Syllabus

Spring 2015 Issue

Students Learn How to “Wrap It Up” in Package Design Class

Who designs coffee cups? Chip bags? How do they know what consumers will find appealing?

Graphic design majors at Susquehanna learn just that when they take Package Design In the fall semester of their junior year. It is the first time students are asked to think about their projects three-dimensionally, rather than as a flat product, such as a logo or a brochure.
Students learn how to balance design with practical function by designing products such as chip bags, beer bottles, six-pack holders, coffee cups and sleeves, DVD box sets and personal care items like shampoo.

“Attention to detail and craft are taken into consideration,” says Amanda Lenig ’07, creative services manager at Susquehanna and an adjunct faculty member in its art department. Lenig teaches various sections of the class, along with Associate Professor of Art Mark Fertig. Throughout the semester, students design each project electronically, print it out and then build it from scratch.

Lenig says the course is intended to teach students how to effectively consider design and functionality within a project. It helps students become more efficient and client-focused, essential skills in the professional world. Lenig says that her favorite part of the class is seeing the students grow and progress throughout the semester.

Senior graphic design major Joseph Vivacqua says that Package Design is “a change of pace,” taking a different approach to the design process.
Graphic design major Deborah Martin ’16 says she enjoyed the opportunity to branch out into a “new realm of the design world”-it’s a milestone in a graphic design major’s education at Susquehanna.

“The class is a stepping stone to becoming a full-fledged upperclassman graphic design student,” she explains. “It’s amazing how much I’ve grown in such a short amount of time, and I attribute that growth to Susquehanna’s great [graphic design] program.”

Susquehanna’s graphic design majors consistently take home top prizes at some of the industry’s most recognized competitions, including the ADDYs and the Real Show. Graduates have landed jobs at notable design and advertising agencies, in addition to positions at ESPN, Pixar Animation Studios and the National 9/11 Memorial.

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