Graphic Design Commons^™

Ra Hub: Streamlining Resident Advisor Workflows Through A Mobile App, Samantha Danahe Gonzalez

Graphic Communication

This project explores the need to improve the workflow experience for Residential Advisors (RAs), specifically focusing on polychat logging and event planning workflows that currently rely on multiple disconnected software platforms. This fragmented system creates confusion and makes it difficult to complete responsibilities efficiently and accurately. Survey findings revealed frustrations with tracking tasks, managing workflows, and navigating between systems. In response, this project proposes a centralized workflow system designed to create a more organized, accessible, and userfriendly experience for RAs.

Redesigning Rhapsody In View's Website For Improved Storytelling And Navigation, Christine Ha

Graphic Communication

Rhapsody in View is a family-owned and operated hotel boutique in Morro Bay that offers bespoke rooms and warm hospitality. Their current website has the opportunity to improve the layout design for ease of navigation and improved storytelling. This project aims to deliver a high-fidelity interactive prototype that showcases a visually appealing website design, improved user journey and expression of Rhapsody in View’s story, and refined navigation flow.

Let's Talk Twenties, Yuwa R. Tennen

Graphic Communication

“Let’s Talk Twenties” is a senior design project that explores what it really feels like to be in your twenties...the highs, the lows, and everything in between. It focuses on creating an open, relatable space where conversations about identity, relationships, and personal growth feel honest and normalized. The goal is to break away from the pressure of having everything figured out and instead highlight the shared experiences that define this stage of life.

Through thoughtful short-form content, branding, and storytelling, the project combines engaging visuals with real, meaningful content to connect with young adults. It emphasizes authenticity, inclusivity, and emotional …

Independent Apparel Brand Launch Campaign Strategy, Nick S. Schottenfeld

Graphic Communication

Soleil Lune is an independent California apparel brand with an established visual identity, a growing social media following, and a live product collection but lacks a coordinated marketing system to connect those pieces into a unified launch. Without that structure, the brand’s Instagram, Shopify store, and print materials were operating independently, making it difficult to build consistent customer trust or drive sales. This project developed a full launch campaign producing a print and digital lookbook, 10 Instagram campaign assets, a printed poster, and a branded care insert card all designed to work together to tell the brand story, grow the …

Designing A Mobile App For Mr. Turtle: Increasing Membership And Building Sustainable Refill Habits, Mira Pinto

Graphic Communication

Mr. Turtle is a sustainable soap and detergent refill station service. Instead of buying new plastic bottles, customers bring containers to a Mr. Turtle refill station and fill them up with products like dish soap and laundry detergent.

The stations are located inside local retail partner stores and on the Cal Poly campus, making it easy to refill. In the SLO area, Mr. Turtle has locations in the SLO Food Co-Op, Market Poly Canyon, and Swish & Swirl. Mr. Turtle’s mission is to reduce single-use plastic waste by making refilling simple and convenient.

For my senior project, I created a …

Advertisement Recognition And Recall In Urban Environments, Carson L. Ambrose

Graphic Communication

Why is it that certain advertisements are so much easier to remember than others? And how can places like Times Square actually be communicating effectivly through the dense amount of different ads? This project aims to get closer to finding out how design and environmental ad density effect advertisement recognition and recall. To capture the real-world feeling of a dense city, a 3D printed one was created to allow for custom testing and various locations meant for displaying custom advertisements. These ads would be created using a variety of design characteristics such as color, hierarchy, composition, typography, and over all …

Cor(E) Brand Direction, Jake T. Tokatlian

Graphic Communication

COR(E) is a new record label founded by an artist named Lil Uzi Vert, and for my project I have taken the initial steps to develop their brand identity and create physical products for the label. To achieve this, I made a brand book to help define COR(E) and provide a set of design guidelines, a Spring issue of a quarterly magazine that provides news and behind the scenes of the label’s artists, and a CD design including a cover and tracklist. I believe there is a gap in the market for bringing physical media into the music industry and …

Digital Print Ordering System For Ugs, Han Nguyen

Graphic Communication

This project redesigns the UGS digital storefront to make ordering custom prints clearer and less confusing for students. Research showed that many delays happen because users submit incorrect files, such as wrong formats, low-resolution images, or missing fonts. To address this, I created an interactive prototype that guides users step-by-step through the ordering process and includes a built-in file checklist with simple export instructions. Instead of relying on a separate PDF guide, the new system supports users directly within the workflow, helping reduce errors and making the process smoother for both customers and UGS staffs.

