Faust’s final layout
for the catalog combines
both vertical
and horizontal type
juxtaposed with students’
artwork.
The catalog’s spine
serves as a marketing
tool in the brochure
by including details
on the university’s
programs. It’s also a
graphic representation
of how the school is
a support system for
arts students.
All in the family
Every year, MFA candidates at the University of
Illinois (Champaign/Urbana) have an exhibition
featuring work they’ve created over the course of
their studies. A catalog is produced to accompany
the exhibit. This catalog documents the show and
assists graduates in their search for employment or
representation. In the past, general school funds
were used to produce the catalog, limiting the ability
to be more experimental or conceptual in design.
There was never money to hire an outside designer
for the catalog.
In 2003, however, the program’s director found
that a restricted grant had been overlooked—one
that could assist in both production and design costs
associated with creating a more captivating catalog.
Moreover, these funds had accumulated for two years
and had to be used within a specific time frame for
this specific purpose.
After getting a firm grip on the main themes
of the catalog, Chicago design firm Faust Associates
began to think about a possible secondary benefit for
the school. As the program had never had a marketing
piece, the designers saw an opportunity to create
an impact beyond promoting graduates’ work:
attracting prospective students to the school.
Faust found a way to insert the marketing message
into the catalog by using the spine for information
about the school. “Formally, the program
information is housed as a separate brochure in the
spine,” says Sally Faust. “Conceptually, this reinforces
the idea of the school being the support system for
the artist as well as the linking device to the world
and each other.
“We also added quotes from students about
the program,” she says, noting that the quotes run
vertically on all of the exhibition pages. “The vertical
alignment references the orientation of the program
catalog while remaining true to the student content
found on the exhibition pages.”
This article and accompanying images are based on
excerpts from Design Secrets: Layout—50 Real-Life Projects
Uncovered, by Rodney J. Moore, $50, Rockport Publishers.
