15 RINGLING SCHOOL DESIGN CENTER
Three students at the Ringling School of Art and Design had a very special experience ahead of them in their fourth year on campus: creating the school’s 2007 admissions catalog from start to finish. The opportunity was afforded via the Ringling School Design Center, an interdisciplinary internship where fourth-year attendees work on real-world projects from concept through final production.

The stakes were high in the case of the admissions catalog, according to Design Center assistant director Holly Antoszewski, “especially when you think about how important this project is for our Admissions Office and our international recruiting efforts.” But the strategy was sensible, she says. “Our student designers are able to create something that appeals to our audience because they are so close in age to those who we are trying to attract.” The catalog’s design is heavily image-based, she notes, “juxtaposing raw and somewhat abstract imagery with editorial images, in order to give prospective students an authentic feel for life at Ringling school.” Compelling details—an embossed cover; papers varied within the catalog to differentiate sections; a custom, interior-printed slipcase—allow plenty of opportunity for the students to show off the skills they’ve learned at the school. And best of all, the student designers were responsible for it all: making presentations to the dean of Admissions, creating the photo shot list, art directing photography, designing pages, getting printing estimates, handling prepress … even going to the press check in China. by Tom Biederbeck

Ringling School Design Center
ART DIRECTORS: Jennifer Mumford Brady, Holly Antoszewski
DESIGNERS: Chris Roeleveld, José Rodriquez, Carlo Bejec
PHOTOGRAPHER: Forrest MacDonald
COPYWRITERS: Amy Fischer, Christine Lange
CLIENT: Ringling School Admissions Office
CONTACT: www.ringling.edu