Greekmate: Communicating Startup Value Through Design And Marketing, Cameron Do-Khanh

Graphic Communication

This project examines how design and marketing can improve communication for early-stage software by applying these principles to GreekMate, a candidate management tool built for student organizations. The software functioned well but lacked a strong brand identity and clear value communication. Using Diffusion of Innovation Theory and research on UX strategy, the project focused on redesigning the brand system and marketing website to make the product easier to understand and more appealing to its audience. The redesign included a new visual direction, updated hierarchy, clearer feature explanations, and a more energetic style that aligned with student expectations. Informal user feedback …

Itadakimasu: Recipes From Japanese American Internment Camps, Alexander K. Nishida

Graphic Communication

This project presents a historical narrative told through the format of a cookbook, exploring the relationship between food, memory, and resilience during the Japanese American Internment of World War II. Using primary resources such as news publications from within the camps (Topaz Times,1943), historical interviews (Herzig, 1994), and secondary resources from an archival podcast (Campu, 2021) to highlight how food served as both a means of survival and an expression of identity under confinement.

The cookbook will combine recipes inspired by documented internment-era meals with stories and reflections gathered from interviews, archival materials, and community voices. Each section will contextualize …

Communicating Change: A Visual Analysis Of American Political And Activist Posters, Hana Sage Morshedi

Graphic Communication

Across U.S. history, posters have helped movements inform, persuade, and mobilize the public, going beyond information to signal identity and values. In this project, I analyze 40 historically significant American political and activist posters, from wartime propaganda to civil rights and queer liberation, to explore how visual choices shape public opinion and drive social change. I focus on elements such as community/heritage colors, typography, composition, and cultural or movement-specific motifs to see how they signal identity, guide action, and contribute to a “successful” poster.

Reviving Motion: Rebranding More Than Motion Dance Intensive, Ava Zamoff

Graphic Communication

For my senior project, I will lead a full rebranding initiative for More Than Motion Dance Intensive, an international dance convention that occurs annually across the US and other countries, connecting dancers and professional choreographers through a transformative weekend of dance. The main goal of this project is to turn the company’s outdated Wix website into an innovative site with a brand new visual identity. Additionally, the original site’s accessibility is lacking in terms of layout orientation and marketing strategy as it doesn’t convey the modern, dynamic feel the intensive is meant to embody. My goal is to complement the …

Aurela App Mockup – Discreet Drug Detection Wearable, Piper Ferch

Graphic Communication

Aurela is a discreet drug detection technology jewelry brand, and the wearable will connect to the app to tell users if their drink is safe when they test it with the jewelry. Drug-facilitated sexual assault is a deep rooted societal issue, and Aurela works to empower customer’s control of their safety. The brand was created by my beach volleyball teammate Addie Bounds, and my project aims to show how the app would provide fast, accessible information to users, in an easy-to-read and streamlined format. It will include a map feature, that displays ratings of local businesses, likely bars, given by …

Seattle's New Edition, Kyle Gray

Graphic Communication

My project is to create and develop the branding of the NBA's newest franchise: The Seattle Grunge. Grunge is a genre of alternative rock that emerged in the mid-1980s particularly in the city of Seattle. With my team, I am looking for seamless cohesion with other logos in the Association while establishing an emotional connection between the fanbase and its city. The project will consist of a complete creation of the team’s logo/branding, court, 3 jersey designs (home/away/city connect), merchandise, season ticket packaging, and a full marketing report (team logo exposure/connection to the city).

A Digital Dive: Redesigning The Cabrillo High School Aquarium Website, Jacob V. Cacho

Graphic Communication

Tucked away on the Central Coast in Lompoc, you’ll find the Cabrillo High School (CHS) Aquarium. Started in 1986, the CHS Aquarium is the only high school aquarium of its kind in the nation run entirely by high school students. This 10,000+ square foot aquarium serves an underserved community at a Title I school, where students manage all aspects of animal care, nutrition, breeding, educational curriculum development, and visitor tours.

