Graphic Design Club back in business
The Graphic Design Club isn’t just a place for artistically inclined people to gather and learn more about their trade – it’s also a business.
Sandra Ashby, senior in graphic design, started the club last spring. Ashby, the current president, said the club is more than just something fun to do.
“The club’s main goal is to bridge the gap between being a student and entering the marketing field of a graphic designer,” she said.
Jeff Olsen, club vice president and senior in graphic design, said this is the best thing for graphic design students to get involved in that correlates with their major.
“There’s nothing right now, other than the graphic design club, and the newly formed art guild,” he said.
Ashby said the club encourages students to design their own business cards and put together portfolios. People in need of design work then e-mail the club, and project managers make assignments to students. Customers can also choose a particular student if they are looking for a certain style.
“There needs to be some kind of incentive to give students a chance to have a real working environment,” Olsen said.
Half of the proceeds from any of the work the club gets would go to the students who designed it, and the other half would be added to club funds.
“My hope is that they’ll get so far that they can to go to conferences … or New York or California,” said Ashby.
Ashby said those places are larger centers for graphic design. Olsen said they are trying to see if they could receive university credit for a New York trip with their adviser, who already takes a group to Manhattan for a week.
Most of the club’s external advertising will be handled by their marketing group, which will find new customers for the club.
“They control the flow of communication with other groups, and bring in more projects,” Ashby said.
The club isn’t all about working, though, they also have fun activities planned for the upcoming school year. Ashby has planned visits to local businesses like Square One Printing, and they have also invited several guest speakers. Olsen said they have an upcoming game night and a get-together with the bowling club. He said they also would like to meet with the business club, to learn about the more commercial aspects of graphic design.
The club officially started this fall, but its first, unofficial meetings occurred last semester. Ashby said she started by asking associate graphic design professor Alan Hashimoto if there were any clubs like that around.
“He said that they had troubles keeping them going because of how much work they took,” she said.
Hashimoto, now the club’s adviser, said the first graphic design club that was started 20 years ago had only eight members. Since there is currently a much higher interest level in the club, the members hope it will be more successful.
“The biggest thing,” Hashimoto said, “is enthusiasm.”
Hashimoto also said the club would help students to be better designers.
“It’s not something you can just do as a student. You have to do it all the time.”
Hashimoto said the club could extend their business beyond print, and also include web design. He said it would also help students to meet other designers, and form camaraderie that they couldn’t with their professors.
The club meets every other Thursday from 7-9 p.m. in FAV 150. There is a $10 fee for membership, and t-shirts are also sold.
“We’re a club for everyone,” Ashby said. “We want to unite the university.”
– melody.campbell@aggiemail.usu.edu