Alice io Oglesby
Photo by Warner Photography.
Alice io Oglesby, President of io design & illustration, inc. grew up in Vermont, spending her first years living in a log cabin hand-built by her father, who always said she would one day become President because of that. Being that politics didn’t suit her, forming her own company seemed like a good option, so in 2000 that is exactly what she did and now has the lovely title of President, with slightly less responsibility than the global issues others have taken on.
Prior to forming her company, Alice io spent years juggling a full-time job with a sideline of graphics and illustration work. This, of course, had its benefits. She learned, among other things, that sleep is optional when you are in the middle of a large project, hot cocoa made with coffee will keep you awake, having up-to-date software and equipment really is a cost-saver, being a celebrity makes eating out not fun, and that interesting people frequent bookstores.
Now, with io design & illustration, inc. in its 13th year, Alice io has come to appreciate more fully her formal education (a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Vermont and a Master of Product Design from NC State) as well as the 20+ years of self-learning/continuing education in design. The logic and problem-solving skills learned as an Engineering undergrad she finds incredibly useful in organizing complex content into clean layouts and web navigation, while the design principles studied at NCSU are integral to all projects, be they a logo, poster, website or catalog spread.
As for illustration, those skills are built over years and years, starting from the many hours spent as a child drawing while listening to the radio with her dad, the numerous artistic friends of her mom who took time to teach her and share ideas, access to quality materials thanks to her Uncle Charlie, excellent classes at Phillips Academy, and the many artisan friends who continue to inspire.
Current skill sets include the Adobe CS5 software (Illustrator, PhotoShop, InDesign, Acrobat, DreamWeaver, Flash), WordPress customization, pen & ink illustration, children’s book illustrations, Apple Keynote, concrete staining and repeating print design.
Alice io works to include hands-on learning into her life to balance the hours spent communing with her much loved Apple computer. Her current diversions include quilting, knitting, crochet, marbling paper, letterpress printing, basic bookbinding and box making. She can also often be found on her bicycle, usually on the trails near the river, getting some fresh air and exercise. She is working on three quilts, a sweater and reading about five books at any given time. Continuing to learn is a key part of Alice io’s life and incorporation of new techniques and skills into her work is ongoing.
Alice io has served on the Board of Directors for the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce (including a year as Chair of the Board), the Board of Directors for Helpmate, and the Board of Directors for the United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County. She is active in the West Asheville Business Association and a long-time member of the Haywood Road Corridor Committee which is working towards a vision plan for the Haywood Road area of West Asheville. She feels it is important to be engaged in her community and supports local causes and community events.
Alice io Oglesby
e-mail: alice@iodesign.net
phone/text: 828.225.5925
