Spring Break
MU Ballroom displays graphic design content
Graduating seniors display portfolios, the final step in rigorous OSU design program
Nick Vardanega
Issue date: 6/8/07 Section: News
Graphic designers have a hand in almost everything in society. Any advertisement, product or medium of any kind has probably been worked on by a graphic designer at some point to make it look better and more effectively convey a message.
"I really didn't notice until I got into the program, but everything has been touched by graphic designers," said Ryan Schroeder, a senior in graphic design.
Schroeder and his fellow graphic designers - some of whom had pulled all-nighters setting up - had their portfolios and senior thesis projects on display in the MU Ballroom Thursday as part of a showcase for graduating seniors in the graphic design program.
Seniors stood behind tables displaying their work as students and recruiters from businesses like HP perused the room.
Shroeder's senior thesis project was about responsible design. Specifically the responsibility of graphic designers to recognize that the ways they use their craft to communicate a certain message influences the way people think. Shroeder said that it's important for them to be aware of this and to, "not be complete corporate whores."
Jonathan Tudor also talked about designers as communicators or translators.
"I think graphic designers are translators, taking a message and putting it into a tangible thing and giving it to the public," said Tudor, who made a booklet with different pictures of people and information about them to symbolize the way people act differently and project different personas depending on their surroundings.
Emily Oliva, who designed T-shirts for this year's Mom's Weekend, did her project on social responsibility and self-authorship and said she believes designers can change the world.
"[Graphic designers are] innovators, really hardworking people ... we can change people's minds," Oliva said.
This was the first year that students in the graphic design program were required to do a senior thesis. At the beginning of the winter term they began researching a topic of their choosing that related to graphic design and then did three projects in connection with that topic during spring term.
"I really didn't notice until I got into the program, but everything has been touched by graphic designers," said Ryan Schroeder, a senior in graphic design.
Schroeder and his fellow graphic designers - some of whom had pulled all-nighters setting up - had their portfolios and senior thesis projects on display in the MU Ballroom Thursday as part of a showcase for graduating seniors in the graphic design program.
Seniors stood behind tables displaying their work as students and recruiters from businesses like HP perused the room.
Shroeder's senior thesis project was about responsible design. Specifically the responsibility of graphic designers to recognize that the ways they use their craft to communicate a certain message influences the way people think. Shroeder said that it's important for them to be aware of this and to, "not be complete corporate whores."
Jonathan Tudor also talked about designers as communicators or translators.
"I think graphic designers are translators, taking a message and putting it into a tangible thing and giving it to the public," said Tudor, who made a booklet with different pictures of people and information about them to symbolize the way people act differently and project different personas depending on their surroundings.
Emily Oliva, who designed T-shirts for this year's Mom's Weekend, did her project on social responsibility and self-authorship and said she believes designers can change the world.
"[Graphic designers are] innovators, really hardworking people ... we can change people's minds," Oliva said.
This was the first year that students in the graphic design program were required to do a senior thesis. At the beginning of the winter term they began researching a topic of their choosing that related to graphic design and then did three projects in connection with that topic during spring term.
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