10/02/19

AMES, Iowa — John Likens, an Emmy Award-winning creative director and motion designer, is a recipient of the 2019 Design Achievement Award presented by the Iowa State University College of Design.

The award recognizes outstanding creative and professional achievements of alumni in all of the college’s disciplines, which include architecture, art and design, community and regional planning, graphic design, industrial design, integrated studio arts, integrated visual arts, interdisciplinary design, interior design, landscape architecture, sustainable environments and urban design.

Likens, originally from Marion, Iowa, and now of New York City, received a bachelor of fine arts in graphic design from Iowa State in 2008. He will be honored during Homecoming at the ISU Alumni Association’s 88th Honors and Awards Ceremony at 1:15 p.m. Friday, Oct. 25, in Benton Auditorium, Scheman Building, Iowa State Center. A dessert reception will follow.

Currently the creative director for Method Made, Likens has worked as a freelance designer and art director in many top New York design studios. He started his career creating motion graphics for commercial, film and gaming clients. His passion for film and television has led him to design cinematic title sequences for Deadpool 2, HBO’s “The Night Of,” Cinemax’s “Warrior,” “The Twilight Zone” for CBS, and FX’s “Taboo,” among others. He provided design direction for the Netflix documentary Mission Blue.

Well known for crafting memorable visuals, Likens won the 2018 Emmy Award for Outstanding Graphic Design and Art Direction for his work on Red Bull’s first feature documentary, Blood Road; a 2018 SXSW Outstanding Achievement in Title Design Award and CLIO Entertainment Award for Netflix’s “Godless;” a 2018 Motion Plus Design Award for Best Title Sequence of the Year and The One Show Title Design Silver Pencil Award for Deadpool 2; and a spot on Shots’ 2017 Rising Stars list.

Likens’ work also includes the holographic user interface designs that appear in Iron Man 3, RoboCop and Transformers: Age of Extinction.

Contacts

John Likens, Creative Director and Motion Designer, johnny.likens@gmail.com
Rachel Moylan, Design Events and Alumni Relations, (515) 294-5791, rmoylan@iastate.edu
Heather Sauer, Design Communications, (515) 294-9289, hsauer@iastate.edu

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