Michael C. Mangan Portfolio

Michael C. Mangan

ARTIST. DESIGNER. LEADER.
michael.mangan424@gmail.com 860-670-7755

My journey in life speaks to the opportunities that
I have been fortunate to receive. Before you is my
story of the people and experiences that have truly
made me the person I am today. Born into a family that
provided constant support, I was able to explore a range
of paths to figure out what my interests in life were. I
traveled down paths that brought me to different schools,
different cities, new jobs, new people, life changing
events and currently a path that is just starting to be
navigated. I have experienced events that have cultivated
my need for giving back, something that I have been able
to incorporate and project through my work as an artist
and a designer. More than anything, I can truly affirm
that my story is one that speaks to the person I have
become and the person I strive to be.

01

My parents purchased this home in
Farmington, Connecticut in 1997.
They took what was a small Dutch
Colonial style house and turned it into
a whole new home. This is how my
parents showed me the power of
creativity. They took a house & turned

Home, Sweet Home.
it into a home of great possibility.

family
The Twin
(top left) Steph is my
twin sister. We have
spent our whole lives
Born into a family of a unconditional love, I was raised with every fortune
together. She is a
strong & determined possible. My parents, Anne Marie and Stephen, were destined to be parents,
woman. She is a
constant inspiration. for they set the bar for everything a parent can be. Steph, my twin sister,

The Artist and I were brought up in an environment that fostered opportunity to explore
(top right) Kevin is
considered the cool
Uncle. To me, he is
what life had to offer.
an artist that did what
made him happy.
Having an artist in My parents became the type of people they are through the way in which they
the family made it
seem all the more
possible to pursue a
were raised. Both sides are a testament to the reasons why I have become the
career in that field.
person I am. My grandparents from both sides of the family taught my parents
A family Portrait
(left) To me, this to strive for greatness in every aspect of life, a lesson that they continued
photo taken in the
early 1990’s shows to teach me.
my parent’s love, a
love that continues to
guide me in my daily
pursuits in life. Raised with most of my family close by me, I had the fortunate opportunity to

be taught and loved by my grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. Each

member of my family has given me a value that I use in my everyday commitment

to live life to the greatest degree.

04 Michael C. Mangan michael.mangan424@gmail.com 860 670 7755 05

Nestled deep in the woods of
Connecticut stands a school called
Avon Old Farms School for Boys.
It was here I spent the four most
difficult, yet life changing years of
my life. It was the men and women
around me that taught me to grow

Aspirando et perseverando
intellectually, emotionally & creatively.

Avon Old Farms School
The decision to become a student here was something that had been sitting men of avon. This room of men taught me to be strong and dedicated. This was a community of support and honor where everything we did was done
with a sense of pride. The spirit of this school cultivated within me the desire to lead and be one who works to find the best for the people around me.

with me my whole life. There was something about this school that always

attracted me. It might have been the architecture that look liked a trip The Order
(left) The school’s most
prestigious award “The
through J.K. Rowling’s mind, the prestigious reputation the school carried, Order of Old Farms” is
given to a select group
or simply the chance for a new beginning. of graduates who have
“most generously served
the welfare of the school
with a sense of honor.” I
Educated in an all male environment, it was not always easy to make it was fortunate to be one
of the recipients.
through four years. Fortunately, my mentors, Christine, Michelle, Tim & Gail,
NAtional winner
taught me to strive for success and to always be true to myself. (right) The yearbook
I designed won four
national awards. Two
In the end, the experience was life altering. In four years, I saw myself first place prizes by the
Scholastic Foundation,
and two gold metals for
become a leader who felt it was important to find ways to give back and help design & photography.

the people around me. It was also here that my talent in the arts flourished.

I knew my future would be fulfilled through art & design. Most importantly
it was here that I became a man of integrity.


After graduating from prep school,
Boston became my new home. It was
now college and I enrolled in a small
fine arts school on Arlington Street.
Before attending, I knew that I did
not want to graduate from here. The
year here transitioned me towards an

Boston Bound.
unexpected future.

Nesad @ suffolk university
monoprint #3
(above)
After not being accepted to RISD, the usual first choice for any artist, I
2009.
12” x12” considered smaller New England schools in the middle of nowhere. The idea
(each square)
Ink and oil pastel of living in a city was something that always fascinated me, which is why I
on paper.

chose New England School of Art & Design.

Fruit on paper
(right) Although the school was small, the talent was great. Professors & students
2010.
24” x 36” were passionate about art and knew that the fine arts was destiny for them.
Pastel on
Canson .
Everyday was spent in the studio painting, drawing, carving and ultimately,

creating. My work This was fulfilling to some degree, but I knew something

was missing.

