The Simpson College Gallery of Art and Design is alive with creativity, as senior graphic design majors present their capstone projects in the Graphic Design Senior Exhibition. Running from Nov. 18 to Dec. 13, the exhibit is open from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, in the art studio.
The exhibition is the result of months of effort, with instructor Justin Nostrala guiding throughout the semester. The highlight of the exhibition was the artist presentations on Thursday, Nov. 21, where students shared their inspirations, processes and challenges.
Each project represents months of creative exploration and personal touch, combining artistry with technical skills, using programs such as Adobe XD and Procreate. The seniors’ work demonstrates the diversity and individuality of their styles while showcasing their shared journey.
At the start of the semester, the seniors engaged in extensive brainstorming, developed proposals, designed logos, crafted pitches, storyboarded and sketched while mastering various design programs.
For Avery Dickerson, whose project, Wildlife Wanderers, focuses on exploring nature, the process was challenging yet rewarding.
“Nothing felt like it was put together honestly until the very end, and then everything just kind of meshed together,” Dickerson said.
Students were able to create in a collaborative atmosphere which allowed them to enjoy the process.
“Being here at a small school, I’ve been taking classes with these people for four years, and so we get to build this relationship; we’re not nervous messing up in front of each other,” Dickerson said.
Abby Hintz, editor-in-chief of ID magazine and layout editor of The Simpsonian, shares a similar sentiment.
“Seeing everyone else’s work also evolve, and my work as well has just been really cool,” Hintz said.
Hintz took her editorial expertise to the next level with her project, Social Butterfly.
“What I like about graphic design is being able to express myself,” Hintz said. “I’m not really keen to speak and communicate verbally, I always usually do it through design, or photography, or just putting words to paper instead of words out into the open.”
Another standout project, The Red Admiral, is a comic created by Nayeli Mejia.
“Basically, I did all of the paneling, all of the line work, all of the coloring, all of the lighting myself,” Mejia said, emphasizing the hands-on nature of the project.
Her advice to future designers is to remain curious: “If you don’t really know what you want to do specifically with design, just explore a lot. Just learn everything you can about every program… the things that are interesting to you will pop out and you will be able to develop your own sense of style,” Mejia said.
Instructor Nostrala detailed the effort that went into preparing the exhibition.
“We had critiques throughout the semester and I gave them input on what they could do to improve,” Nostrala said.
Students took an active role in the installation process as well.
“Students installed their own work but then the UGA and I, Jade Sprague, did the artists’ labels and made sure everything was in order,” Nostrala said. “We printed out everything here on our large format printer… all day Saturday all day Sunday getting stuff printed out.”
The quality of the work displayed is a testament to the students’ dedication and talent.
“Ideally this work will be included in their portfolios that they use to apply for positions, and I think it is all of that quality,” Nostrala said.
The exhibition, open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., offers a glimpse into the dedication and talent of Simpson’s graphic design seniors. Visitors are encouraged to explore the gallery and witness the culmination of months of creativity and hard work.