You Go Girl(s) and Guys.

Where are they now? UAB Graphic Design graduates:

• Noel Conway 

Creative at Kspark.

• Scott Dodge 
Art Director at Cummings Creative Group.
• Jacinta Elliot 
joined designFORMS Architectural firm as graphic designer.
• Samantha Gibbons 
Graphic Designer at Cummings Creative Group in Birmingham, AL.
• Jonathan Green
Graphic Designer at blr | further in Birmingham, AL.
• Cana Grooms
Graphic Designer at Scout Branding in Birmingham, AL
• Alan Heiman
Freelancing for Think+, working on Barber Motors Sports stuff.
• Umair Khan
Freelancing at Cayenne Creative in Birmingham, AL.
• Courtney Kyle 
Art Director at Hoffman Media for Stitch Craft Create magazine.

• Anna McDavid 

Art Director Birmingham Association of Realtors.

• Chris Murphy
Jr. Graphic Designer at Luckie & Co. in Birmingham, AL.

• Moriah Osborn

Freelancing as Antebella Design in Birmingham, AL.

• Allison Raines
Freelancing at Hothead Studios for Georgia Pacific and Alcan Cable.

• Chris Seagle
Graphic Designer at Telegraph Branding in Birmingham, AL.
• Stephanie Shiver
Asst. Art Director at Hoffman Media in Birmingham, AL.
• Natalie Smith 
Art Director at Loudhailer New Zealand.

• Liz Springer
Freelancing in B'ham for UAB's Alys Stephens Center and PurMotion.
• Drew Watts
Graphic Designer at Webster Design in Omaha, NE.
• Jennifer Waycaster
Marketing // Creative Fellow at Coastal Living, TIME Inc.
• Zack Williams
Senior Designer // art director at BEATS by dre.
• Brandi Wilson-Sides
Design // Marketing Brownell Travel.

UAB Design Students Sweep 2013 Addys!

UAB Graphic Design Students were awarded 12 Student Addy awards at the 2013 Addys. Design students (above) Daniel Twieg, Empress Searight, Tammy Watson, and Amy Clark (not pictured) were awarded Best of Show for student work.

Best of Show - Student

• Daniel Twieg, Amy Clark, Tammy Watson, Empress Searight: Sloss Rebranding Campaign, Steam Punk Since 1882

Gold - Student 

• Jenny Waycaster - Packaging: Dixieland Delights
• Daniel Twieg - Photography: Sloss Furnaces

Silver - Student

• Umair Khan - Packaging: Golden Egg Co.
• Jenny Waycaster - Point of Purchase: The Mandarin, Menu
• Jin Chung- Illustration: See Birmingham!
• Daniel Twieg, Amy Clark, Tammy Watson, Empress Searight: Sloss Rebranding Campaign, Steam Punk Since 1882
• Miranda Hart - Publication: Naked Lunch, Book Cover
• Shannon Robinson - Poster: Beer, Poster/Info Graphic
• Charles Carraway - Poster: Boating Safety, Poster/Info Graphic
• Emily Kerley - Publication: Wedding Invitation Guide
• Jenny Waycaster, Katelyn Armstong, Katie Brasfield, Jasmine Goodman: The Lost Years of Sloss, Branding Campaign

UAB Design Alum Named Graphis Design Best

UAB Design Alum, Drew Watts (09) was awarded a gold and named Graphis 100 best in design, for his Ford Kids Escape project. Watts is currently working at Webster Design in Omaha, NE. Webster Design is an Interdisciplinary design firm working in print, web, environmental and packaging.

Watts explained: In the process of having a new Ford dealership built, an architecture agency behind the project came to Webster Design and asked us to create a play area that went beyond the typical crayon table and wooden train set. My concept was to create an outdoor space that would juxtapose the vast field of concrete and vehicles that are always associated with car dealerships.

We created a theatrical outdoor setting that would inspire the children to be imaginative and active. The small hills and the artificial grass also give the parents a comfortable place to sit, relax and interact with their kids as they wait for service.

UAB Design Graduate Awarded CORE77

Last week, Alyssa Lauren Mitchell was awarded a Student Runner-up award in the Packaging category for the Core77 2012 Design Awards program. The project, Split Milk, is for the Earth Fare milk products made of French Paper Company’s Smart White line to employ the mill’s commitment to conservation. The concept highlights a growing trend in America’s eating habits. The cows that appear across the packaging rotates so that the cartons form a shelf stable system and also encourages the consumer to interact with the product.