This program is truly one-of-a-kind and deserves the spotlight for just how unique it is. As a CHS graduate, I felt the current website lacked in many areas and could …

Ray Collection: Forging A New Fashion Genre, Olivia R. Cooper

Graphic Communication

This senior project addresses a gap in the fashion industry by creating a new genre through a unique collection and comprehensive branding. The "RAY" collection draws inspiration from the designer's artistic roots and is a deeply personal homage to influential female artists like Frida Kahlo, Louise Bourgeois, and Leonora Carrington, whose works have inspired the designer's creative journey. Each piece in the collection draws direct inspiration from these artists, reflecting the creator's vision and self-expression, a key element of the streetwear genre incorporated into the designs.

The project also heavily emphasizes fashion branding, encompassing a logo, brand identity, social and …

Project Cheetah: Narrative Website Design For The Cheetah, A Record-Breaking Human-Powered Vehicle, Natalie Olivia Garbarino

Graphic Communication

The Cheetah is a 1992 world speed record-breaking bike designed and built by three mechanical engineering graduates from UC Berkeley: Jon Garbarino, James Osborn, and Kevin Frantz. After years on display at the Tech Interactive in San Jose, the bike is returning home to Berkeley’s engineering school for public display. In accompaniment of the exhibit, the Cheetah engineering team requested printed signage with a QR access to a comprehensive website detailing the Cheetah narrative. There is an abundance of media from the engineering process — extensive photographic documentation, substantial archival documents, reputable external media coverage, and an in-progress docuseries — …

From Digital To Print: Investigating Ink And Paper Combinations In Photographic Printing, Jacquelyn Lily Bostock

Graphic Communication

The significance of this project lies in its potential to deepen the understanding of how paper choice influences color reproduction in printed photographic works. As digital photography continues to advance, the demand for high-quality physical prints remains strong, requiring photographers and designers to carefully consider how materials impact the final image. This research provides valuable insights into how different paper substrates—specifically silk text stock and satin text stock—affect color accuracy, vibrancy, and tonal subtleties when printed using a standardized color management workflow.

By highlighting the interaction between printer limitations and paper characteristics, this project helps photographers and print professionals make …

Moonlight Matcha Process Book, Adrienne Liang

Graphic Communication

As matcha continues to rise in popularity across the United States, there are significant gaps in consumer awareness regarding its health benefits and cultural significance. Moonlight Matcha, a fictitious brand developed for my senior project, seeks to bridge those gaps by educating consumers about the wellness benefits of matcha while featuring a modern, appealing design that resonates with a broad audience. This project has been especially meaningful because it allowed me to explore the full process of building a brand from the ground up – from brand strategy and storytelling to packaging development and user experience (UX) design. It brings …

Simplifying The Housing Experience: A Redesign Of The Cal Poly University Housing Portal, Emmy A. Nguyen

Graphic Communication

There are challenges in functionality, navigation and aesthetics with the current Cal Poly University Housing portal. There exists a need for a redesign of the portal to be more intuitive and user friendly for students. By conducting research with students and University Housing staff to gain a full understanding of the current issues present, an improved interface that reflects the needs of Cal Poly students can be produced. The goal of this self-guided senior project is to provide a streamlined experience that allows students to easily complete their main task with minimal effort. This paper outlines the redesign process of …

Literature Review: New Life K9s Informational Video, Samuel E. Moore

Graphic Communication

New Life K9s is an organization that seeks to unite service dogs with veterans and first responders who are suffering from PTSD and other effects of their heroic work. The organization is seeking a concise informational video that highlights their work and explains their organization to potential donors and the general public. My senior project’s goal is to create this video in a way that accurately showcases the work of New Life K9s and conveys the value of their work. I will be using footage that the organization provides and will incorporate techniques of video editing, color correction, audio editing, …

Releaf By Design: Eco Conscious Cannabis Packaging, Abigail Jane Fleishman

Graphic Communication

ReLeaf is an innovative project that explores the dynamic intersection of sustainability and functionality in cannabis packaging. This project explores the urgent need for environmentally responsible solutions in an industry often reliant on single-use plastic. This project uses an innovative lens to research current eco-friendly packaging using kraft paperboard tubes, ultraviolet glass jars, and post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastics. This project aims to create a packaging solution that meets industry safety standards while appealing to eco-conscious consumers by prioritizing recyclability, biodegradability, aesthetic design, and compliance with safety regulations. The branding strategy, embodied in the name “ReLeaf,” emphasizes the therapeutic benefits of …

