Category: Uncategorized

Students in the ADVANCED CLASSES submitted their proposals for the 2023 edition of GATEWAY TECHNICAL COLLEGE’S DISTRICT-WIDE STUDENT DESIGN SHOW back in October and November of 2022.
The event has been scheduled this year on April 18th, at the SC Johnson iMET Center in Sturtevant.
Members of GTC Administration team have helped us each year in the selection of the Show Identity and Direction for this year’s show identity.

The DESIGN SELECTED for this year’s design show (the item that received the most ordinal vote points) is:

Mr. Heller’s Show Identity Design uses 3D imagery and plays with concepts related to: materials, technology, transparency, reflection, opacity, as well as lights and darks. Congratulations to Ron!

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The SECOND PLACE SELECTION
(there was a tie for the second most number of points received)

Mr. Hespel’s Show Identity Design uses vector artwork with a deco-period historical theme, and Ms. Noble’s employs a scholastic photographic-style collage.

The FOURTH PLACE SELECTION
(the third most number of points received after the second place tie)

Mr. Hansen’s Show Identity Design uses a strong Icon-driven 2D graphic approach, playing with ideas of luminance and color. Congratulations to Sam!

The Graphic Design Department would like to thank all of the Administrators who helped us select this year’s identity, and congratulate all of the students who participated in this year’s competition.
We look forward to seeing everyone at the show in April!

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from Peter Pham

As I process the work for each year’s Student Design Show, I am always pleased at the QUALITY of the submissions. I am also quietly observant of the trends in the submissions each year.

In the early 2000’s (when the analytics were not as easily processed) there was a preponderance of Layout and Illustration student work.

In the 2010’s, we saw a tremendous increase in the amount of photography work, possibly correlating with the increased availability of really good consumer digital equipment.

Once again, there is a slight change in the distribution of the categories of work submitted.
Future analysis will show us potential reasons for the trends.

A few facts about this year’s show:

• About 170 pieces were submitted
• Qualifying student work was to have been created between Spring of 2021 (post show)
  through April 20, 2022.
• We had more Alumni Judges this year in the rank of our professional Jury.
• This year’s categorical submissions
  (from MOST submissions per category, to the least per category) were:  

1. LAYOUT (~21.1%)
2. DIGITAL ILLUSTRATION (~16.3%)
3. LOGOS and IDENTITY (~10.8%)
4. PHOTOGRAPHY WITH POST TO ENHANCE (~9.6%)
5. PACKAGING and 3D (~7.8%)
6. PHOTOGRAPHY (Straight Out Of The Camera) (~7.2%)
7. TRADITIONAL MEDIA (~6.6%)
8. COMPREHENSIVE CAMPAIGNS (~ 5.4%)
9. PHOTO MANIPULATION, MULTIMEDIA, and POSTERS combined accounted for approximately 15%
   

We all know how the GTC Student Design Show has pivoted its delivery and adjusted its presence in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic. The previously catered gala-style events and live celebrations at facilities throughout the district had to be shifted mere weeks before they were scheduled to occur in 2020.
We went from a harried, yet greatly successful Facebook Live delivery with our 2020 District-Wide Student Design Show, to an even more successful YOUTUBE™ Live event the next year!

But in addition to events like the SDS on a departmental scale, on a broader institutional scale, all instructors had to innovate and integrate new ideas…once again ‘pivoting’ out of sheer necessity… and relying on innovation and dedication to continue to provide learning activities to our students.

In the FALL of 2021, we continued offering O-Sync sections ensure quality delivery and safety.
These sections can sometimes be challenging, with some students in the classroom socially distanced (and wearing masks), combined with others ZOOM conferencing in from a distance.

A popular communal collaboration exercise had to adapt to these changes as well, and wound up adding a new flair to the activity. The “color quilt” was a metaphorical quilt activity where a randomly generated color swatch
[ #ED243E] was selected for an entire class section in Peter Pham’s DesignConcepts class.
Each member of the class (a class that teaches the fundamentals of color, typography, design composition, and computer basics as they pertain to design) had to then design an eight by eight inch section for the quilt around an individually assigned color scheme utilizing the assigned color swatch.

In previous incarnations, the students would physically assemble in a space and put their sections of the quilt together into a whole that both worked as a whole, while still allowing some degree of individuality based around a basic set of rules.

Assembly day saw students in prior years gathering in a common space with masking tape loops in hand.
The “virtual quilt” of 2021 saw students crafting digital files of their pieces to be assembled into a mockup that could ‘hang’ virtually in a variety of environments. Jokingly some mentioned “The Great Wall of China.”
Student off-site as well as on-location waited to see the final product.

Without further ado… the FA2021 virtual color quilt to those students who participated.

Members of the 204-100-2RHA/2RYA O-Sync section that participated in this activity were (L to R, top to bottom):
C. Brunkle [Split complementary] , J. Tisch [Analagous] , A. Lindsey [Clash], V. Bass [Analagous] , C. Arrendodo [Clash], G. Lee [Clash], J. Rodriguez [Triadic-Primary or Tertiary], (placeholder), L. Najera [Split Complementary], R. Gomez [analagous], K. Kosterman [Triadic- Primary or Tertiary], G. Gauthier [Split Complement], S. Hansen [Monochromatic ], J. Haubrich [ Triadic], S. Campbell [Complementary].

Link to the 2020 “VIRTUAL” Districtwide Student Design Show.
Zoom Video, simulcast on Facebook Live as well as ZOOM, 4/21/2020.

Creative Bloq recently hosted an article for Visual Communications students offering “expert tips” on obtaining that initial design position. Click on the link for the full article.

https://www.creativebloq.com/career/how-get-design-job-1131750

Gateway’s Graphic Comm department wants to wish you all a great summer,
and look forward to seeing new and returning students in the 2019 Fall semester.

Prospective new students, feel free to visit us at one of the summer OPEN HOUSE fairs from 4:00 – 7:00pm:

7/16/2019 KENOSHA CAMPUS
7/17/2019 RACINE CAMPUS
7/18/2019 ELKHORN CAMPUS