Recognizing excellence in all areas of design enterprise, the Core77 Design Awards celebrates the richness of the design profession and its practitioners. In 2012 there were 17 categories of entry, providing designers, researchers and writers a unique opportunity to communicate the intent, rigor and passion behind their efforts. From client work to self-initiated projects, entrepreneurial to pro-bono engagements, the Core77 Design Awards embrace a wide diversity of enterprise: commercial, cultural, social, environmental and discursive.

For more information about the full awards program please go to Core77DesignAwards.com

Brandi Wilson-Sides BFA Exhibition

UAB Design graduate Brandi Wilson-Sides' BFA exhibition is on display from November 21 thru December 19, at the UAB Mervyn-Sterne Library. The BFA work is on display in the first floor display cases.

"This exhibition features three campaigns based on companies that represent standards that I find admirable and unique," said Brandi. Each campaign contains a business system, a product, and product packaging. You can see all three of these campaigns as well as a diagram and examples of the process used to create them.

Design Students Present to Local Agencies

On Thursday, November 11th, UAB's Intermediate Graphic Design students presented their final work for the Cahaba River Society to Monica Carmichael and Gordon Black of the Society. The students worked in teams of 2/3 for the past 3 weeks, visiting the Cahaba river, taking photos and developing their own visual narrative about this wonderful Alabama resource.

Matt Leavell from the Alabama Engine and Dan Monroe from Cayenne Creative were also part of the group listening to presentations and offering feedback. The Society will choose a direction form the eight  options and work with that team to finalize the project.

Previously, students had present the work to David McMath at Intermark and Sara Cannon and Dan Gavin from Scout for in-process feedback.

Watch for more info as the project develops.

Design Grad Chosen for DoD Design

UAB graphic design graduate Christopher Murphy's poster design was chosen as the winning entry for the Birmingham Day of the Dead festival for 2011. The poster and children's tees will be available at the festival.


Dia de los Muertos #9 will be held at the old Bare Hands gallery location in downtown Birmingham. Wednesday, November 2, 2011 from 5pm - 10pm.

For more information go to barehandsinc.org or on facebook -

Dia de los Muertos.

UAB Designer Teas featured on Project Splash

One of UAB's Introduction to Graphic Design projects is featured on Project Splash this month. The project titled, "Designer Teas," is an introductory project where design students are paired with historic designers as a way to interact with and build their own aesthetic. Student research other designers such as, El Lissitsky, Art Chantry, David Carson, Paul Rand, Lester Beall, etc., and use there work as a collaborative spring board to inspire their own work.

The project also requires considering the work in 3D and building a box from a template, using those all important craft skills!

UAB Designs for Non-Profit

UAB design students are currently working with the Cahaba River Society on a project to create 3 new brochures that support the mission of the local non-profit. The CRS is an organization who's missions is, "to restore and protect the Cahaba River watershed and its rich diversity of life." Students will spend the next 4 weeks, exploring the river, doing research on the rich plant and animal life and working on designing a brochure system that tells the unique story of this wonderful resource.  

The project is being facilitated by Matt Leavell at Alabama Engine.

UAB Design Graduate Crafts New Magazine

UAB Design student graduate, Courtney Kyle spent the last three months art directing, creating and crafting her first major publication. The premier issue of the craft magazine "Stitch, Craft, Create" hits the newsstand this month with 130 pages of fantastic crafts and holiday ideas, all from right here in Alabama. Kyle worked on the magazine for Hoffman Media, LLC. an Alabama company. She lent her talents to typesetting and laying out pages as well as designing several of the craft projects herself. She was even responsible for creating directions for subscribers to follow to successfully create the crafts themselves. Courtney told us she loved all the hands-on opportunities that designing and creating a large-scale craft publication entails. On the newsstand October 18, 2011.

New Home for the UAB Art Department

The UAB Department of Art and Art History will have a new home in the fall of 2013. The building (pictured) was designed by Los Angeles-based Randall Stout Architects. Randall served as Senior Associate to world-renowned architect Frank Gehry from 1989 to 1996 and, in 1993, started his own architecture firm.The firm has designed numerous noteworthy buildings both in Europe and here,including the new wing of the Hunter Museum of American Art in Chattanooga, and the Art Museum of Western Virginia in Roanoke.

