50...Really?

Thanks to David Oldham for sharing this great blog! For the 50 Things click here!

Winner, winner!

Congratulations to Logan Grieder and Michelle Hubbard on being Nolan Moore Scholars. Both were awarded scholarships for the 2011-2012 academic year. These can be renewed for up to four years.




Find out more about The Nolan Moore scholarship.

2012 Poster Design Contest | Due: July 1, 2011

Graphic Communications Week
2011 Poster Design Contest

Sponsored by the
International Graphic Arts Education Association, Inc. (IGAEA)

• Theme: The poster must be designed for Graphic Communications Week which typically

revolves around Benjamin Franklin’s birthday (January 17).

The theme could encompass anything that symbolizes the power and importance

of printed communications.

• Eligibility: Students from any secondary or post-secondary school are eligible.

Work must be submitted through a Current IGAEA Member.

• Prizes: $300 for the first prize winner.

Additional amounts will be awarded for second and third prize winners.

If more than one student created a winning design, the prize money

will be divided among the students.

For a complete list of details and logos for use on your design, go to the official IGAEA website

Emerging Technologies Class has the MOST FUN!

GAA 2011 Environmental Workshop

Are you ready for a two days of thought-provoking, eye-opening and potentially  controversial topics regarding the environment as they relate to our industry?   If so, you will you will definitely want to attend the GAA Environmental Workshop at the  Hilton Washington Embassy Row in Washington, DC June 15-17, 2011. The focus of this year’s workshop is “Sustainability & Public Policy:   Solutions for our Industry.”  Our co-chairs, Dave Campi of Sears Holdings/Lands’  End and Monica Garvey of Verso Paper Corp, along with the workshop committee  are putting together another outstanding program. Some of the highlight topics include: Forest Sustainability and Legislation Recovery, Recycling, and Extended Producer Responsibility Legislation Promoting the Effectiveness and Sustainability of Paper and Print Renewable Energy Solutions in our Industry Carbon Footprint LCA: New Standards for Products & Scope 3 DMA Sustainability Mission and Programs related to Sustainability and Industry Self-Regulation Water Footprint and Global Concerns Sustainable Packaging Design Environmental Paper Assessment Tool – Application in Magazine Publishing Industry       You can register online at www.gaa.org, or contact Allen Krusenstjerna at 201.523.6042 x 104. If you have questions regarding the conference you can contact Pam Schenk at pwschenk@gaa.org, or you can contact me at 201.981.5901 or bmartin@gaa.org. Regards, Bill Bill Martin President & CEO Gravure Association of America

First Prize: $2,000 | Deadline: June 15

For complete details visit their site: graphiccommcentral.org/

The Challenge:

Create and submit two marketing pieces (choose from Website Banner, Postcard, or Display Ad) that are designed to drive traffic to graphicCOMMcentral.org.

• Review each of the websites’ eight main sections: DISCOVER ◦ DECIDE ◦ LEARN ◦ EMPLOY ◦ INVESTIGATE ◦ MEET ◦ INFORM ◦ PRINT GREEN.
• Choose one section.
• Create two marketing pieces that feature that section’s best elements.

The Specifications:

All entries must be:

• Completed during the 2010-2011 school year.
  
• The original work of the student and contain no copyrighted materials or photos.
  
• Submitted by the instructor with printed copies and all digital files necessary for reproduction.
  
• Received by the deadline: June 15, 2011.
  
• Designed to conform to the specifications provided in the GAERF 2011 Student Design Competition templates.
  
• Include BOTH printed samples AND the digital versions.
  

The Prizes:

1st Place Awards:   $2,000 plus a two-day (Sept. 13-14) all-expenses paid trip for the student and instructor to attend GRAPH EXPO 2011, in Chicago, IL
(one secondary winner; one post-secondary winner)
2nd Place Awards:  $1,500
(one secondary winner; one post-secondary winner)
3rd Place Awards:  $1,000
(one secondary winner; one post-secondary winner)

Spotlight: Cassie Pierce

Our recent Digital File Preparation project was to create a direct mail piece that was targeted to two specific audiences. The layout had to be a template, so that the images and text that changed depending on the target audience could be manipulated by the Variable Data class. Students had to develop both layouts, decide what content was variable, prepare and Excel data base to accompany a set of instructions for the Variable Data class.

Cassie Pierce did an excellent job with her layout. Her images dominate her design and the logo she created for her company is very appealing to her identified target audience. Check out more about this project on her portfolio blog.

Great day for SKILLS USA!

KTC was the host to the State Skills Championships.
At least 100 students and teachers from area high schools, ranging from Pittsburg to Meade, KS.

The State Skills Championships were held in Photo, Graphic Communications, Screen Printing and Cabinet Making. Technology Education hosted the Technology demonstration for Robo Rescue.

