Charlotte Offin
Cascadia Alumni Profile - Published January 2, 2025
You know the artwork you used to bring home from school – creations thick with paint or smudgy oil pastels on paper with curling edges. The artwork that’s pinned to the front of the refrigerator with magnets so anyone who visits can see it? Well, Cascadia alumna Charlotte Offin Family’s Refrigerator Gallery helped propel her career in art.
“My art was always displayed…on the refrigerator, around my house, and grandparents house, and at school whenever we did art projects. In elementary school, whenever we did class art projects, they would be displayed in the hallways outside the classrooms with the students name below it. I was always proud to see my art on the walls when I walked by…it made me feel that the art I created was valuable and important.”
Absorbed by illustrations in her favorite children’s books as a young child, her interest in fine art deepened over time to include world renowned creators like Gustav Klimt Charlotte had an opportunity to see in person in Vienna, Austria. And then, there were the Starbucks cups.
“I remember being very young and admiring the holiday cups each year and collecting them because I thought they were so beautiful.”
Charlotte added another cup to her collection in 2024, this one of her own design as a full-time employee in Starbuck’s Global Creative Studio. In the 18-months she’s been part of the studio, she’s worked on illustrations for gift cards, Starbucks Reserve coffee cards, Starbucks Blend, Starbucks for Life, and the Reusable Red Cup.
At Glacier Park High School, her graphic design teacher was the first person who helped her to realize that it was possible to pursue a career rooted in art. She took it a step further at Cascadia, taking art classes as a Running Start student and working as a graphic artist for Student Life.
“That was my first job as a graphic designer, and it really taught me a lot about the process that comes with the job. I designed a weekly newsletter, logos for assorted clubs, posters and flyers for events, and got to work with a wonderful team coming up with concepts to encourage student engagement. I also learned about printing processes, got to experience getting requests from clients, and working with students to design something that they felt proud of to represent their club or event. It really solidified for me that this was the career I wanted to pursue,” Charlotte remembers.
After earning her Associate’s degree at Cascadia, she transferred to Western Washington University and was hired by Starbucks a week before she graduated with her BFA in Design. Looking ahead, Charlotte hopes one day to write and illustrate a picture book.
While some may worry that design is now a risky career choice due to the accelerating capabilities of AI, Charlotte views it as a helpful tool for exploring concepts and directions rather than as threat.
“Seeing the artist hand in the artwork is such an important part of what we create. I still get out a pencil and paper to sketch for projects and have been experimenting more with using physical media to create something for digital. Fundamentally I don’t believe that's something AI can replicate.”
Art and STEM disciplines are increasingly intertwined in contemporary society with artists using technological tools to create new forms of expression and scientific arena benefiting from the integration of creative visualization to solve problems. Take the Starbucks ‘ornamental red cup’ for instance. STEM innovation perfects its shape and performance while art invites people in to engage with it. And in case you’re wondering, Charlotte likes to fill hers with an iced brown sugar oat milk shaken espresso.