Paul plays guitar and bass, and also composes music. As a graphic designer, he helps clients strike just the right note, too.
Paul Hightower
When Paul Hightower launched his career as a graphic designer in the 1980s, he often relied upon typesetters and other soon-to-be-extinct vendors for print work. Today, among other projects, he designs the user interfaces for mobile apps and social media. “Technology and society evolve,” Paul said. “And so does visual design.”
“One of my strengths has always been that I ‘get’ technology,” Paul said. “As a designer, you always need to stay on top of the latest and greatest.” It is this opportunity to grow, learn and adapt that keeps his job both challenging and rewarding, Paul added. “Each project is unique, and that makes it interesting.”
Paul, who earned a BS in Graphic Design from San Jose State University, has worked at leading Bay Area ad agencies including Lai Venuti & Lai, P3M, and Decarolis Design & Marketing. He has also run his own graphic design firm, Studio H, since 1991. In these capacities, he has produced a broad range of creative work including web sites, advertisements, print collateral, social media channels, lead generation programs, identity systems, packaging and event graphics.
Paul’s clients have included Adobe, Borland, Cisco, Cybersource, EMC, Hewlett-Packard, Infineon, Montalvo, NetApp, Varian Medical Systems, and Visa. He joined the ROI Communication team in 2010.
Paul traces his passion for graphic design to his childhood. “I was always the kid who was good at art, and over time have developed an intuitive feel for form, typography and color. Good graphic design communicates in a way that is fast, memorable and emotional, and the challenge of doing that feeds my love for problem-solving,” he said.
When he’s not working as a graphic designer, Paul likes to travel, hike and write about Progressive Rock for various magazines and web sites.