While I loved my time here, the intense passion of others made me realize
that my life and future needed to be more than oil painting and figure
drawing. I soon left this school, but my experiences through fine art and in
a community filled with passionate people remained with me.


monoprint #3
(above)
2009.
12” x12”
(each square)
Ink and oil
pastel on paper.

Greed
(left)
2009.
11” x 17”
Mixed Media.

Self Portrait
(opposite page)
2010
8.5” x 6”
Oil paint on
masonite.


Untitled
2012.
5’ x 5’
Acrylic & oil.

COmmissioned work
Mid summer of 2010, the fiancée of a Professor at my prep school expressed
interest in owning a few pieces of my work. At this point in my life, I had
Untitled
2010.
never truly sold a piece of my art. Instead of letting this potential 5’ x 5’
Acrylic & oil.
buyer browse work already created, we discussed possibly commissioning new

work. Having never been commissioned before, I eagerly accepted the offer.

Inspired by the gestural work of Franz Kline and the color usage of
Jean-Michel Basquiat, two works came to fruition. Having no restrictions, I

stretched two 5’ x 5’ canvases and used house paint as my medium. The process

involved pouring, staining, removing and adding repeatedly.

After being compensated for my work, the commissioner unfortunately never

followed through in taking the work after completion. In the two years to

follow, I found myself inspired to add to Untitled #1, officially completing

the piece. The opportunity of having free artistic range to create works for a

person willing to compensate was an exciting look into the careers of artists.


After Boston, I made the decision
to move to New York City in the
fall of 2010. This was always a place
I assumed I would move to, but

Moving on down
never this early. My years here
have been eye opening. The city
aided in cultivating the most

to the East Side
invigorating years of my life.

It is what it is
(top left) The store
J. Crew
speaks to the goals
and standards of the
company. Beautiful
merchandise is paired
My first week of living in Manhattan, I was exploring my new neighborhood
against aesthetic
beauty and with a staff when I came across a familiar “Garamond” typeface paired with bright colors
of people who are
passionate about and rich textures. It was finally time to work with J. Crew.
working for J. Crew.

a beautiful service In September of 2010 my journey with J. Crew began. Hired as support staff,
(top right) The J.
Crew Style Guide is my role in the store was small, but it allowed me to see what I could become.
known as a tool that
has revolutionized
the way people In time, my passion for providing great service transitioned me into becoming
understand a brand’s
identity. Distributed
monthly, this guide is
a Lead Cashier.As a Lead Cashier, it is your responsibility to manage the
a service designed for
customers to be a part
of the J. Crew lifestyle.
overall operations and client experience at the cash wrap, always
allowing for the most efficient and superior service to be provided.
91 Fifth Avenue
(right) The lower
Manhattan address My career with this company has been curated by the incomparable people I
gave me first hand
experience in the
world of service. This work with daily, but also by the message and passion of J. Crew’s CEO Mickey
experience was made
possible by some of Drexler and creative director, Jenna Lyons. The J. Crew family has given me
the most brilliant,
dedicated, passionate
& hardworking groups the opportunity to first hand experience the power that a service can have on
of individuals.
a wide range of people.


PArsons the new school for design
The New School was indeed what it sounded like, a new school. This was a
second chance at college, the chance to figure out what road to travel down.
making myself
Parsons was always a school that lingered in the corners of my mind, but now (first row) 2011.
Film
A two-minute self
it was a reality. portrait film that
explores daily
routines in creating
It was the first day of college all over again. I was placed into a sea of my appearance.

freshman on E. 15th Street, which was not my first choice. The freshman year A study of Apple, Inc.
(second row) 2010.
This study analyzes
experience already happened to me, it was now my time to figure out the right Apple, Inc. as a
service provider
path to travel on. That, however, was not easily achievable. using basic service
concepts.

My schedule was a completely unstructured and unfocused concentration of grassroots mapping
(left) 2010
I dabbled in film, urban planning, printmaking, web design and
courses. Stitched aerial
photos of street

what would ultimately become my focus, Service Design. In hindsight, life in NYC’s Union
Square mapped
using a DIY
this was the best way for me to start Parsons, for it allowed me to find a low-cost, balloon
and camera tool.

balance between my fine art and design.