30-35 Industrial professionals assisted with judging and 15-20 PSU students helped coordinate the event.

Spotlight: Caitlin Lawrence

In Web Based Software, we have been learning about Starter Pages in Dreamweaver, and how to link multiple pages together. Caitlin Lawrence did an excellent job with her personal home page, which also serves as a place to submit web assignments. These pages have been uploaded to our student website at psuwebdesigners.com, but they are tricky to find, so if you want to check out more of Caitlin's work, follow this link to her page, and also check out her Oh, Deer portfolio blog!

Looking for a job?

Recruiting tutors for the Writing Center for Fall 2011
If you are a student (in any major at any level) who is a strong writer and who will be returning to PSU in the fall, please email Janet Zepernick (jzeperni@pittstate.edu).  This is paid employment (standard student rates), and it makes a good addition to any resume.

Spotlight: Salman Alkhulif

Salman is a Communications major, pursuing a minor in graphics. This is his personal assignments site for Web Site Design. He has done an excellent job of branding between his personal home page and his portfolio blog. Check out more of Salman's photography on flickr.

Graphic Arts Club Deadline

April 18 deadline for GAC logo and club dues. 
Dues can be turned in to the GIT office.

Graphic Arts Club needs a logo to identify the newly (re)built organization!

Logos need to include the name of our club and will be used continuously for our promotions to the university and the community. The deadline for the logo design is due APRIL 18, 2011 and must be presented at the Technology Center in room E102 at 5:00pm.

Winner of the logo will receive $20.00 to go towards their dues into the club. Graphic Arts club will have a meeting on TUESDAY, APRIL 11th in room E102 for any questions on the logo or for those wanting to join our organization!

Any questions before then can be emailed to: graphicartspsu@gmail.com.

Internship: Blue Media

A former student contacted me today, about an internship with his current employer, Blue Media.

From Josh Chavis

The company that I design for in Tempe, AZ is looking for a design intern and I thought no better place to look than Pitt’s design program.

I know it’s a far stretch from Pittsburg, but perhaps someone has family here or is looking to relocate. Here is a little bit about the company and the opportunity.

bluemedia is a wide-format digital print provider. We provide services such as vehicle graphics, structural signage, stadium and team graphics and branding, as well as a wide range of other media.

Some of our top clients and partnerships include HP, The Kansas City Royals and Chiefs, The Arizona Diamondbacks, NFL, MLB, Coca-Cola, Aramark, 3M and Microsoft. Our brand new 55,000 square foot facility is home to some of the most talented people in the vehicle graphic and wide-format industry. Our internationally-recognized design team works in-house, which sets us apart from many other wide-format companies  in the industry. The designers are expected to not only be software experts, but to be creative marketers who understand brand strategies and market trends as well.

about the internship

The chosen intern will be expected to: Be highly knowledgeable of the adobe creative suite; be able to perform small production jobs and meet deadlines; create sales sheets and other corporate collateral; Work one on one with sales staff members and project managers to see print and creative jobs from start to finish; update bluemedia social media sites such as facebook, twitter, and company blog; occasionally drive the design team to Chipotle or In-and-Out burger.

This is a PAID internship. Students will be required to work a minimum of 25 hours per week, and hours are flexible according to students’ schedule. (8am-5pm, M-F).

This is an awesome opportunity to intern at a really cool company. I interned here and am now a full-time salaried employee, so there is the possibility of a job at the end of the internship. (it’s not guaranteed, but we’ve hired our last two interns.)

Anyone interested can email me directly at josh.chavis@bluemedia.com for more information.

You can also check out our website at www.bluemeida.com to see some of our work.

Thanks!

Names & Numbers needs a designer

See their ad in the Joplin Globe or Mr. Ferro

Microsoft tags

A student recently reminded me of these colorful tags using triangles instead of squares, that he noticed in USA Today and a few other publications. It reminded me that I had recently seen them, on a weekend trip, in the local travel guide.

The coolest part.....they can be created using your own images!

So what are they? Much like QR codes, they are called Microsoft tags. Also, like QR codes, they are easily generated and readers are available. I found a blog post that gives a far more detailed description than I can give, so check it out when you have time!

About Microsoft Tags

Generate Microsoft Tags

Scholarship | Poster Redesign $2000

More scholarship information here....

Fortune 500 VP to visit PSU

Interested in learning about business relations in Asia from the Vice President of a Fortune 500 company? 

If you answered "Yes", the International Business Student Association invites you to join them on Thursday, April 7, 2011 at the Kelce College of Business in Room 121 from 12:30-1:30 pm to meet Mr. Arnold Berney of Leggett & Platt who will share his experiences in China with students and answer questions. 

If you have any questions please feel free to contact psu.ibsa@gmail.com