Graphic Design Commons^™

Lisa Congdon: The Self-Taught Design Pioneer, Kate Foley

Communication Design: Design Pioneers

Known for her colorful, bold, and whimsical folk art-inspired illustration and design style, Lisa Congdon brings joy and passion, fueled by her own self-taught journey, to the modern world of graphic design. Congdon is a fine artist, illustrator, and writer, producing works driven by her experiences with mental health, social justice, being queer, and being a woman. “And while all of those things can feel really dark and hard sometimes, there is a certain amount of joy that I feel, and that’s always what I want to try and express to the world” (Johnson, 2021), she shares. Although her path …

Lauren Hom: Design Pioneer, Hannah Schock

Communication Design: Design Pioneers

Self-made hand lettering artist Lauren Hom is living the American Dream – doing what she loves, having fun, and getting paid to do it all. Based in Detroit, Hom has created quite the following on social media as a playful, whimsical artist who doesn’t take life too seriously. She turns her life’s hardships, friends’ jokes, and weird ideas into art all while not giving a damn what other people think of it. Her journey to where she is now is an inspiration to all aspiring artists.

Sarah Boris, Emily Gaugler

Communication Design: Design Pioneers

Boris Sarah Boris has been in the art and design industry for over fifteen years, but some might say she is just getting started. Boris worked for design industries and art organizations such as the Barbican, the Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA), and Phaidon Publishing, but in 2015 she took a more independent approach and opened her own design studio in London, Sarah Boris Design. Since opening her studio Boris has pursued personal explorations, collaborations, and commissions. Her work is clean, bright, and impactful, and she is gaining admiration from students and design critics. She has a gift for creating …

Visionaire Branding Company, Toni Joy Forsythe

Graphic Communication

It has been a goal of mine to one day launch my own branding and marketing agency, therefore this opportunity has allowed me to ideate what the agency would look like in terms of branding and business. I developed Visionaire Branding Company, a branding and marketing agency located in Central California. Creativity has always been at the forefront of my ambitions and Visionaire is a reflection of my passion for taking businesses to the next level and doing it with a vision.

Rebranding The Cal Poly Writers' Collective, Micah Wilkins

Graphic Communication

For my senior project, I rebranded the Writers’ Collective, Cal Poly’s creative writing club. This process included collecting feedback from the club members and creating both physical and virtual deliverables. I designed a new logo, then created a brand based around it. Using these, I then designed merchandise featuring the logo, such as stickers, and also designed a new template for the club newsletter. To ensure the rebrand is effective, I created a guide on best file practices and uploaded this, as well as all the designs I had created, to the club’s Google Drive, so that future officers can …

Adaptation Of Graphic Design For Inclusivity Of Diverse Demographic Audiences, Stephanie Bedoya

Honors Theses

Being culturally aware of one’s target audience is essential in order to avoid insensitive design choices and communicate more effectively. Through secondary source research, I described design issues impacting populations that are frequently overlooked. I found examples that either lack cultural awareness or inclusivity for these populations. This project analyzes these existing design materials and provides a redesigned version following more inclusive standards.

[Un]Seen, Al Benbow

Honors Projects

[un]seen is a community-centered project and installation that consists of a collection of portraits and statements from underrepresented members of the LGBTQ+ community. Each subject submits their own action item that depends on their identity and response to the question, “what do you wish people understood about the experience of being [your identity]?”

This project was initially born out of research into the commodification of LGBTQ+ identities, and the realization that corporations tend to market to members of the LGBTQ+ community who they believe have the most spending power: white, cisgender, able-bodied, upper class, gay men, and therefore most often …

Fiore Jewelry: Branding And Packaging Design, Trevor A. Mcgall

Graphic Communication

My senior project incorporates my interests in the packaging field with structural and graphic design challenges, as well as materials consideration. I have designed the primary packaging for a hypothetical online jewelry brand. I have also created the logo, color scheme, and corresponding packaging graphics for this made up brand.

