Art Students Design Campaign

When Vivian Semeraro ’60 needed branded materials to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Friends of the Clifton Public Library, which she serves as president, she thought of Professor Angela DeLaura and her graphic design students.

DeLaura’s Visual Communications Laboratory, an intensive three-week course she teaches every summer session, provides graphic design majors with the opportunity to work on a project for a real client.

“It is usually a small class, so it provides a chance for the students to be really focused,” says DeLaura. “I structure it so that it really mimics the work environment and what it’s like to work with a client who has specific needs and wants.”

The five students—Ashley Green, Ashley Wirsing, Stefanie Fischer, Katie Cousins, and David Kinney— met with Semeraro several times to discuss the project. The result was an entire package of materials, ranging from letterhead and membership forms to fundraising appeals, posters, bookmarks, and pamphlets, all of which have been on display in both Clifton’s Main Library and its Allwood branch.

“It has been such a wonderful experience to work with these students who were so professional and creative,” says Semeraro. “It was an honor as an alumna to be able to provide these students with a handson opportunity.”