The Graphics Next Door

On any given weeknight, there might be 5, 10, even 20 different events going on around campus, all trying to attract your attention with florescent colored posters. Getting an activity noticed requires a successful publicity campaign. That is why one of my groups here on campus, the University Center Activities Board (UCAB), decided to fly in a professional graphics artist to share effective advertising strategies and artistic techniques. Rearranging a text box and moving a picture frame can make the difference between an eye-catcher and an eye-sore on a poster. But if we consider how important graphic design is, could it impact the layout of your resume as well?

Of course, we ourselves had to get our event publicized. As a group we brainstormed to create a title that would attract everyone. It just so happened that the artist we were bringing had worked for Comedy Central and Playboy (come to the admission office and take a tour and you’ll realize why this is significant for one specific location on campus), so we named the event “The Graphics Next Door.” We have worked hard to advertise the event and to generate interest on campus, hopefully the work will pay off.

The event is tonight and it will cap off a month’s worth of hard work. If we can make every poster on campus just a little more attractive, it will have been worth it. The moral of the story is, if you have an idea at William and Mary you can make it happen. The Graphics Next Door started as a complaint about all of the ugly word-template based posters around campus. With time, we found a graphics designer and created an event that was sure to be interesting for all. UCAB is always looking for new events to sponsor/fund so when you come to William and Mary, start brainstorming. Your favorite celebrity might arrive on campus in just a few short weeks (Thomas (check out his blog) emailed Tim Gunn his sophomore year and the Project Runway star was at W&M later that semester!).

Alex Pouille, Class of 2011