Creative Solutions

When tasked with the design of the 2024 SMFA Senior Thesis show exhibition materials and publication, I was forced to address one major problem: the size of the senior thesis cohort had more than doubled since the previous annual show, but the funding provided by the university had not expanded to accommodate the additional students. Consequently, there was not enough room in the budget to provide each graduating senior with a copy of the exhibition catalog; this year students would be expected to purchase their personal edition of the catalog out of pocket. 

When many of my peers expressed to me that they could not afford the cost of the $60 Print-on-Demand publication, I suggested a solution to the administration. I proposed that this year, we design two different versions of the exhibition catalog: one digitally printed hardcover book which students could opt to purchase out of pocket, and one offset printed black-and-white newspaper edition which would be provided by the school. 

The aesthetics and materiality of traditional newspaper layout and design guided the design choices made throughout the exhibition. Black and white, halftone, and tight columns not only allowed us to continue making economic decisions throughout the gallery and its associated publications, but also created a cohesive identity binding together the diverse artworks produced by the over 40 students in the 2024 SMFA Senior Thesis cohort.