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Cal State Long Beach - Graphic Design Senior Show 2015

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Cal State Long Beach recently held their Graphic Design Senior Show for this year's graduating class. In traditional fashion, this is an opportunity for graduating students to show off their creative work accomplished during their 2 years in CSULB's always strong Visual Communications program. 




This year's class titled their show "For the Love of it," and clearly showcased all the love and hard work that went into making it a success. A notable aspect of the show was how the class divided up the work between 4 different galleries.









The main gallery was where all the students' individual work was displayed. If you want to stand out to potential employers, this is where you do it.










The second gallery was where they displayed team projects and other collaborative efforts. From what I've heard about the design program over the years, they've really bumped up their efforts in showcasing how well CSULB designers work well together whether it's in small teams or as a class.










In the third gallery, they displayed the work of their motion graphics and UX specialists. A small setting, but filled with big ideas.









Lastly, they used the 4th gallery in a fun way—by encouraging guests to "Share Your Love." A large portion of the wall was filled with stickers with the message "FOR THE LOVE OF ________", and visitors were invited to write in whatever they wanted and add a new sticker to the wall. In addition, The room was also decorated so visitors could take pictures. A smart move in anticipation of the gallery's opening reception.






Overall it's yet another strong class of Visual Communications creatives at CSULB. Gone are the days where graduating seniors are competing for all the attention. The students' work is displayed more cohesively and you get a total sense that they did all of this together, while still letting their individual pieces of work speak for themselves. Concept/Design/Skill are all hallmarks of a strong design as well as a strong designer from CSULB, and by the looks of things, there is not shortage of those here. As an alumnus of that program, I am very proud of how far the Senior Shows have come over the years, and look forward to attending future shows. GO BEACH!


Joel is an Art Director at JDA Inc, a graphic design firm that specializes in supporting companies' branding and retail efforts with a Unified Marketing approach. To learn more, click here.

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