Please read the schedule below for a list of events and times, hope to see you there!

11:30 – 1:00
PROFESSIONAL LUNCH WITH STUDENTS
Looking to meet your next graphic designer? Here’s your first opportunity to come in, see their work, and have a face-to-face conversation with them. They are all really looking forward to talking design with you.

1:00 – 2:00
PROFESSIONAL LUNCH WITHOUT STUDENTS
So you’re interested in checking out their work, but are shy and would rather not chat while you gawk? Come in while they are out to lunch and take a close-up look without even having to say hello.

3:30 – 5:00
FRIENDS & FAMILY
Now is your chance to stop in and see what your graduating student has been up to for the last two years. Come by, say hello, and tell them how awesome their work looks. Trust us. It’s very impressive.

5:30 – 7:00
PROFESSIONAL COCKTAIL HOUR (and a half)
What better way to start off your long weekend than with a cold beverage and the opportunity to see some really nice design work? Come by and welcome these young professionals to your industry and the 60-hour workweek you’ve grown to love.

7:00 – 11:00
PROFESSIONAL & ALUMNI PARTY
If this part of the evening needs any description you’ve either never attended or perhaps you’ve attended, but details are still a little fuzzy. This is a lot of fun and an opportunity for past grads to reconnect with old classmates and instructors and share all those “remember when” stories.

[Show as slideshow]

School of advertising art (saa), a Kettering OH based college, is honored to have been included in a roster of 16 of the country’s most renowned colleges for nurturing some of the most talented and successful graphic designers in the nation.

The March issue of Graphic Design USA (GD USA) magazine includes an article highlighting the country’s 16 best designer friendly schools, one of which is Kettering’s own SAA. The entire article may be viewed on our website or by viewing it with the GD USA mobile app.

The article in GD USA begins, “We are intensifying coverage of art and design schools as the lines between the studio and the classroom, the office and the academy continue to blur.”

“This is a wonderful recognition of our commitment to educate, guide and prepare our students to be first in mind for talent, creativity and preparedness in the industry.” said Jessica Barry, President, saa. “I’m very proud of the staff and students at SAA and their contribution to this recognition.”

saa has a long history of excellence. Founded in 1983, saa delivers a focused curriculum that provides students with the training and skills needed to succeed as professional graphic designers. saa has strong recognition in the advertising community, with students regularly earning awards in local, regional, and national design competitions.

Ethan, who was raised just north of Columbus, OH, is currently in his final year at SAA and is planning to pursue a career in web design after his graduation in May.

The article in GD USA states, “Our Students To Watch feature has become a tradition that resonates and renews: the students get recognized and the professional creative community gets refreshed.”

“I feel I’ve benefited greatly from saa’s small class sizes and dedicated instructors.” said Ethan Muller. “Because the campus is small, the instructors are more accessible and they all really care about helping us gain the knowledge we need to be successful.”

Ethan is the third saa student to have been included in this prestigious roster by GD USA. In 2011 Candy Niemeyer was one of the Top 25 Students to Watch and in 2010 Travis Runyon received the Top 25 Students recognition.

saa has a long history of excellence. Founded in 1983, saa delivers a focused curriculum that provides students with the training and skills needed to succeed as professional graphic designers. saa has strong recognition in the advertising community, with students regularly earning awards in local, regional, and national design competitions.

The Max100 Book Project is an illustration project that grew from Matt’s obsession with sneakers (he is a self-proclaimed “sneakerhead”). He has published Max100, a book of 100 illustrations of his favorite shoe – the Air Max 1. Armin Vit, in an intro to the book, praises the collection of illustrations as “fantastic,” noting Matt’s “ability to distill the essence of each thing that is then applied to the basic structure of the Air Max.” Five of the 100 illustration titles hint at what you’ll find: “Revealed,” “Brite,” “Hunted, “Stellar,” and “Seedless.”

Students heard Matt’s message loud and clear – do what you love to do, and do what inspires you, because it will lead to your best work. Visit Matt’s website at http://cargocollective.com/mattstevens  and the Max100 site at http://max100project.com/

(Max100 has jumped to the top of the “Top 10 Most Requested Books” in the saa library.)

Meet recent saa graduates James Graves and Casey Spitnale who upon graduating from saa started the creative company Voom. Hear how their business is thriving in a tough economy and how their experience at saa helped motivate and inspire them to launch Voom.

PORTFOLIO REVIEWS, FINANCIAL AID INFO, & MORE

We’re not letting this economy rain on our parade—over the last six years, the school of advertising art has achieved a 92%* job placement rate. Come to the saa Fall Open House and learn how we do it.

12:00 – Registration
12:30 – Meet the President
1:00 – Meet the Faculty
1:30 – Meet the Students
2:00 – Voom Presentation

For a faculty portfolio review, bring 8–12 samples of artwork and your high school transcript. When you arrive, let us know that you’d like a review. We will meet with you sometime between noon and 2:00.

Ben started fooling around with web design while in high school, built a website for the school, and built another site as his Eagle Scout project. College at the University of North Texas led him to a degree in Communication Design, and taking part in a Project M design education program in rural Alabama gave him a chance to explore how designers can use their skills to improve the world. Visit Project M here.

Designing the identity and interactive components for FB’s annual conference is an example of the wide range of Ben’s work. He also often designs posters to place around the FB offices. Some have FB philosophies, others are sayings meant to inspire or to get people to “question internal ideas.” (“Done is better than perfect” is hanging on the saa library design line today as students work down to the wire on several projects.)

