I always make an effort to maintain and further the Clarkson brand and strengthen my abilities as a designer. I pay attention to the message and purpose of my projects and make sure that comes across in the look and feel of the final product. My redesign of Clarkson’s Annual Report for the Institute for a Sustainable Environment is an example of this.
One of the goals of the redesign was to communicate their recent regime change, to signal that the department was under new leadership and putting more emphasis on multidisciplinary work and collaboration. I focused on making sure this piece was an evolution of the design conventions from earlier years, and paid close attention to color use and typography show openness, to signify approachability and a desire to work together.
I worked closely with the project writer and the director of ISE to review our timeline for the project along with story ideas and how they would translate to the visual design of the project. As a result of this close communication and teamwork, the project was well-executed and well-received.
I am always trying to make the products of my work the best they can be, and that includes changing the medium from print to web if that is the best way to deliver the message and achieve the goal of the project. Focusing on the development of Clarkson’s digital communications supports the president’s goal of integrating sustainability into all that we do. It will also help the university’s efforts to develop a best-in-class admission to alumni engagement effort.
