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BFA IN GRAPHIC DESIGN 2020

Opening Reception: April 21, 5-6:00pm

The annual capstone exhibits by BFA in Graphic Design students features the work, passion, and educational journey by PSU senior students. Graphic Design students have been working all year, developing materials for their invented company concept and brand.

Click to jump to specific artist or scroll through the page


Sara Ascanio

SARA’S SMOOTHIES

Artist Bio
I am from Seabrook, NH and I came to Plymouth State to broaden my choice of major in Graphic Design. I have learned and broadened my artistic abilities here at Plymouth State and have had many influences. One of my major influences here at Plymouth is Jong. He has helped me with having a different mind set on my art and worked with me about trying new things to make my work look more clean and professional. This lead me to what I wanted to do in the future, which is mainly working with logos, or branding. I like creating logos, or even working with illustrations for cards, posters, etc. Throughout my first semester I had an experience of doing an internship at Little Dog Paper Co in Meredith, NH. I enjoyed what I did there, which was make greeting card illustrations, and worked on birthday suites to add to my portfolio.

Working on Saras Smoothies I enjoyed working and creating new designs that I got to come up with on my own. I challenged myself to work hard and come up with new things I wouldn’t want to do in the past. I struggle with going out of my comfort zone, which I recommend to do instead of restricting yourself to small ideas.

Plymouth States BFA program has strongly helped my art and skills grow. I have matured as an artist and hope to continue to grow and learn more skills after my time here at Plymouth State. I hope to get a job in a field that I enjoy, which is still up in the air for me, however as I mentioned before I am considering paths that I enjoy.

Artist Statement
Working on my BFA Thesis project, Saras Smoothies, has opened my eyes on a bunch of new possibilities with Graphic Design. My strongest work when it comes to Graphic Design is illustrating, which I have worked hard on showing through my smoothie shop. I wanted to brand my company in my own unique style, which I believe has shown. Using more illustrations and less photography gives the shop a bright, fun and attractive style. This project has been long and hard, however I enjoyed putting together a business that has always been something I have wanted to do. Saras Smoothies has its own unique touches to it and strives to help the environment with keeping it clear of pollution.

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Links

Company Website: Sara’s Smoothies
Branding/ Style Guide: Sara’s Smoothies


Danielle Bernazani

JUNIPER VALLEY SUMMER CAMP FOR GIRLS

Artist Bio
Hi, my name is Danielle Bernazani but I preferred to be called Dani. For the past four years I have gone through many stages of designing, creating and growth. I’m originally from Belmont, Massachusetts. Being at PSU has positively impacted my path to the future. I have received so much support and help from my peers who want me to grow my skills just as much as I want them to as well. I love to explore and work with different mediums such as collaging, spray paint, special effects makeup, oil paint and digital illustrations. My love of art has not always come easy. Art insecurity was prevalent throughout my time at PSU. I would always compare and contrast whose work was better than mine and what I can do to make it better next time. That “motivation” made me realize I was motivating myself out of anxiety and fear. I wanted to motivate myself off of my passions and drive through my work. If I would have any advice to give to a younger designer, it would be comparison is the thief of joy. The second you start comparing, the focus on your progress and your work will diminish and now all you can think about is how to make your project look like theirs. That’s not going to help you stand out my friend, that will shrink you and you are much better than that

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Company Website: Juniper Valley Summer Camp For Girls
Brochure: Juniper Valley Summer Camp For Girls
Brand Guide: Juniper Valley Summer Camp For Girls
Letterhead: Juniper Valley Summer Camp For Girls


Brigitte Boss

PIQUE PESTO

Artist Bio
I’m Brigitte Boss, a senior at Plymouth State University studying a BFA in Graphic Design. I am from Manchester, New Hampshire. My artistic inspiration sparks from what I am surrounded by in my day-to-day experiences; I found the most inspiration growing up from advertisements and how they were designed to catch the attention of so many different individuals. This pushes me to create an exhibit that will draw the interest of visitors attending this showcase and to continue in a career that will allow me to follow this passion post-graduation. I hope to find a suitable career in Graphic Design directly out of college that will allow me to learn and grow further in my design skills. Down the road I hope to reattend school for an MFA in either the same concentration, or one that connects well with design that will later on allow me to find a comfortable position in any job I find to settle into.

