As a B.F.A. candidate, putting my skills to the test meant working for the University's Marketing and Creative Services (MCS) team. My role here encompassed copyfitting to developing design hierarchies and unique elements. The jobs usually come in bunches, so each piece is juggled in a queue of about 5-15 pieces where I'll usually anywhere from 30 min to 4 hours on a piece more depending on the complexity and density of the changes, then release finished pieces (upon final review by all MCS designers, copy leads, and proofreaders) to publications like Newsday or to various University Clients like the Division of Student affairs.
The following is a sampling of pieces I've created for the Panthers đ±
The Creative Problems, or The Fun Ones
1. We just set a new standard for the University Admissions ads, and we need pieces like the 2016 Family Weekend postcard to fit that new model but, as it's not under the Admissions advancement category per se, how can you make it different enough to match our general look but represent our events rather than our academic programs?
a before and after...
2. We have very little direction for the University Day of Giving lawn sign and flyer?âwhat can you come up with for us? We need something eye-catching, fresh, but grounded in our recent design "language". And... go!
Answer:
Unlike an ice cream cone a pinwheel is a a more complex icon to build in only highlights but it was a fun challenge. đ
The Brochures, or the nuts and bolts
All of the University departments and services need pamphlets that let the students and their parents, as well as prospective students and their parents, know what the University offers. Thus, these jobs are less about innovation and more about establishing high standards of quality. They should communicate directly the services and amenities provided but also communicate through design by means of the formatting, the images, and the typesetting, Adelphi's values.
Here are a few examples of those documents:
1. Center for Student Involvment (CSI)
I explored MCS photo archive from last year's orientation to find a nice image that shows students engaging on campus, hanging out with the Panther, then cropped it from a horizontal picture to a vertical cover image. I went through a few iterations on the social call to action, working with the MCS Art Director, and the Head of Social Media to decide if the social icons alone, a call to action by itself, or a combination of the two would best get students to connect with us online. Incidentally, the wording here became important: the prevailing wording for Adelphi's social media is "engage with us", as engagement is a conversation whereas to "connect" sounded less formal. My impression was that "engage with us" sounds more professional, useful and proper in University advancement, for events at the University Center or the Performing Arts Centerâfor professional development and networkingâbut maybe too daunting for a department whose job is to entice the broadest swath of the student body; if the language is more casual then students will be more likely to take the first step. Then, once they have acclimated, they can progress to utilize the full depth of the University's networks, both online and off.
2. Residential Life and Housing
The Res Life brochure called for a slightly different approach than CSI; whereas CSI's mass of information called for a careful delineation of sections, Res Life's imagery had to speak for itselfâor, at least, the former brochure was a bit dry and in need of a spice-up. Thus, I found some strong images that fit nicely and complimented the flow of information. The cinematic quality of the photos shows off the University's allure while capturing some smaller moments: of students enjoying one another's company.
