As a surface designer passionate about creating new systems of visual order, breaking the grid signifies both rebellion and innovation — and captures the moment when I venture beyond convention towards experimentation and originality.

Breaking the Grid.

Projects

Abstract geometric carpet pattern in shades of gray

Custom Rug Design

When designing custom rugs for clients, I seek to navigate material worlds with authenticity and beauty, creating pieces that are both visually striking and deeply meaningful.

Modern hallway with a checkered grid pattern on walls and lift doors

Morningstar Offices

Working with the Perkins + Wills interiors team, Morningstar engaged me to create a system of engaging graphics that would serve as a signature for the space.

Man in a blue shirt and face mask standing next to a white wall with abstract black line patterns.

IIT Student Project

Beyond the end result of introducing pleasing wall graphics to the interior environment of a dormitory, the project also served as a practical way to teach pattern design, engaging students in both design and arrangement, and deepening their understanding of visual composition.

Projects

Abstract geometric patterned carpet in shades of gray and white.

Custom Rug Design

When designing custom rugs for clients, I seek to navigate material worlds with authenticity and beauty, creating pieces that are both visually striking and deeply meaningful.

Modern elevator lobby with geometric wall pattern

Morningstar Offices

Working with the Perkins + Wills interiors team, Morningstar engaged me to create a system of engaging graphics that would serve as a signature for the space.

Person wearing a blue shirt and a face mask standing near a wall with a black dotted pattern and yellow chairs.

IIT Student Project

Beyond the end result of introducing pleasing wall graphics to the interior environment of a dormitory, the project also served as a practical way to teach pattern design, engaging students in both design and arrangement, and deepening their understanding of visual composition.

Exhibitions

Promotional poster for 'Art in Chicago 1995-2025' by Gareth Kaye, presented by David Salkin Creative, featuring research on art issues, spaces, artists, and bosses. Event dates: September 6 to December 21, 2024, at 1709 West Chicago Avenue, Chicago.

Art in Chicago: 1995-2025

Gloved hand holding wooden board with blue painted hand shape; text: 'Ari Norris Just Dust,' exhibit opens April 12, 2024 at David Salkin Creative, Chicago.

Ari Norris: Just Dust

Poster for "Winter Reading Room: The Rise of the Feminist Independent Press," featuring a stylized image of a woman's face in red tones, with text about counterculture and women's liberation, dated from January 5 to April 5, 2024, at David Salkin Creative, Chicago, referencing Berkeley, 1971.

The Rise of the Feminist Independent Press