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Links

Company Website: Pique Pesto


Keegan Burch

KARMA KOSMETICS

Artist Bio
My name is Keegan Burch from Nashua, NH. I am a current senior here at Plymouth State University majoring in Graphic Design. I play center-mid on the Women`s Soccer Team here at the University. Also, I work in the Marketing and Communications Department here on campus. I get to help create fun and exciting promotional events and posters for the University. Being an art student and athlete can be overwhelming, but having 24/7 access to the art building of D&M is very helpful. I have enjoyed my past four years at Plymouth so much that I am considering coming back for one more year! My plan at the moment is to enroll in the MBA General Management 4+1 Cohort program for the summer 2020 and complete it by spring 2021.

 

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Brand Guide: Karma Kosmetics
Company Website: Karma Kosmetics


Nora Butler

FRANCONIA 2030

 

Artist Bio

Hello! I’m Nora from Tewksbury, Mass. I am a pretty chill person that loves the fact that I am a Graphic Designer. Graphic Design is one of the coolest jobs, because we get the chance to basically do whatever we want! Design is everywhere and there will always be a need for good design in any industry. As for my thesis. It’s actually happening! Let’s get the Winter Olympics to New Hampshire, we have plenty of snow and the White Mountains are amazing. On the real the traffic would be out of control and residents would go crazy, but it’s worth a shot.

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Brand Guide: Franconia 2030
Bid Book: Franconia 2030
Event Website: Franconia 2030
BFA Portfolio: Franconia 2030

 


Cameron Clark

PRÖJECT

 

Artist Bio
I’m Cameron Clark, an aspiring graphic design student and for my project I chose to go with a rebranding company/ advertising agency.  It’s called PROJECT.  What we do is assist other companies reestablish their brand to something that works better.  Our goal is to help companies reach out to potential customers through modern design techniques.  As you look through the exhibit you’ll see various clients we’ve worked with such as RE|Freshed or WILDFRYER.  Our current client is the city of Columbia, Ohio.  Our goal for the current project is to attract more tourists.  Our way to do that has been through making applicable graphics and brochures to lure people into the wonder that is Columbus, Ohio.

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Brochure: Experience Columbus
Company Website: Project


Rachel DeWolfe

SUGAR HILL MAPLE CO.

 

Artist Bio

My name is Rachel DeWolfe and I am from Bellingham, Massachusetts. I feel that I have been very creative since a young age which led me onto the path I am on today. I attended a vocational high school where I studied multimedia communications and found my passion for graphic design and photography. Having studied graphic design and other media for four years before attending PSU I knew that this is what I wanted to do as a career. During my time at PSU in the BFA program I had the opportunity to further develop my graphic design and photography skills as well as experience other forms of art making that I had not previously. The variety of classes and experiences I have had in the art department here at PSU have pushed me as an artist and greatly improved my skill set. In my work I like to combine my strong photography with my graphic design, allowing me to have more creative freedom in my work. I have had many opportunities here at PSU to work on real graphic design projects for different departments across campus and with real clients. These real world experiences and skills I gained at PSU helped me get an internship this past summer with PUMA

Artist Statement

Growing up in New England I developed an appreciation for all things New England made. When I think of things made in New England maple syrup is one of the first things that comes to mind. Fall is also my favorite time of year and I wanted to capture that in my product and brand. Creating this brand allowed me to stretch my photography as well as my design skills, through experimenting with food and product photography. I also faced the challenge of wanting to photograph my products in the Fall foliage but not having the final design complete that early in the year, pushing my digital editing skills. After looking at many different maple product lines in local country stores I, tried to move in a direction that was not as traditional as typical maple product design, but still felt like Fall in New England.

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Design Guide: Sugar Hill Maple Co
Company Website: Sugar Hill Maple Co
Personal Portfolio Website: Rachel DeWolfe


Nick Doughty

VOLAR DISC GOLF

 