Less Water, More Holy: Tools For Sustainable Ablution, Faheem Khan

Theses and Dissertations

Prayer is an important part of life for many people, whether it takes the form of meditation or talking to God. Muslims pray five times a day, and before each prayer, they first clean themselves by performing ritual ablution (wudu). The eight-step purification process of wudu cleanses the body from head to toe. The Hadiths of Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim tell us the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ needed just one mudd of water (650ml) to complete wudu, but most people consume many times that amount—four-to-seven liters is more common today.

To visualize and better understand the nature …

Artisan Tea Project Re-Brand, Alyssa J. Tong

Graphic Communication

Artisan Tea Project, a local cold brew tea pop-up in San Luis Obispo, aims to communicate the brand’s quality, simplicity, and creativity. The company is in need of design collateral that can best market the nuances of their product to target audiences, especially through digital means. The end result of the project is a fully re-branded company with a cohesive brand image that supports the company’s products, mission, and vision.

Young Adult Book Cover Design And Its Impact On Reader Interest, Megan A. Mccullough

Selected Honors Theses

A book cover is one of the first steps in selling a book and is vital in catching a reader’s attention. Still, many book covers in the young adult fiction market are ineffective at reaching their target audience. Since the birth of young adult books, cover design styles have changed drastically, yet little research has been done. Because of this lack of research, two new surveys were built to investigate what specific elements and styles of current young adult book covers appeal to readers. One survey was for readers, and one survey was for professionals working in the publishing industry. …

Visualizing A Woman’S Journey Through The Old Testament Prophetic Books: Improving Female Study Methods Through Visual Supplementation, Olivia Martin Smith

Masters Theses

Christians are often less likely to read the Old Testament prophetic literature compared to other books in Scripture. This poses a problem within the Church for Biblical literacy and understanding Scripture as one complete narrative that points to Christ. The aim of this research was to discover what causes a struggle for Christian women understanding the prophetic literature, why Old Testament prophetic literature is important for women to study, and the best methods for communicating this information to a female audience. The following research questions were asked: 1. What is the standard perspective of an average Christian when studying Old …

Disconnected, James H. Reeves Ii

Masters Theses

Even with complications, remote learning can be successful with the development of user friendly designed solutions. While there are educational tools and platforms available that electronically support remote learning, many students and teachers do not have deep technological knowledge and many lack internet access outside of school. Without access to the internet, many of them experience interruptions in their education. This underscores the needs of both the educator, and the students during sudden and unexpected periods of school closure. The research objectives of this project focus on current learning tools, their design, and their accessibility during remote learning. The level …

The Intersection Of Art History And Graphic Design, Caitlin Anessa Childers

Honors Theses

A study of Graphic Design provides an excellent opportunity to work in an interdisciplinary field, particularly when paired with a degree in Art History. Over the course of my time at Coastal I have had a challenging time trying to unite the two parts of my degree, as well as finding a project that best suits my style of design. Both parts have inspired the other, but only now has the project been entirely focused on uniting the two. In considering my capstone I decided to create an art museum exhibition for a graphic designer.

Girl In Action: Junior Bazaar, 1945-1948, Rose D. Bishop

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis provides an overview of Junior Bazaar, a short-lived magazine for teenage girls published by Hearst between 1945-1948. Under the supervision of art director Lillian Bassman the magazine featured a variety of aesthetic devices — such as photomontage, asymmetrical layouts, the selective use of color, and playful placement of graphic forms — in efforts to distinguish itself from other publications on the market and construct a visual space specific to its teenage readers. Bassman’s unconventional stewardship of Junior Bazaar made room for an up-and-coming set of photographers, including Richard Avedon, Robert Frank, Diane Arbus, Louis Faurer, and other …

Digital Diet: Addressing The Effects Of Social Media & Internet Addiction On Stress And Anxiety Levels In Students, Brianna Janey

Senior Honors Theses

The contents of this thesis will address the effects of social media and internet addiction on stress and anxiety levels within students. The research process began by comprehensively defining the problem as being how online usage affects the levels of stress and anxiety within students. After establishing the problem, a review of existing literature presenting possible solutions to this problem was conducted. Each artifact was assessed for overall effectiveness in relation to the target demographic. Finally, a cohesive digital social good campaign that seeks to encourage students to create mindful online habits is presented as a creative solution that successfully …