The new building will feature multiple gallery spaces and a unique metal exterior. Groundbreaking will begin over the winter holiday of 2011.

Design Students Packaging on Display

Jin Chung, Jennifer Waycaster

UAB Graphic Design students recently completed a packaging project for ARS 350 Intermediate Design. Students were asked to create a design for a snack that references local Alabama culture, places and/or people. Finished projects can be seen on display in the main Department of Art and Art History hallway on the first floor of the UAB Humanities building. Students worked conceptually with the idea of southern culture, history and ideals to create a snack and the packaging imagery to support it.

UAB Design Student in the Big Apple!

UAB Graphic Design student, Cana Grooms, spent the summer in the big apple interning with home design guru and bon vivant Jonathan Adler. She worked for 3 months on everything from basic patterns and color palettes to a redesign of the Adler product tags that will be used in all their stores. Talking about her experience Grooms said, "I was given tons of freedom. I would be given a basic idea of what the project was and the concept, and then allowed to ramble through designs and present the strongest ones at the end of the day." Cana was given free reign on many of the projects she touched, including the design of the 2011 Holiday Look Book. Talking about life in NYC, "Its crazy and wonderful at the same time, there is so much creative inspiration in the city. There is an energy that constantly renews your creative spirit."  

Zach Williams Featured in Tom's Poster

UAB Design graduate, Zach Williams, was featured in an in-store poster promo for Tom's shoes. Zach has been working as a design intern at Tom's in San Diego, California for the last few months. He has been creating printed visual for in-store promotions and "loving life in sunny Venice."

UAB Design Students Win Big at 2011 Addys!

pictured: Alexandra, Elizabeth, Brittany, Alyssa

Thursday, February 24, 2011 - UAB graphic design faculty and students won 9 awards in several different categories on Thursday night at the 53rd Annual Birmingham Addy Awards. The event was held at the Alabama Theatre. Addys recognize excellence in advertising and graphic design. Three creative directors hailing from San Francisco, Denver and Chicago juried the work.

Assistant Professor, Douglas Barrett received 2 Silver place awards in the category Advertising for the Arts and Sciences for work done for the Department of Art and Art History.

Student awards are:

Alexandra Crawford, Student Best of Show
Alexandra Crawford, Gold, Student Editorial
Brittany Fox, Gold, Student Non-Traditional Advertising
Brittany Fox, Gold, Student Collateral
Alyssa Mitchell, Silver, Student Non-Traditional Advertising
Lindsey Griggs, Silver, Student Collateral
Elizabeth Springer, Silver, Student Collateral

Design Students win at AIGA Salon

jacinta, alyssa, brandi, chris, doug

UAB Graphic Design students and professor took home several awards from the 2010 AIGA Birmingham Salon de Refuse. The Annual Salon was held at OMNI Studio in downtown Birmingham.

IDEO Workshop - Jemison Lecture Series

Beau Bergeron of IDEO

IDEO Communication Designer, Beau Bergeron, spent 3 days lecturing, ideating, making, and remixing at UAB’s graphic design studios. His lecture, “How to Get Everything You Want out of School, Job Hunting and Life,” takes students on his own wild-ride to score the job of his dreams and live life by his own rules. Through his personal insight and experience, students learn to take control of their own design practice and future.

Using IDEO’s creative method of learn, look, ask, try–students brainstorm the idea of connecting a soda vending machine to cell phones and social networking. The session began with these words of wisdom, “No idea is too crazy, do not play it safe today!” Students worked, shouted and waved for 40 minutes, drawing out ideas on sticky notes. Beau worked the floor like a DJ at a party, shouting out “THANK YOU” and “REMIX IT!”

The workshop also featured a poster design session and a one-on-one portfolio review. 

UAB Students Tour Atlanta Studios

On November 12th, members of the UAB graphic design program along with students from Samford University and Montevallo University spent the day touring Design Studios in Atlanta. Over 30 students participated in the tours. Students were also treated to a tour of MAC Paper's Design Center and were able to take home paper samples and promos. Above, students talk with Chris Miller of the Jones Group. The tour was a joint venture between the schools and the local AIGA Birmingham chapter. We wish to thank everyone who graciously gave time and effort: Mac Papers - Andrea Hill, Mohawk Papers - Rebecca Pilgrim, The Jones Group, Fletcher-Martin, Primal Screen, Unboundary and the AIGA Birmingham.