During the Spring 2018 semester, I took the course Advanced Honors Graphic Design with Professor Sabrina Schmidt. It focused on corporate identity and branding. This was one of my favorite courses that I have taken at John Cabot University!
Within the framework of the JCU Institute for Entrepreneurship's Learn-Do-Share Initiative, which brings real companies and real problems into the classroom so students can apply theoretical knowledge to real-world situations, Professor Schmidt hires real clients every semester. This means our in-class work becomes a reality. My classmates and I worked hands-on to re-brand Joanne Bergamin’s blog, "Travel Angel." Joanne is the Coordinator of the JCU Institute for Entrepreneurship. The semester began with a briefing regarding the goals of the re-branding project. As students, we were given a lot of freedom to go about the series of projects that would culminate in a proposal for Travel Angel.
As graphic design students, one of our projects was to design covers for the books that Joanne was writing. Everyone in my class was engaged and excited. I brought my knowledge and experience of graphic design from various internships, work opportunities, and classes to this project. For the cover of Joanne's Visiting the Vatican, I created a digital sketch of Saint Peter’s Basilica on Adobe Illustrator, filling in rotating sections with the colors sampled from a photo of Swiss Guard uniforms. This design combines the Vatican as most people see it (i.e. the Basilica) with the Vatican in a way that has personal significance to Joanne, as she is married to a Swiss Guard.
The students in my class submitted an impressive variety of proposals for Joanne. In the end, she chose my design for the cover of her book. I was thrilled! I could never have imagined being published so soon.
It is an exciting honor to have a piece of my work published before graduating. I hope this publication will be the first of many graphic design projects that come to fruition for me as functional pieces of design and communication. Experiencing the process from initial client consultation through publication has been extremely valuable. As a senior at JCU graduating in May 2020, this experience will be priceless to share with future employers and professionals.
Anna Wulfson
Communications major, Creative Writing minor
Class of 2020
Hometown: Vermont, USA