Students were intrigued by Ben’s stories of the “Hackathons” held at FB every couple of months. Employees can stretch their creativity as they work together in an intense session that may go on all night. “Code wins arguments” is a Hack reminder to take something to completion to prove its worth.

Following his presentation. Ben answered questions, and students had the opportunity to introduce themselves. (…yes, the IPO question was asked, but Ben could not respond, per FCC rules…)

To see some of Ben’s work, find him on Facebook, or visit his website.

Special guest speakers were Jordan Monson of Clutch Interactive, and saa graduates, Kori Anderson, Eric Kemp, Tyler Spahr, and Anthony Wartinger. All are designers at Clutch, an  interactive marketing agency in Columbus. Jordan emphasized that graduates from saa arrive with excellent skills, which enable them to be productive contributors right away. The college’s design-focused curriculum and use of the absolute latest design software makes graduates stand out among job applicants. The graduates explained their interactive work, shared examples, and answered questions from visitors.

saa’s Spring Open House is March 17th.

This year, Christine Koeller, Vice-President of Operations for GZK, volunteered for the project. GZK is the local franchisor for Arby’s and Lee’s Famous Recipe restaurants. Koeller provided relevant company background and presented the challenge of raising awareness and creating greater visibility for GZK’s catering business. She explained, “We needed fresh insight into the issue.” She allowed students to create a new name and logo/identity for GZK’s catering arm, as long as both the Arby’s and Lee’s brands were somehow represented.

Student presentations and marketing solutions were predictably creative. Many new ideas were presented, and some common threads also emerged. Koeller found the team presentations to be fun, interesting, and informative: “This project created quite a bit of buzz around the office, and more than one ‘why didn’t we think of that?’ moment!”

Each team provided the client with a presentation booklet outlining their research and recommendations. In addition, Koeller was given mock-ups of all proposed marketing materials including logos, packaging, menus, swag, and website redesigns.

When asked what attracted her to this project, Koeller replied: “I remember what it was like to be in college. This type of project is important for students. It provides additional perspective and important context that you just can’t get in the classroom. It’s also a great way for us to get new perspectives on our business and important community involvement for GZK.”

There was a virtual tie between two teams in Jennifer Sivak’s class. Congratulations to:

Hannah Bailey, Jesse Meredith, Ethan Muller, and Kyle Rockhold
Beth Chasse, Ariel Deming, Brittany Lape, and Dustin Turner

Norm Vallone’s winning teams included:

Ammity Cocke, Aaron Eddleblute, and Chantal Klaas
Amanda Boeke, Amber Brannon, Chelsea Moore, and Brooke Weakley

Congratulations to all, and thanks GZK!

To learn more about GZK, or to cater your next event, visit their website.

The Columbus Society of Communicating Arts [CSCA] announced the winners of the 2011 Creative Best awards on November 17 at the LC Pavilion in Columbus, Ohio.

Once again, saa was very well represented in the student competition, taking 5 of the 14 awards given in this highly competitive category. The Ohio State University also received 5 student awards. Two awards each were earned by students from Columbus College of Art and Design [CCAD] and Ohio University.

2011 alums Cody Achter and Clare Pluckhorn each received an Award of Excellence for their book cover designs created while students at saa. Cody is a graduate of Clay High School and Clare is a graduate of Port Clinton High.

Three 2011 alums were recognized with Awards of Merit for artwork created while students at saa. Congratulations to Bree Crum, Emily Webb, and Jessica Woodhouse!

Bree, a graduate of Columbiana Career Center, is currently a Graphic Design Intern with Modcloth in Pittsburgh. Emily is a graduate of Batavia High and is employed as a Graphic Designer by Traction in Cincinnati. Jessica graduated from Benjamin Logan High School and is employed as an Associate Art Director by Ryan Partnership in Columbus.

In addition, saa Vice President Matt Flick took home an Award of Merit for saa’s 2011 Portfolio Show invitation. Web Instructor Ricardo Thompson also received an Award of Merit for the saa website.

Please continue to explore our award-winning site!

Alison, who has led projects for Discovery Channel, TLC, Rosetta Stone, Blackboard, and The Washington Post among many others, went back to her days as a student and entry level professional to address points she wanted students to consider.

She began by discussing common fears students may experience as they think about leaving school and beginning their careers. “Fear should never completely go away,” but Alison encouraged students not to let insecurity slow them down.

She told students that the “right job” doesn’t really exist—that there really is no right or wrong. Rather, she encouraged students to focus on what they would like to be doing in five years, create a huge target, and then take steps to move in that direction. “Focus on finding a challenge—not on geography, agency name, or money.”

Alison explained that “ego” should not be confused with emotion or passion. It’s important to have passion in this industry: have an opinion, but remain open-minded. “Trust your intuition and develop good habits.” Alison reminded students that their value is in their ideas and creativity. She also addressed the challenge of being indecisive and the importance of nurturing your creative self.

“It’s all in how hard you work. What you give, you get back.”

Alison concluded her talk by sharing thirty things that personally inspire her: from wood type to miniatures, from fashion and interior design to dogs, from patterns and movement to compassion and simplicity.

From beginning to end, Alison’s visit was simply inspiring!

saa was pleased to welcome Alison Yard Medland as part of our 2011-2012 Guest Speaker Series.

To learn more about Alison visit her website.