Artist Bio
My name is Nicholas Doughty, I grew up in Woolwich Maine. Being an art student at PSU has been a great experience and has helped me grow not only as a graphic designer but also as an individual. Not only have I learned to be more confident with the way I communicate my work to others, but I also better understand how to take criticism positively, and to not only challenge myself but others as well. I enjoy using my simplistic art style to create modern branding solutions. I create my art to be clean and contemporary, while having practical uses. My peers here at PSU have helped me push myself out of my comfort zone and to try new things I wouldn’t have otherwise done on my own. One piece of advice for young art students is to not be afraid to completely change the idea you’re working on. I ended up changing my thesis project at the beginning of this Spring semester after we had already worked on our projects all of Fall semester. Sometimes taking a step back and switching things up will help you in the long run. I hope everyone who experiences my thesis exhibit enjoys my clean and simple artistic style of design and feels as though they are walking into an actual disc golf store. Upon graduation I hope to work at a well-respected graphic design firm somewhere within New Hampshire.
Artist Statement
Volar Disc Golf is a disc golf brand symbolized by the peregrine falcon, known as the world’s fastest animal. The peregrine falcon represents speed, determination, and victory. These three elements are at the core of Volar’s mission: providing top speed and precision through our lightweight and durable carbon fiber discs, encouraging competitors to rise above obstacles and to discover their inner power to reach their goals, and to awaken our customers visionary drive to achieve self-victory. The translation of the word volar from Spanish to English means “to fly”.

The Volar logo is a simplified version of the peregrine falcon, and it conveys the essence of speed and precision through its sharp points and directional velocity. The bold use of the colors: yellow, black, and white allow for maximum contrast enabling our brand to stand out against competitors. Heavy typefaces are used to represent strength and power. The use of high-contrasted images and intense compositions provide the viewer with a great sense of the energy. Angles can be seen throughout my designs as a way to evoke movement and create a sleek appeal. A key graphic element that is reflected throughout the brand is the use of carbon fiber. I created a simplified carbon fiber texture out of two mirroring right angled triangles, this pattern can be seen as an accent found within many of my designs. “Made to fly” is the motto Volar lives by, and I created all of the branding and products to inspire and motivate others to uncover their inner energy, live to their highest potential, and fly above any hardships they may face.

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Company Website: Volar Disc Golf
Brand Guide: Volar Disc Golf
Personal Portfolio: Nicholas Doughty


Sherry Lin

CRAVE BURGER

 

Artist Bio

My name is Sherry Lin and I am from Woodsville, a small town up north. I must admit, I was not an artistic person growing up. I did not find myself enjoying working with any of the traditional art mediums such as paint, charcoal, or graphite. When it came to a digital medium, however, that is another story. My interest in graphic design started in middle school when I first discovered Photoshop and started to experiment with the program. I quickly became fascinated with the various ways you could alter an image and was eager to find out how certain effects could be done. I continued to teach myself how to use the program as a hobby and later put my skills into real-life applications by becoming a member of my high school yearbook staff during my senior year. It was at this point where I decided to pursue a professional career in this field and chose graphic design as my major. After four years, this has led me to my senior thesis—one of my favorite pieces I have designed throughout my college years.

Artist Statement

Crave Burger is a burger joint company inspired by the diner and retro aesthetic. Since I had never taken on a food-related project for my portfolio and graphic illustrations were out of my comfort zone, I treated this project as an exploration and experimental piece; this helped fuel the origins and visuals of this branding project. My primary source of inspiration was classic American diners—neon lights, checkered patterns, and the overall retro atmosphere are all features that I tried to emulate in my design. I combined this aspect with my personal clean and contemporary design style to come up with the final visual language used throughout the design. My ultimate goal was to create a sense of nostalgia and playfulness at the same time.

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Brand Guide: Crave Burger
Company Website: Crave Burger


Amy Luther

BEACH BREAK SURFING CO.

 

Artist Bio
Hi, my name is Amy Luther and I am from Westerly RI. I have been studying graphic design since my senior year of high school and am so excited i was able to carry out my studies here at Plymouth State. I am also a 4 year member of the women’s soccer team here at plymouth. You can always find me playing on the field or hanging out at the beach!

 

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Jacob Mikucki

COASTAL CRUISES

 

Artist Bio

Hello, my name is Jacob Mikucki,

My first experience with designing started my sophomore year in high school at Notre Dame Fairfield. It was a beginner’s class that taught us photoshop and illustrator. It really intrigued me, for the first time I had been introduced to a new way of designing other than my normal sketching. The following years I signed up for the more advanced courses, where we started learning the process of logo development. Going into college my major was not graphic design. I found myself missing those classes I had took back in high school. I met a guy who’s major was graphic design, he’d turn out to be my best friend, he took me to the GD lab and showed me some things he was working on and the following day a switched my major to graphic design. While studying at Plymouth State University I have been geared towards branding and rebranding companies. My experience ranges from just the basic job of creating a logo to fully branding a company with animation advertisements, I can do it! I’m looking forward to being able to graduate and start my, hopefully, bright future.

