Graphic Design Teacher
New York

Marcea Decker

Marcea Decker is an artist, designer, musician and educator—originally from Arizona and currently based in New York. Marcea studied at the University of Arizona and then received her Masters degree at Parsons The New School For Design. She has worked in a variety of atmospheres from small ad agencies, digital media companies, to start-ups, though the majority of her experience comes from designing within the nonprofit world. She has always felt that design has an immense power to transform the world for the better. In her spare time, Marcea loves to take on collaborative passion projects with other artists, illustrates, and makes music.

What do you love about design?

I love the feeling of being consumed by creative thought, and the ability to take those ideas and actualize them is unlike any other feeling. Every iteration of a design is something I look forward to, a new challenge to problem-solve. There’s a beautiful limitless potential in design, each moment is an opportunity to learn and grow. It’s never boring!

Why do you teach?

I have so much excitement for design, and I love being in a room that matches that energy as well as the reciprocation of ideas and learning. It’s so rewarding to share the knowledge I have gained through my experiences, and encourage and recognize the growth in others.

Tell us about your design career outside of Shillington.

I moved to NYC about 5 years ago to get my Master’s at Parsons The New School For Design, since I have worked with small ad agencies, digital media companies, and start-ups. However, the majority of my experience comes from designing within the nonprofit world. I have always felt that design has an immense power to transform the world for the better.

I am also a musician and artist; I hand paint bleach on t-shirts and other textiles.

What or who are you loving right now?

Right now, I am very into music fan clubs of the 1970s and 1980s and artifacts and ephemera from then, like old songbooks, fanzines, handmade t-shirts, and local club newsletters that were stamped, handwritten or typed on a typewriter, copied, and disseminated before computers. The aesthetic is so distinct, and I am learning a lot from its more tactile approach.

If you were a typeface, what would you be?

Cooper Black. Ultra-bold, but warm and friendly. Both strong and soft. Plus, I am a sucker for iron-on letters.

What’s your favourite blog?

It’s Nice That. And beyond blogs, I’m always trying to grow my personal design library. Some of my current favorite art/design books are Esprit The Comprehensive Design Principle, Lightning Archives’ Historical Wearing Art T-shirt, and American Denim: A New Folk Art.