March 29, 2024

Mid Designer

Breakaway from the pack

2023 graduate named Graphic Design USA Student to Watch

Carly Curran stands with her hands outstretched in front of a wall with 12 calendar pages.
Carly Curran stands with her artwork displayed in the senior exhibition present “Sincerely Yours,” at the McEachern Art Heart. Photograph courtesy Carly Curran

A 2023 Mercer College graduate’s graphic style and design techniques just lately acquired the discover of a leading industry resource. Carly Curran, who just attained a Bachelor of Arts in graphic design and style, was named a Student to Observe by Graphic Design Usa. 

With the support of numerous of America’s leading artwork and design universities, Graphic Layout Usa per year identifies major undergraduate, graduate and continuing instruction college students all set to burst on to the design and style scene. Profiles of this year’s Students to Watch are readily available on line and will be highlighted in an impending version of Graphic Layout United states of america magazine.

Carly Curran holds her graduation cap while wearing a white dress with her graduation stole and honor cord.
Carly Curran just graduated with her bachelor’s diploma in graphic structure. Photo courtesy Carly Curran

“I am so happy of Carly’s achievement,” said Tennille Shuster, associate professor of graphic design. “This prestigious recognition confirms what we see in the classroom every day from Carly. Her creativity and assiduousness established her apart and will provide her nicely as she graduates and starts her job as a qualified designer.”

Curran, an Atlanta indigenous, has formulated and honed her abilities as a result of a wide range of Mercer lessons, encounters and freelance initiatives. A member of the women’s lacrosse team, she has finished graphic design operate for Mercer Athletics as nicely as for the artwork division, such as for an tutorial textbook. Curran claimed Shuster has been an incredible mentor to her. 

“Every (artwork) professor genuinely seems out for every single university student,” she stated. “They definitely want to see us thrive, so any time they can get us in entrance of a distinctive design and style audience, they try to help us do that.”

Curran’s locations of target incorporate electronic illustration, pictures and interactive design, in addition to studio-centered do the job that involves ceramics.

“My design and style is extremely illustrative. It appears hand carried out and vector-primarily based,” Curran mentioned. 

Curran produced her preferred graphic design and style initiatives so considerably all through her ultimate semester at Mercer. For the advanced structure support-understanding course, she did rebranding do the job for PARK Macon-Bibb. Then, for her senior exhibition graphic design class, she designed 12 parts of artwork for a regular wall calendar. Her calendar and operates by other graduating wonderful artwork and style students are on screen at the McEachern Artwork Middle by way of May possibly 18.

Curran interned with Mativ, a resources innovation organization headquartered in Alpharetta, during the spring semester. She taken care of social media for the firm and created planners and journal addresses.

Carly Curran holds a trophy on Anderson Field on Mercer's Macon campus, with a jumbotron in the background that says "2023 Big South Women's Lacrosse Champions."
Carly Curran, a member of the women’s lacrosse crew, holds the Significant South Meeting match trophy right after her team’s get on May 7. Picture courtesy Carly Curran

Her internship and senior structure venture prompted her to tumble in adore with merchandise design and style. Curran stated it’s satisfying to have her types introduced to lifetime as products and solutions and then to see people today purchase them. 

She said she was “blown away” by the recent recognition from Graphic Design and style United states of america. 

“I’m not truly a person who gets a good deal of accolades. It was genuinely thrilling to me to get that,” she claimed. “(I’m in) this odd changeover from university to the true globe. … I’m no extended an athlete. Now I have my artwork. It built me genuinely very pleased for the reason that that’s what I’m about to go into.”

Curran mentioned being a student-athlete taught her how to keep a structured work agenda and equilibrium her time. 

“Time management is big with athletes, and that can be stated for artists as nicely,” she stated. “It’s also a single of people items, athletics and artwork, wherever you can’t fake it. You cannot fake the muscle mass you simply cannot bogus the style.”

Curran’s lengthy-term goal is to adhere to in the footsteps of her moms and dads, who are both entrepreneurs, and start her personal graphic design business enterprise.