Evermarket:The App For Fresh Finds And Hidden Treasures, Kira M. Sugihara

Graphic Communication

The purpose of this project is to discover a new way of bringing communities together when it comes to buying, selling and trading goods locally. Many smaller vendors struggle to connect with their communities while buyers often become frustrated with the lack of marketing and advertising for these markets and sales. With the help of a mobile app, sellers will be able to list their markets and sales to buyers who will be able to easily locate these local events. This concept eliminates the frustration of trying to find second-hand and fresh goods by putting them all in one place, …

Civility War, Jonathan Speirs

Graphic Communication

Civility War is a poster series that examines contemporary civil conflicts in contemporary world history and the precedent it sets for American political polarization. The early 2010s marked the beginning of America’s current ascent to historical highs for incidences of politically-fueled violence in the forms of hate crimes and domestic terrorism. With the documentation of the effects of similar circumstances available today in the digital age, spreading awareness for the human cost of using violence for political aims is highly topical. This project also attempts to address the aversion university students have to publicly discussing political opinions, as less than …

Craving A New Look: Rebrand Of Cafe Crepes, Joan Yun

Graphic Communication

Cafe Crepes, located in the heart of downtown San Luis Obispo, is an established business that has been serving customers for over 10 years. However, despite their prime location and experience, Cafe Crepes often goes unnoticed and struggles to attract attention from the community due to their poor brand image and visibility. Cafe Crepes' current brand image is outdated and visually uninviting, primarily due to their existing logo, color scheme, and typeface. Additionally, Cafe Crepes suffers from low brand visibility due to minimal and inconsistent advertising efforts.

The goal of this senior project is to transform Cafe Crepes' brand image …

Breaking The Curse: Rebranding The Sacramento Kings, Colby Sundeen

Graphic Communication

The Sacramento Kings basketball team has a terrible reputation throughout the National Basketball Association (NBA) and has suffered a massive loss in their revenue and audience because of it. Even though they are the oldest team in the NBA and are based in the capital of California, which is the largest market in the world for basketball, they are consistently overshadowed by all of the other teams in California as well as most of the other teams in the NBA. This stems from their brand reputation which has slowly and consistently declined since the early 2000’s. Brand reputation is one …

Touch By Angels Café Rebrand, Hailey Choi

Graphic Communication

Touch By Angels, a local Korean-dessert café in San Luis Obispo, CA, specializing in bingsoo, taiyaki, and specialty teas, has struggled since its December 2023 opening to establish a cohesive visual identity across its B2C interaction spaces, including its website, social media pages, and on-site signage. This rebranding project aims to develop a comprehensive visual identity for Touch By Angels by enhancing its logo design, color palette, typography, and photography, revamping its social media, and on-site signage to create a unified and appealing brand image. The expected outcome is improved customer engagement, enhanced brand recognition, and business growth, positioning Touch …

Expanding Learn By Doing: Creating A Culture Of Extracurricular Lab Work In The Graphic Communication Department, Miriam Gabai, Isis Dominguez

Graphic Communication

The existing Graphic Communication (GrC) curriculum immerses students in print production through hands-on labs, exposing them to a variety of industrial machinery.

However, outside the context of required labs, students will rarely use the department’s equipment, which is a lost learning opportunity.

This project proposes exploring opportunities for students to use machinery outside the context of required classes, in order to both foster familiarity with industry tools and generate new industry knowledge. The aim is to research and develop a plan for implementing a program that helps to encourage students to further develop skills and pursue research projects using department …

High Frequency: A Graphic Anthology Of Music, Cindy Nguyen

Graphic Communication

High Frequency experiments with the production of both non-traditional book design and graphic design in order to explore the personal relationship that can exist between an individual and music. Key areas of experimentation lie in typography, graphic design, and layout in order to result in a specialized, hand-crafted book featuring custom posters of twenty-five albums that have had particular significance to my personal musical journey. How can one visually represent their emotional connection, journey, and relationship to a body of music? Though this is the primary focus of this project, a secondary goal is to explore how an individual interacts …

Grc: A Mustang Quest, Jackson T. Alexander

Graphic Communication

The main purpose of this study is to define the overall effectiveness of visual marketing through animation and storytelling narration. California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo has dozens of potential majors that interest students, thus leading to specific programs such as Graphic Communication (GRC) gaining fewer numbers compared to other College of Liberal Arts (CLA) fields. By analyzing what key elements are necessary for gaining outside attention and intrigue about a college program, I can better understand what information needs to be presented in my video project. This video will focus on defining what Graphic Communication is as a …