Quinnton Harris | Designer, Creative Director, Entrepreneur, Storyteller, Black Business Owner, Photographer, Editor X, Shaun J Wright, Ariel Belgrave Harris, Neko Harris, Jacquelyn Eagle, Gym Hooky, Retrospect, Retrospect Studios, Blavity, Walker and Company, Publicis Sapient | Forbes 40 under 40, Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity, Alvin Ailey, GM Financial, University of Pennsylvania, Wharton School of Management, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MIT, alumni, black man
An Early Start
Before taking the leap to Silicon Valley, I planted roots in New York City to work with Digitas' newly formed Experience Design team, an emerging group within the company that brought new digital product capabilities to the company’s traditional marketing services.
The initiative was the brainchild of UX leader Andrew Carlson. He championed our organization’s need to stay competitive in the shifting landscape of advertising and client services. His forward thinking and approach to building and deploying teams unlocked the powerful rise of design leaders like Kevin Lockwood, Min Chung and Jessie Harte. He would often say that we were “a band of misfits”, and leaning into this he took me under his wing to nurture my unique combination of skills and interests.
Andrew Carlson, New York, NY. June 2014..
Neil Krishnan and Min Chung in the team pod, Digitas NY. June 2014.
Michelle Andrizzi and Tyler Forster, Digitas, NY. September 2014.
Holiday potluck, Digitas, NY. November 2014.
New York City became a sounding board for my blossoming creative spirit. While I had spent plenty of time in the city as a visitor from Boston, living there gave me an entirely new reverence for its magic. I inherited space to grow not only as a designer but as an artist. I lived in Harlem, then in Crown Heights. I doubled down on photography and spent time exploring fashion. With every shutter snap, I became more of who I was meant to be.
"Finding my story." Portrait by Aundre Larrow. August 2014.
Nostrand & Atlantic, Brooklyn, NY. March 2015.
Puerto Rican Day Parade, Harlem, NY. June 2014.
Celebrating Akira-Adel's 28th birthday, Harlem, NY. April 2015.
Akira-Adel's family, Harlem, NY. April 2015.
Dancing with Ms Lana Turner, Harlem, NY. April 2014.
Mosh pit with A$APMob, SoHo, NY. May 2015.
Julian Lloyd and Daniele Silverstein, SoHo, NY. March 2014.
Cara Piazza's design studio, Brooklyn, NY. April 2014.
Tiffany Latrice Williams, Lower East Side, NY. July 2014.
Dorian Dargan, Williamsburg, Brooklyn. April 2014.
Prior to Digitas New York, I started my career as a digital art director at Digitas Boston in September 2011, coming off a strong performance as an intern in Summer 2010.
I didn’t have a traditional background or well polished portfolio, but I had people like Kenny Renard, Tony Cappozzi, Peter Riddle and Sandra Sims-Williams who championed my story, believed in my aptitude and gave me a shot. These folks helped me build resilience and character. They taught me the importance of paying dues as well as how to avoid “corporate politics” at all costs.
Inside and outside of work I kept busy experimenting with ideas and side projects. I started clubs, blogged on Tumblr, organized photo projects and volunteered as a mentor. A project I am most proud of was called the L’Académie Project, where I curated a day-long event for fashion professionals to facilitate practical, informal instruction to aspiring talent. It resulted in a beautiful editorial series, featuring a diverse cast of students from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Summer 2010 Intern Class, Digitas, Boston.
It required me to show-up, humble myself, and trust the process.
My cubical at Digitas Boston. October 2013.
Hatch Award by the AdClub Winners, Boston, MA. November 2012.
One of my favorite places to shop — Bobby from Boston, South End.
Prelude to L'Académie — Randal Jacobs in a clothing store shopping for our project, Cambridge, MA. March 2013.
The night before L'Académie — Prepping for wardrobes the experience, Dorchester, MA. March 2013.
The L'Académie Project, featuring Rodrigo Davies, Quinton McArthur, Andrew Farrell, Nathaniel Porter, Jr. and Kwesi Phillips. Shot at MIT's Nu Delta Fraternity House, Boston, MA. March 2013.
Scene 2, featuring Kwesi Philips, Adeeti Ullal and Nathaniel Porter, Jr. March 2013.
Scene 3, featuring Andrew Farrell, Arbana Grembi, Rodrigo Davies and Quinnton McArthur. March 2013.
Scene 4, featuring Tara Ebsworth and Arbana Grembi. March 2013.
"Finale with the First Class." March 2013.
I had never done anything like it before nor directed models on a shoot as a photographer — but with a little curiosity and a passion to create with my friends, I brought to life a concept that interpreted academic spaces like MIT through the lens of art and fashion. Projects like L’Academie pushed me past my fear of being unqualified or incompetent. It required me to show-up, humble myself, and trust the process.
Practice shoot with Nathaniel Porter, Jr., Boston, MA. February 2013.
Practice shoot with Sandra Teixeira, Cambridge, MA. December 2012.
01