Dustin '97 and Johanna '99 Commer have designed a good life for themselves. The walls of their Wichita home are covered with original artwork — works they have designed together.
Two images hold places of honor: the flying bathtub the two created that won (it was Johanna's idea, insists Dustin, although he's given "official" design credit) the 2002 Wichita River Festival design competition and the wacky fish chosen to adorn this year's crop of festival posters, soda cans, T-shirts and event buttons. There's even a hand puppet.
That second winning design makes Dustin, at 30, only the second person to pull off double River Festival designs. Says Johanna, "He just keeps plugging. He never gets discouraged. I think that's the greatest thing about him."
Dustin's work as a graphic designer at Love Box Co. allows him to do artwork on a daily basis. Johanna, whose bachelor's degree is in integrated marketing, loves working as the marketing director at Exploration Place, where "I'm surrounded by kids' stuff constantly. When you're around it all day, you just get creative."
