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- ItemOpen AccessChloe Leline: capstone(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2023) Leline, Chloe artistThe artist's statement: I grew up hearing people tell my mother "You've got a great eye" as they would walk through whatever space was currently our home. I grew up seeing my dad draw on the back of the receipt at every restaurant we'd go to. As time passed I saw myself in them. Doodling on my math tests and helping my friends hang posters and paintings up in their room because they liked the way I worked with the layout. Now I'm a graphic designer. I used to feel like I couldn't call myself an artist because there's not one solid theme in my artwork or one specific style that shines through in my design. What I once saw as a weakness, I realize now is what makes me good at my craft. I am able to mold myself and my art to fit the job that needs to be done. One of my professors once told me "Everything you make is your style of art because you are the one that made it. " One thing that stays true to each project I do is my process. Even if the work I'm doing will result in a digital product, I always start with pen to paper. I like to treat my sketchbook as a scrapbook, filling it with bits and pieces of anything and everything, glued and taped in alongside my sketches to bring the whole thing to life. That's how I like to work, and now I understand that the process holds just as much artistry as the designs that result from it. I wasn't one of those people who always knew what they wanted to be when they grew up, it changed often, jumping from chef to fashion designer. Still, all of my interests have revolved around the act of creation. Even though graphic design can be more technical, there's still creative freedom to it. I believe that the key to a good designer is to be able to find a balance between them. If I'm not pushing myself and growing as a designer with each chance I get, I'm doing it wrong.
- ItemOpen AccessKaringanire Umutesi: capstone(2023) Umutesi, Karinganire, artistThe artist's statement: My name is Karinganire Umutesi, but I go by Umutesi. Growing up, I have always been interested in storytelling and business. I am a graphic designer, an illustrator, and a storyteller, and an entrepreneur who's also passionate about African Cultures. Growing up, I always found myself buying hundreds of sketchbooks and exploring my surroundings through drawing and illustration. What I love about Graphic Design is the power you get from it, for design can communicate to a large mass even if there are cultural, linguistic, or geographic differences. My goal is to use design as a gateway for people without a voice, to show their stories and their truth.
- ItemOpen AccessBrian Raftery: capstone(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2023) Raftery, Brian, artistThe artist's statement: My design practice revolves around finding fresh unique ways to communicate, whether it be through experimental typographic placements or combining very different mediums within my compositions. My favorite part about the design process is the ability to work from a basic set of rules and then bend those rules in order to creatively express oneself. In my practice, I insure that there is a personal touch seen in my work that you wouldn't see in anyone elses work. While many people can create work that "does the job," I put in the effort to create work that stands out among the rest. With the experience I have had working with clients, I have put in the effort to exceed the set expectations. Having extensive knowledge of the Adobe Suite, especially Photoshop, has allowed me to be able to succeed when working in professional and non-professional environments. Taking time to properly research and brainstorm before diving into any programs is an important part of my process as well. Being able to show potential clients the effort I put into making sure that the designs I create are the best they can be at representing them is something I take pride in. Outside of professional environments, I create work that relates to causes I care about. I have designed multiple posters, as well as a full mock-exhibition, touching on LGBTQ+ topics. As a queer designer, these works mean a lot to me personally. Not only do I learn new techniques and build on my skill set, I get to work on something that I'm truly passionate about. These are the works that I believe best represent my design practice, as they are the perfect display of my current skill set and well as the type of work I like to create aesthetically.
- ItemOpen AccessOlivia Klein: capstone(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2023) Klein, Olivia, artistThe artist's statement: My name is Olivia and I am a graphic designer. I have been interested in art my entire life. The artwork that I create does not seem like a job or an assignment because it is something that I love to do. For the graphics that I create I normally use Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. I have recently been using Procreate on my iPad more and more. Since I have realized I want to go into sports graphics, I got an internship within the athletic department here at Colorado State. I love the internship because it is not just for one specific team on campus, it is for all of them. Doing graphics for different teams means every time I go into the office, it is a different thing every day. This also gives me the opportunity to work on different things and use different styles. I have created social graphics, a t-shirt design as well as ticket designs. While working at this internship, I also get to create for many different people and work with different people in different departments. The designs I create represent pride for the different sports teams on campus as well as pride in myself and my art style. The graphics and illustrations I make mean so much to me when I see them being posted, used or worn. It is something that is so surreal to see that I am so proud of myself every time I see them. Seeing them also just makes me that much more motivated to keep doing what I want and I will get to where I want to go.
- ItemOpen AccessParker Albin: capstone(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2023) Albin, Parker, artistThe artist's statement: I am a communicator, problem-solver, storytelling graphic designer based in Northern Colorado. My work primarily focuses on corporate branding, concentrating on sports. From designing with CSU Athletics for three years, I have been able to take on sports marketing projects, social media content, and environmental designs in Canvas Stadium. Alongside this, I've worked for Colorado State's Rec Center as a graphic designer within the MacComm team. I've been able to elevate the Rec's brand through stickers, posters, facility signage, digital screens, and apparel material all while staying within Colorado State University's brand guidelines. My mission is to give athletes a platform, tell their stories, and contribute to the love of the game. I'm able to do so through the Adobe Creative Suite programs like Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, After Effects, and Premier Pro. I've been inspired by real-world textures and materials when designing a brand for a sport. For example, I led CSU Women's Basketball brand this season and was inspired by hardwood floor textures and retro typographic treatments. I've been able to incorporate these assets and concentrate on overall "corporate" branding. Throughout my work, I emphasize the importance of telling stories in sport through design while providing teams or athletes a visual branding identity.