Next week, we’ll officially gain access to our Senior Studio, and on September 10, we’ll all gather for our first visit there. 

This is your space for the year — a place to make, experiment, collaborate, pin things up, test ideas, have breakthroughs, have disasters, and hopefully make some really great work.

But before we get too serious, we need to establish some very important studio infrastructure:
Plants. Tools. Materials. And people who will make sure none of it disappears into chaos.

—-

*PART I: BECOME A PLANT PARENT*
On September 10, you will work in plant parent pairs or groups of three to become a Senior Studio plant-parenting team.

Each student must bring ONE plant. But this isn’t just any plant.
Your Challenge: Bring a plant that reminds you of a graphic design professional.
Your plant should have a personality.

Who does it channel?
Paula Scher — bold, loud, slightly chaotic, impossible to ignore, and somehow everything works?
Stefan Sagmeister — experimental, beautiful, occasionally dangerous, and willing to suffer for the concept?
Massimo Vignelli — structured, disciplined, timeless, and absolutely judging your font choices?
David Carson — refuses to follow the rules and somehow gets away with it?
April Greiman — futuristic, experimental, and operating approximately 20 years ahead of everyone else?

Or perhaps someone entirely different.

Each student will introduce their plant baby: 

/ What is its name?
/ Which designer does it remind you of?
/ Why?
/ What does it need to thrive?

Then, as a parent pair or group of three, you’ll establish a simple plant-care plan.
Who is watering? Who is checking the light?
Who is making sure your plant hasn’t quietly entered its death phase?

Because Senior Studio is a long-term project.
Your first assignment: Keep something alive.

—-

*PART II: BUILD THE DESIGN CABINET*
Our Senior Studio will also have a shared Design Cabinet — a communal collection of tools, materials, and interesting things that everyone can use throughout the year. Think of it as a design pantry.

If you have useful materials or supplies at home that you no longer need, bring them in and contribute to the collective.

PAPER + MATERIALS
/ Scrap paper
/ Cardstock
/ Construction paper
/ Tracing paper
/ Vellum
/ Bristol board
/ Mat board
/ Foam board
/ Chipboard
/ Corrugated cardboard
/ Paper scraps
/ Old magazines
/ Newspapers
/ Packaging materials
/ Interesting envelopes
/ Old posters
/ Fabric scraps
/ Acetate / transparencies
/ Specialty papers
/ Vinyl scraps
/ Material samples

TOOLS
/ T-squares
/ Metal rulers
/ Cutting mats
/ X-Acto / craft knives
/ Scissors
/ Cutting rulers
/ Self-healing mats
/ Bone folders
/ Awls
/ Hole punches
/ Utility knives
/ Pencils
/ Mechanical pencils
/ Erasers
/ Pencil sharpeners
/ Markers
/ Paint brushes
/ Measuring tapes

MAKING + PROTOTYPING
/ Glue sticks
/ Double-sided tape
/ Masking tape
/ Painter’s tape
/ Gaffer tape
/ Binder clips
/ Paper clips
/ Rubber bands
/ String / twineWire
/ Foam
/ Cork
/ Wood scraps
/ Plastic sheets
/ Hardware
/ Fasteners
/ Velcro
/ Magnets

TYPOGRAPHY + IMAGE-MAKING
/ Old type specimens
/ Design magazines
/ Typography books
/ Interesting found photographs
/ Printed ephemera
/ Postcards
/ Brochures
/ Newspapers
/ Packaging
/ Labels
/ Maps
/ Tickets
/ Collage material

—-

*PART III: STUDIO MANAGERS*
We will select two Studio Managers for the semester. This can be by nomination (from a peer or feel free to nominate yourself!)
The Studio Managers will help oversee the shared space and act as stewards of the studio.

Their responsibilities will include:
/ Helping keep the studio orderly
/ Monitoring shared materials and supplies
/ Maintaining the Design Cabinet
/ Identifying things that need to be repaired, replaced, or replenished
/ Helping communicate studio needs to faculty
/ Helping establish systems for the shared space
/ Encouraging everyone to take responsibility for the studio