One Design Show

Every year, the University of Chester’s graphic design department holds an exhibition of the third year student’s work. In order to produce, promote and advertise the exhibition, a committee was formed consisting of third year students who were responsible for the design direction.

The committee encouraged full class participation by allowing all third year graphic design students to pitch their ideas, after which one idea was chosen and worked on further by the committee and then further refined by myself.

The idea behind the promotion of the exhibition was to communicate how much effort had gone into the three years of a design student’s time at University through the use of exaggerated figures such as “197,100 Coffees” and “10,800 Glue Sticks”. To communicate this further, a name for the show was developed, “One Design Show”, with the tagline “A Culmination of Ideas” to show how through countless coffees, glue sticks and allnighters, the students had arrived at one show, presenting their finest ideas. These extravagant figures were also illustrated with pixelated iconography, blown up to a size at which the pixels were apparant.

The unique invitation was designed in the form of a triangle which also folds up into its own envelope. This invitation was sent out to 400 design agencies, schools and colleges, inviting them to the show.

Secondly, a series of 8 posters were developed for display around the campus, directing people to the room in which the exhibition was being held. The posters used the same pixelated iconography that could be found on the invitation.

Thirdly, to advertise the student’s work and to allow people to take something away from the exhibition to carry on the experience, a set of Moo MiniCards were designed with the student’s artwork, name and website address on one side and thanking people for attending the show on the back.

Fourthly, name tags were designed in the same style of the invitation for each of the exhibition stands.

Fifthly, a website was designed to promote the show. It includes three pieces of work from each student displaying at the show, along with information on each project and contact details for the show and the student themselves.

Along with all of the above, responsibilties for producing the show included liaising with design staff, external printers and the class as a whole.