Grinding The stone
(top left) Original
Printmaking
lithography was first
done on slabs of
limestone. Here I
grind a slab to a
In the first year of The New School, there was still uncertainty in my
perfectly smooth
surface to create on. studies. It was clear to me that the fine arts would not be my full focus,

however, it was still an important part of my curriculum. In the fall of
print time
(top right) Here, I
remove asphaltum 2010, my first class was Printmaking Basics with a zany man named Bill. He
from my “Elvis
Presley” image in
order to roll up and
brought light to a foreign medium as he told these fabulous stories about
print the stone.
New York and the art scene of the Eighties. I was hooked.
It’s about the process
(right) This cabinet
stores chemicals This class dove deep into the techniques and wonders of printmaking, a field
and tools that are
used to grind and
prepare a stone for a
that always intrigued me. It was an experience trying new processes and forms
lithograph. This is a
time consuming and to express my creative freedom. One printmaking process, Lithography, became
arduous process.

my new found passion.

My first litho print was a minimalistic rendering of disco diva, Grace Jones.

In a sole Lithography class with a print master, Lorenzo Clayton, my

The visual style & process of
capabilities were pushed to every limit.

creating a lithograph print captivated me for years to follow.

Matthew 27:29
(top left)
2011.
16” x 20”
Lithograph.

Elvis Presley
(top right)
2012.
22” x 30”
Lithograph.

Fiore Moire
(left)
2010.
20” x 16”
Screenprint.

Grace Jones
(opposite page)
2010
24” x 36”
Lithograph


My path started to finally make sense
with the introduction of Service
Design. Here, design could be
seen as a way to positively impact
everyday life in many forms. Finally
I found a field that seeks to create for

Hello, Service Design.
the greater good.

Service Design
The User Journey

All throughout my life, there has always been a sense of leadership in me (top left)
Mapping a ser-
vice through the
experience of the
that has driven me to find ways to give back to the community around me. When user analyzes
the touch-points,
the concept of designing for services started being passed around throughout faults, strength and
emotions triggered a
user goes through,
my classes, I quickly found a connection through the design work it seeks to to name a few.

do and the work I enjoy. Service Design fulfilled what I had been looking for, Idea Generator
(top right)
design that means something. Here an idea
generation session
of limitless possibility
shows ways to
People use services everyday. Service Design uses a unique multi-disciplinary redesign the how
children understand
The
approach to the development of new groundbreaking service innovations. and associate the
term “kid food”.

role of design is explored in shaping people’s experiences in everyday Food prototype
life, focusing on key interactions between people, environments, (left)
Fellow designers set
up a prototype lunch
communication systems and products. system for our design
collaborators, The
Fortune Society.

This field has cultivated the common goal to innovate beneficial new services

and to improve existing ones that will meet the demanding needs of the 21st

century and the future.


The Team

Me caitlin webb

the new school: housing services
In the fall of 2011, The New School tasked six of its service design
students to use service design as a method to redesign three departments of

Student Services: Financial Services, Social Services and Housing Services.

It was our job to immerse
The guidelines, however, were not defined.

The Student Journey ourselves with the departments to test the service efficiency and range
(above) Through a
journey map, we walked
a student through the
of offerings the departments offer in order to understand potential
average year in relation
to Housing Services.
Identifying different
areas of opportunity for innovation.
HIGH STRESS PERIOD
touch-points, emotions, WITH EXAMS
issues and benefits of In order to design for housing, partner Caitlin Webb and I experienced
UNREALISTIC TIME
the user journey, we EXPECTATIONS
distinguished the “Move
Out” & “ Move In” periods the services provided by Housing Services. By researching and mapping the
as key intervention areas.
customer’s journey, two major areas of opportunity for design arose: the move
moody move out
(right) A mood board
LEAVING FRIENDS
in & move out periods.
looks at the user’s AND THE CITY
emotions throughout the
“Move Out” period at the
end of the school year.
With months of research, innovation, prototyping & critiquing, we designed a
INABILITY TO MOVE
OUT OF DORMS IN TIME
ALLOWED
toolkit that provided a systematic and enjoyable approach to the move in and

move out periods that focus on the needs and realistic capabilities of

students and the The New School.

Moving Down
(top left)
A snapshot from the
Move Out Toolkit. Our final deliverable is a prototype of a toolkit that seeks to offer a new way students and staff approach moving out of a dorm. The “Move Out Day Play
toolkit contains a specifically designed guidebook and schedule for move out, informational materials, and moving related tools to assist in packing. by Play” shows the
user that a staff
member will directly
move it’s belongings
to the lobby, avoiding

The Proposal elevator congestion.

Finishing
(top right)
As a specific response to the necessity of designing for the “move out” A snapshot of the
last page in the
period at the end of the New School’s academic year, the service proposal looks at providing
guidebook illustrates
simple and efficient solutions for both students and staff during this period. finishing packing and
offers “Quick Tips” to
Toolkits would be delivered to each resident in February, an ideal time to transition into prepare for the last
“spring cleaning”, a period that is integral to preparing for move out period. Inside the 12 days of school
toolkit is a double sided guidebook, moving related media and moving themed objects like leading up to move
scissors, tape and labels. out day.

