Graphic design students to host 'Full Transparency' capstone exhibition

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Fourth-year graphic design students in the Stuckeman School will celebrate their growth and accomplishments during their time at Penn State in “Full Transparency,” a capstone exhibition that will feature student presentations and a poster exhibition in the HUB-Robeson Center before culminating with a reception and full exhibition from 2-6 p.m. on April 30 in 24 Borland Building on the University Park campus.

According to Kristen Campion, who is the lead of the “Full Transparency” promotion team, the focus of the show is on the process work of the graduating students’ capstone projects and the steps that get them to their final outcomes as designers.

“The whole idea of having full transparency in the work that we do here is basically the crux of our education at this school. ‘Conceptualization, process, experimentation and implementation to the highest caliber’ is what we've all been taught since our freshman-year classes,” explained Jake Lawall, a fourth-year student from Newtown, Pennsylvania.

“Audiences and employers want a look into the minds of today's designers, and I think this is where students at Penn State shine. Our class really wants to highlight our ability to do this in our senior show,” he said.

Students will present their projects from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. on April 18 and April 20 in the Stuckeman Family Building Jury Space and via Zoom. Work from each graduating student will then be on display in the HUB Gallery of the HUB-Robeson Center from April 22 to May 7.

The projects of the students differ in scope and final deliverables, and all will be on full display at the show on April 30.

Lucas Sterrett, a fourth-year student from Erie, Pennsylvania, focused his capstone project on the importance of music education in schools, starting in elementary school and continuing throughout secondary and high school education. According to Sterrett, there are countless peer-reviewed research results that indicate the importance of music in early childhood education yet, schools continue to cut music programs across the country.

“I am starting a social activation titled ‘Spread the Noise’ that not only highlights those who are making a difference within the music education community, but additionally removes the gatekeeping that is currently blocking basic music knowledge [from being taught in schools],” he said.

The focus of Lawall’s project is on illustration and doodling, which is what originally drew him to study graphic design.

“I've always wanted to be an illustrator, and I went into graphic design to learn how to properly utilize illustration to its best aesthetic potential in marketing, commercial and product design,” he said. “This is the first project in my four years here that I really feel comfortable using my own illustrations to create something impactful.” 

Sterrett said he hopes those who view “Full Transparency” understand that even the most polished design projects “started out rough, dysfunctional and abstract” by showing the entire design process. 

He also hopes the show reflects how close members of the class of 2022 have become during their years together in the Borland studios.

“I’m blessed to have grown as a designer with my classmates. We are a family now and, like any other family, we have our dysfunctions; but those dysfunctions are what has made the last four years the best of my life. I wouldn’t change a single thing about my experience, and I want this exhibition to shine a light on how amazing and one-of-a-kind this group of designers is, both individually and as a class,” he said.

Learn more about “Full Transparency” and this year’s graduating class of graphic designers on the event website or via Instagram.