Alex Gárdos was born in Santa Monica California. He started skateboarding at age 7 and idolized the Z-Boys of Dogtown growing up. Skateboard graphics gave him his first design inspirations. Graduating from Samo- High he attended Santa Monica Community College until he was bitten by the travel-bug. He lived, worked and traveled in Europe, Africa, and Asia for 4 years, expanding his knowledge of the world and broadening his appreciation for design and its power to communicate across languages and cultures. He returned to the U.S. to finish his education earning a B.A. degree in Graphic Design from San Francisco State University and his M.Ed. degree in Career and Technical Education from the University of Missouri. Mr. Gárdos has worked for a variety of studios and clients as a designer and still does design work for both print and digital media. He has taught Graphic Design for over 18 years.