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Riley Murray

WILD VALLEY JEWELRY CO.

 

Artist Bio

I’m Riley Murray a senior with a BFA in Graphic design along with a minor in Business Administration and I’m from Merrimack New Hampshire. I am currently working on creating and marketing for a jewelry company based in Portland, Oregon. My company is called Wild Valley Jewelry Co. I wanted the name for my company to be more personal, so I used part of my own name my middle name is Wild. I went to visit family in Oregon and thought it was so beautiful I wanted to base my jewelry company from there. My style for jewelry is more organic and geometric shapes and designs so I wanted my brand to reflect that which brings in the nature side. I’ve been making and selling jewelry since high school and this was the perfect opportunity to continue designing and creating jewelry to actually build a brand for myself. I work at a small business jewelry store in Nashua, NH and have taken courses through the Gemology Institute of America where I’ve become certified as an Applied Jewelry Professional. I can use all the products I’ve made long after graduation to use in my portfolio and continue to update as I grow and experiment as an artist. I love that I’ve had the opportunity to combine my passions for jewelry making with graphic designing.

Artist Statement

My company for the BFA is a jewelry company based in Portland Oregon called Wild Valley Jewelry Co. The company mission statement is “Here at Wild Valley Jewelry co. We are bringing nature back into the city. We believe in making the highest quality designs while also being sustainable and using materials that come from the earth. Creating jewelry has always been our passion! We hope you enjoy our pieces as much as we enjoyed creating them”. These values are apparent throughout all the applications from the brand guide to the physical materials used. I wanted my brand to feel like a high-end fine jewelry store but with my organic style of making jewelry. I’ve taken all the photos used throughout my applications so that I could blend the digital aspects of building the brand to the physical aspects like the jewelry and packaging. I think using my own photographs helped keep the brand work as a whole as well as individually.

 

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Links

Brand Guide: Wild Valley Jewelry Co.
Spring Catalog: Wild Valley Jewelry Co.
Summer Catalog: Wild Valley Jewelry Co.
Fall Catalog: Wild Valley Jewelry Co.
Winter Catalog: Wild Valley Jewelry Co.

 


Mike Najemy

NORTH RIVER FLY FISHING SHOP

 

Artist Bio

My name is Michael Najemy and I am working on North River Fly Fishing Shop. Coming to school at Plymouth State introduced me to fly fishing and it has been a passion ever since. Once I started to think about options for this project I knew a fly fishing shop would be a great idea. Growing up in Grafton, Massachusetts, I was unable to get into fly fishing just because the location did not allow for easy access so I am glad I was able to experience it once I came to the White Mountains.

After school I am planning on getting a design job in Boston and start my career there. It is an exciting new chapter to start in life and I am eager to get out there.

Artist Statement

The North River Fly Fishing Shop came to be this past summer as I was wandering along the Pemigewasset River in search for trout and salmon that fill the river. Fly fishing was a late passion for me that started when I came to school here at Plymouth State, so when the idea came to me, I knew it was an easy choice. I initially struggled with finding a name for the company. As a resident of North River st. in Holderness, I figured the street name flows quite nicely. I wanted to keep a rustic and outdoorsy feel to the brand which can be seen through the logo and primarily the color palette with the earthy tones I chose to incorporate. As many fly fishing brands try to have this sophisticated look with their brand, I wanted to stray away from that and have a more welcoming and less intimidating feel to the brand. My goal was to have a style that seemed to be professional but also open to teaching people about fly fishing and let them enjoy this amazing hobby.

This project was an awesome experience that felt like a real world application. The time and energy devoted to this project has been unmatched by anything else I have done. It tests your creativity and drive that challenges the decisions make throughout the year.

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Links

Brand Guide: North River Fly Fishing Shop
Fly Line Box: North River Fly Fishing Shop


Baker Palmer

Brand Name

 

Artist Bio

Dystopia is the outcome of my passion for games mixed with my admiration for illustration.This has been by far my favorite project throughout my time in the graphic design field and I have been able to express myself with not only art but functioning artwork that you can interact with. I spent a lot of time testing how the game works and making decisions on what should be changed with the end goal being a fun game to play. Admitally it does not really matter how the game works or how fun it is because this is graphic design not game design however I had too much pride and love for this project so I had to make it playable. Since I chose to keep testing it I now have a completely original board game that I can show and play with people. I have always loved drawing and it was a great feeling seeing something come together such as Dystopia.

