Mike Zender is a third generation designer/ typesetter. He studied at the University of Cincinnati, then at Yale University. He founded his design office and began teaching part time at the University of Cincinnati two years later. His work, and that of his associates has been regularly published since 1980.

I use the computer as an electronic extension of my mind and sensibility. The computer is in some ways very like me; it uses electronic impulses to encode messages, it is logical, organized and structured. But the computer is in many ways unlike me; it is silicon based - I am carbon based, it is non-creative -I cannot help but be creative, it knows no experience - I am constantly aware of new experiences. Thus having a balance of common ground and opposite abilities, the computer and I are a good marriage. I use the computer to enhance the precision of my work beyond what is possible by hand; I use it as a forum for multiple variations of a single concept; I use it to make more mistakes than I ever before dared; I use it to quickly realize the ideas in my mind. Most importantly, I use the computer to edit, modify and merge images in ways impossible by non-electronic means... I use my mind, pencil and paper to conceptualize and the computer to visualize. Its power releases me to give form to my vision more freely than ever before.

Technical Background

HW: Mac II FX
SW: Aldus, Adobe Stemple Garamond