Seniors majoring in graphic design presented their final design proposals at the Graphic Design Senior Show on Friday, March 3, at 6:30 p.m., at the Sargent Art Building. Despite the rain, many visitors supported the 12 students who displayed the final versions of their thesis projects, which they had worked on since last semester.
Students could either choose a brand or create their own and, based on extensive research, develop a proposal that represented and met the graphical needs of the selected brand. Web design, app design and packaging design were among the skills the seniors gained.
The final products looked very different for each student; for example, Abigail Cutlip focused on recreating existing material, including creating a contemporary version of the cover for the Peter Rabbit books. Other students, like Isabel Schumann, researched and developed materials for small businesses. Schumann developed a proposal for a bookstore and chocolate shop.
Regardless of their proposals, students learned both graphic design skills and practical skills that they can apply in the future. “I learned a lot about just the design process in general,” Anna Tuttle said, “starting from the idea and then just researching, ideating and then actually doing variations in the process of service.”
Other students gained time management skills, like Isabel Schumann, learning how to make a schedule effectively as well as not to overthink her ideas. Cutlip said she grew in collaboration skills and flexibility by “being willing to just start over or go in a different direction because you may find something better.”
These lessons are the product of more than three years of training in the field. “All the three years, four years, coming up to this point has helped me so tremendously,” Melia Covington said.
The Graphic Design Senior Show displays the knowledge students gained during college, simultaneously promoting their work and launching them into the professional world. The students all had business cards on their stands that visitors could take, their thesis proposals printed large enough for all to see and their “designer statements” that explained their visions and missions as graphic designers.
