Graphic designer and NIU alumnus Michael McMillan encouraged students to “think outside the box” in his presentation Wednesday afternoon.

“McMillan is a very successful graphic designer who runs his own firm and has worked for huge multi-national clients,” said Andrew Byrom, an NIU assistant professor of art. “Notably, he worked with Michael Jordan on a best-selling book.”

“Rare Air,” the graphic biography of Michael Jordan, was designed by McMillan’s company, McMillan Associates. In addition to working with Jordan, McMillan also has produced books for Mario Andretti and Ken Griffey Jr.

In his presentation, McMillan talked about his education and what drives him as an artist.

“I wanted to be a musician or an artist or something … but my music career turned into design,” he said. “I think I needed to get into more visual art because it keeps me more centered and focused.”

Attendees saw pages from McMillan’s personal journal. He encouraged all students to write down their thoughts.

“I keep journals all the time,” he said. “It’s amazing the collection of thoughts one person has in their lifetime. If you can write those things down on a regular basis … later, you can pull from the history of your life.”

McMillan carries the theme, “thinking outside of the box,” throughout all of his work. He designed a book titled, “Paper Airplane: The Flight of Change,” which is about independent thinking.

“It’s really important to read a lot and to think,” McMillan said. “If you think the same as everyone else, then you never get anything done.”

McMillan said that thinking differently is not an easy thing to do.

“When you think out of the box, you typically lose,” he said. “Even if you win, you’re not always going to be getting high fives. You’re not always going to be rewarded positively, even if you’re right.”

McMillan ran into some problems when he was pitching the idea for “Rare Air” to different publishing companies. The publishers didn’t like the idea because it wasn’t a sports book and it wasn’t a biography. It didn’t fit a niche, he said.

“Because it wasn’t a defined market, they were afraid of getting involved with it,” he said.

McMillan’s presentation was one of the last in a two-week-long series of design events hosted by the art department.

“The design events … have been a great success,” Byrom said. “We have had many designers and artists visit us from all around Illinois.”