talent Annual awards the best in advertising and design on the student level. I submitted four entries in total. One of my submissions was a collaboration with my classmate Louis D’Amato, a digital art and design student. All the entries varied in their content. One was a print campaign for Coca-Cola, another was a PSA (public service announcement) against fair trade sweatshops, another one was for an anti-vaping campaign, and the last one was for Dove chocolate.

What was the experience like?
It was great because I was able to work on my craft, which I feel is the most important thing in a creative field. It was also nice to be able to work with Louis, which cultivated a creative partnership. I also had the opportunity to work with Associate Professor Youjeong Kim, Ph.D., on the PSA about fair trade organizations and bring awareness to sweatshops and how laborers are mistreated, especially in the fashion industry.

Can you talk about some of your other achievements?
I received a merit award at the One Show from the One Club for Creativity last year. And a couple shortlists for two advertising competitions for students, including the Future Lions.

Why did you choose NYIT?
I like art directing so advertising was a natural choice for me. I chose NYIT because the school has a good balance of academics and creative freedom. The professors are very responsive and they keep up with the latest trends in advertising and design.

NYIT is preparing me for the future by creating a similar environment akin to work-life. There is a good balance of academic projects as well as creative ones. The deadlines and general environment the professors set are similar to that of an agency. Plus, I love being on the New York City campus because it is so diverse, and you get to mingle with all the cultures and people from the globe.

What’s next for you?
Currently I am interning at [furniture brand] Burrow as an intern art director and working on my senior portfolio at the same time. It is an awesome company that creates amazing products. The culture and the people are incredible. Shout out to my creative director, Gianmaria Schönlieb, who has been an amazing mentor.

What are your career goals?
I would like to create my own ad agency after I’ve pickup up some years in the field though.

What have you found to be the most challenging in your academic journey, and what advice do you have for incoming students?
The most challenging aspect for me was balancing internships and school at the same time. I handled that obstacle with proper planning and organizing. The most important advice I would give to new students is to be resilient and have a clear goal in mind. Study hard, go beyond what your professors expect of you, and take internships because they prepare you for the real world.