Meet Us

Meet Us - Great Island Design - one of Boston’s premier design firms

Great Island Design was founded more than twenty years ago and quickly emerged as one of Boston’s premier design firms, cultivating a long list of local and national clients, and receiving our fair share of local and national design awards along the way.

Headed by Debra Glabeau and Ken Harris, we are a team of creative professionals that includes some of the regions best copywriters, programmers, illustrators and photographers. We offer the quality and range of services found in much larger agencies, and our collaborative culture ensures successful cross-platform communications solutions for our clients. But unlike a large agency, the entire team is senior-level and has senior-level talent, experience, and judgment to produce superior work.

Recognition

  • Silver PRISM Award/National Association of Home Builders /best real estate website
  • Gold and Silver PRISM Awards/Boston Builders & Remodelers Association/logos, brochures/display advertising
  • First Place Hatch Award/The Ad Club, Boston
  • Best of Show/Boston Art Directors Club
  • Gold and Silver Awards/Boston Art Directors Club
  • CLIO/ package design
  • New England Emmy/television graphics
  • Silver Award/National Association of Broadcasters/editorial
  • Media recognition/Print and Art Direction magazines

Principals.

Debra Glabeau is the president of Great Island Design. She provides project leadership and applies equal parts creative, strategic, and technical support to help clients achieve their communications goals and better understand the intersection of design and business.

Education: Simmons College, School of the Museum of Fine Arts – Design, Communications; Yale University, Graduate School of Art & Architecture; Salem State University, MA Literature.
Debra is a 2016 graduate of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program at Babson College.
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Service: Debra serves as vice-chair of the board of the Samaritan Charitable Society of Salem. She is past president of the Dean’s Advisory Council, Salem State University, and vice president of Historic Salem, Inc.

Ken Harris is creative director and founder of Great Island Design. Typically assuming the role of art director and lead designer, Ken works directly with clients and contributes to all phases of creative development for both print and web design, assuring that thematic messaging is integrated across all communications platforms.

Ken studied graphic design and photography at the College of Design, Architecture and Art, University of Cincinnati. He is past president of the Boston Art Directors’ Club.

Service: Ken is current vice president of The Whiting Club; past vice president of the board of the Salem Athenaeum and past creative director of The Salem Museum.

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