Marks The Spot, Timothy Paul Crane

Masters Theses

This thesis is an investigation into the prtoblem of marketing for small businesses with little funds and means for advertisement. Past, present and predicted future methods of marketing prove there is room for improvement in affordability through existing advancements. Literature reviews and case studies explore the most lucrative ways forward. Research also indicates that large numbers of potential consumers are missed by small businesses due to their general lack of embracing newer communication technology such as store apps. This extra support measure provides users with notifications that highlight coupons and deals and has a proven record of success for larger …

Raising Consciousness: Challenging Diversity In Christian Publishing, Michael Omari Johnson

Masters Theses

The Christian publishing industry has overlooked the importance of diversity, particularly its impact on black American audiences. While studies show that diversity and inclusion can lead to more innovation through problem-solving, there persists a paradox where a lack of opportunities, disparities in wealth and employment and systemic prejudices can play a role in the ethnic and racial homogeneity of the Christian publishing industry. Thus, there are many barriers preventing people of color from emerging to the market, reflecting in the storytelling, content creation and audience of African-descent followers.

Nexgen Create: Graphic Design Interface, Mary Kate Elizabeth Morgan

Masters Theses

Students today do not have many options for college or career preparation in the artistic or creative fields. There are many options when it comes to creative careers that students and parents do not know about. There were 266,300 graphic designers recorded in the US in 2019. Based on the additional graphic designers entering the field and those retiring, in the next 10 years, it is expected that the US will need 16,700 new graphic designers to fill those positions. (See Graphic Designer Overview) This project focuses on teaching the next generation skills in graphic design to apply to college …

Living My Best Life Gifting Program, Jessica Gilmore

Masters Theses

Living My Best Life (LMBL) is a qualitative research study that explores how creative products can help provide a positive impact on children. Research shows that various forms of art are utilized in therapy, classroom settings, outreach programs, and in homes to help children overcome complicated, disturbing, and disruptive behavior due to adverse circumstances they have experienced in their life. The research revealed how strategy that utilizes and implements creative products and activities can actually alter the perspective of children in a more productive and optimistic manner. The products serve as long and short-term interventions against negative thoughts and actions. …

Colleen Glavic: 1918 & 2020 Pandemic Poster, Colleen Glavic

COVID-19 Graphic Design: Posters

• Mixed-media digital collage
• 18 x 24 inches, vertical

Nicolette Engelmeier: 1918 & 2020 Pandemic Poster, Nicolette Engelmeier

COVID-19 Graphic Design: Posters

• Mixed-media digital collage
• 18 inches wide, 24 inches high

Mira Holifield: 1918 & 2020 Pandemic Poster, Mira Holifield

COVID-19 Graphic Design: Posters

• Mixed-media digital college
• 18 inches wide, 24 inches high

Olivia Marklay: 1918 & 2020 Pandemic Poster, Olivia Marklay

COVID-19 Graphic Design: Posters

• Mixed-media digital collage
• 18 inches wide, 24 inches tall

Calan Gizelbach: 1918 & 2020 Pandemic Poster, Calan Gizelbach

COVID-19 Graphic Design: Posters

• 18 x 24 inches, vertical
• Mixed-media digital collage

Elliott Gilardi: 1918 & 2020 Pandemic Poster, Elliott Gilardi

COVID-19 Graphic Design: Posters

• Mixed-media digital collage
• 18 inches wide x 24 inches tall

Cara Simmons: 1918 & 2020 Pandemic Poster, Cara Simmons

COVID-19 Graphic Design: Posters

• Mixed-media digital collage
• 18 inches wide, 24 inches high

Cayley King: 1918 & 2020 Pandemic Poster, Cayley King

COVID-19 Graphic Design: Posters

• Mixed-media digital collage
• 18 inches wide, 24 inches high

Devan Moses: 1918 & 2020 Pandemic Poster, Devan Moses

COVID-19 Graphic Design: Posters

• Mixed-media digital collage
• 18 inches wide, 24 inches high

Tash Nelson: 1918 & 2020 Pandemic, Tash Nelson

COVID-19 Graphic Design: Posters

• Illustration, Digital Collage
• 18 inches wide, 24 inches high