The guidebook on one side outlines key periods and suggestions for the move out process,
transitioning into spring with suggestions of ways to reduce through donating or disposing,
up to the final days of being prepared to move. These periods are complemented by student
insight and quick tips tailored towards the lives and interests of The New School students.
On the reverse side, a specifically designed schedule for the University’s move out days,
move out day play by play. The lead in pages outline the key points that students will need to know about move out
outlines a systematic approach to move residents out of a dorm in designated time slots, day, as well as a dorm schedule where students can clearly distinguish what time they will move out.
floor by floor. This tentative schedule is created around the student/staff to floor ration
and the infrastructural capabilities of the specific dorm.
This service proposal seeks to approach the move out period, a time regarding as overly
stressful and unorganized, in a simple, systematic, enjoyable and efficient way tailored to
the lives and capabilities of students and staff within The New School’s Housing Services.


The Team

Me caitlin webb Ivett Cser jim chen

NYC Department of housing
preservation and development
After working on my first significant service project, my interest continued
to peak at the idea of designing to aid in the daily efficiency of people’s

lives. In the spring of 2012, fellow designers and I were provided the

opportunity to work with the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and The Tenant Night
(center left)
Development in conjunction with Public Policy Lab. In order to visualize
Tenant Nights, a
monthly HPD event,
we used Playmobil®
My group of four phenomenally dedicated and brilliant designers, were tasked characters to simulate
interactions by both
the service provider
at assessing the current offerings of HPD and to generate potential and customer.

improvements for points of service specifically related to Tenant Services and
Tenant journey
filing code violations, services that all NYC residents are entitled to. (center right)
Here we flush out a
number of scenarios
that a tenant can
Through in depth research, meetings, field visits, constant drafting and experience so that we
can see HPD’s role in
prototyping, we designed a service proposal that proposed simple design relieving the situation.

changes towards HPD’s identity as well as ways in which we could empower

tenants to make positive change towards quality of life. Map the User experience (above) Here we map out the sections of a potential new
website that focus on efficient and simple user experience.


Failed prototype
(top left) Team
members Caitlin,
Jim and I play the A New Website. Part of our proposal looks at envisioning a new user friendly and efficient website for NYC Tenants. Here, the website is broken down into
failed prototype of a distinct categories that outline the different platforms where the user can navigate. The website contains key information related to violations, rights and
game designed as the overall services, but it also reintroduces HPD as a user friendly service provider.
a teaching material
for Tenant Nights.
Although the idea of
an interactive game
failed, the concept
behind it stayed.
The Proposal
file a complaint
(top right) Here With the task of designing for “Tenant Services”, a complicated and broad area of HPD’s
we focus on the service offerings, we first looked into every step that a user would go through for a vast
specific interactions range of potential scenarios. Our service proposal approaches “Tenant Services” from the view
between the user
and 311 in order to
of the tenant the way HPD’s service are most efficient and educational for the user.
file a complaint to
Divided into separate services, each falls under the umbrella of providing efficiency and
HPD.
educational support both for HPD and the user. Research of HPD’s services and the
experience of users who interact with HPD gave great insight to the abilities and inabilities
of both. Our proposal speaks greatly to tenant rights in New York City, especially the right
to report violations that eliminate positive quality of life. The proposal also speaks to the
overwhelming information that HPD provides to tenants, specifically what the information is,
seeks to do and the way it is distributed to people.
We propose service channels that provide HPD’s identity and the information it seeks to
provide tenants in a clear, efficient and educational way. We first propose the redesigning
of aspects of the HPD website, specifically a portion that specifically is designed for the
THE HOUSING GAMES
The goal that the concept of an interactive game seeks to accomplish continued through a game themed
user. The redesign heavily focuses on the process of understanding, reporting and following
poster. This “game” would be used as an educational material for HPD to looks at the user’s steps from through on violations, but, it also looks at ways to empower tenants to strive for positive
identifying and reporting violations, through HPD’s role in resolving the violation. quality of life.
Departing from the digital, we propose change to HPD’s educational and informational
materials, using the concept of “games” to be an interactive source of information that
speaks to HPD and it’s offerings as a public service.


This is my story for now. As I travel on this road of
uncertainty, there is one thing that is certain. No
matter where life takes me I know that when I am there,
the people and experiences in my life will guide me in
doing the things that I feel passionate for.

40 Michael C. Mangan michael.mangan424@gmail.com 860 670 7755

Michael C. Mangan Portfolio

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