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Raquel Pratte

CARE CANDLES

 

Artist Bio
Plymouth State has helped me grow and change as both a designer and a person. I have met so many wonderful people in my time here that have helped me realize what I am capable of doing. I came here with very little knowledge of design and I’m proud of what I have been able to accomplish in the past four years. I will always cherish the time I have spent here and the friends that I have made along the way. This project has been an amazing experience. It was so rewarding to watch my company grow from an idea to an exhibit. I wish the best of luck to my fellow classmates and to all future BFA students.

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Company Website: Care Candles

 


Jake Toolan

FOOL’S JOURNEY BREWERY

 

Artist Bio
My name is Jake Toolan and I am from Wakefield Massachusetts. Ever since I was young I was interested in art in one form or another. It wasn’t until high school that I found my love for both design and photography. The past four years at PSU have really shaped the way I approach art and design. I’d say the biggest thing I’ve learned was how to present myself and my artwork in front of a crowd. Working on Fool’s Journey Brewery has pushed me far out of my comfort zone with all the illustration work I had to make for this project. I hope to keep pushing myself and grow as the years go on.
Artist Statement
As I have gotten more into craft beer over this past year, I have fallen in love with the artwork that is found on locally brewed beers. I wanted to add my own spin to them and take something that I love from an artistic standpoint and mix it together. That is the main reason I chose the Tarot Cards as my brand’s focus. I love the unique artwork and deeper meaning each Tarot card has. When making my own deck of the major arcana, I wanted to keep it fairly simple but recognizable as to not overpower the labels. This forced me to step outside my comfort zone and begin working more with illustrations. Illustrating is something I was not experienced with, so I chose it as my main focus in order to push myself. This project was a lot to take on but challenging myself to expand my skillset worked out and will benefit me in the long run.

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Company Website: Fool’s Journey Brewery
Brand Guide: Fool’s Journey Brewery
Personal Portfolio: Jake Toolan
Instagram: @otoolahan

 


Alexis Turner

TWO FACED WINERY

Artist Bio

I’m a Senior at Plymouth State University studying Graphic Design. I grew up in Vermont and throughout my high school experience I was always into art and designing. When I first got to Plymouth my freshman year I was unsure of where I wanted to go with my degree. After taking a few classes in each subject I found my love for art again. Art was a way of expressing myself and portraying my feelings through design. I began taking design courses at PSU and declared Graphic Design as my major. Throughout my four years here I have had nothing but good experiences. I’ve made new friends, experienced different life away from home, created more artwork than I could imagine, and found my second family. Plymouth is one of a kind and my professor’s passion for my success has made it all better.  My professors at PSU have always pushed me to do better which is something I always appreciated. At times it has been stressful but I always found a way around stress, and graphic design was my out. My hopes for after college is that I will use my graphic design career to find a good job that I’m passionate about. Design is everywhere and I hope to use my abilities to better the design world. If I had to give someone advice about my experience here at PSU it would be to try everything. Don’t be afraid of new challenges and go in it with 100% effort. Don’t let the fear of something hold you back for trying something you might end up liking. We’re so young and have our whole life ahead of us so why not reach for the impossible.

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Links

Brand Guide: Two Faced Winery


David Varney

Brand Name

Artist Bio
My name is David and I don’t feel like I’m from anywhere in particular. I had multiple towns that I would call my home and I bounced between schools growing up. I was never much of an artistic kid, but graphic posters and t-shirts were always something I was drawn too. Every school I went to had a different idea of what Graphic Design was because its such an exploratory major. As an artist I don’t believe I fit into a specific mold, so going into college Graphic Design fit the idea that there were multiple mediums I wanted to work in. If I was going to give one piece of advice to incoming art majors, it’s don’t close your mind off to other mediums, especially if you’re uncomfortable working with them. Every medium that you can experience broadens your horizons and makes you a better artist.

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Design Guide: Color Wheel Candy
Company Website: Color Wheel Candy
Personal Website: David Varney