Graphic design students discuss changes.

People put a lot of hard work and effort into things they are passionate about. The things people go to school for, or made a career out are mostly subjects they enjoy and love being around. The Linn-Benton Community College graphic design department is no exception. They students are dedicated individuals that eat, sleep and breath the graphic arts.

Graphic design is a visual communication that happens everywhere all the time. It is the commercial application of the elements and principles of arts and design.

A graphic designer manipulates those elements and principles to solve a particular problem, or particular communication problem.

“I think one of the definitions I think of when I think of graphic design is ‘creative solution,’” said Eric Robinson, a second year visual communications major at LBCC.

John Aikman is the graphic design instructor on campus. In the first year for new students in graphic design, he uses digital imaging. Students that are motivated, and that believe that graphic design, illustration, packaging, are things that they would be interested in, take a full year of that subject.

By doing this they build a strong technical base. They have to know to use the tools, before they can actually start talking about designing.

“The computer is a tool and the applications are the vehicles, that will help you visualize your ideas,” said Aikman, “it’s a mastery of the process and a mastery of the hardware and software in that first year.”

After the first year is completed, the students move on to the next steps of learning. They start out slow to review the previous material and then move to more advanced material and start increasing their technical skills even more over the years.

Eric Robinson is a ongoing graphic design student. In the beginning of his first year he was really excited by learning on how  to start using all the tools learned in class.

“I was also frustrated that my work was not looking very good. I can do whatever you want me to do on a computer, but I did not know how to make it look good by the end of the first year,” said Robinson, “At the end of my second year I’d say my work looks nice.”

So far Robinson’s favorite project with graphic design was the “Packaging Project.” It’s a group of students who are assigned a random fruit or vegetable, something that nobody knows a lot about. Then they start designing packaging for it, such as wine bottles, or jam. In Robinson’s group they made packaging of 4-pack soda bottles for gooseberries.

For Sharon Betterton, a fellow visual communications major at LBCC, she enjoyed the packaging design. Betterton is in the middle of her second year in graphic design. She had started out wanting to do magazine editing.

“I will come a lot further in illustrating more than I ever thought I would,” said Betterton.

The graphic design department is a well grounded place that has worked with many different non-profit organizations such as Meals on Wheels and logos for Mid-Valley Red Cross Chapter. Also for the last three of the four years they created the poster for The DaVinci Days, they also did the poster for LBCC’s production of, “The Crane Wife.”

John Aikman will be retiring from teaching graphic art in June of 2013. Aikman had started working at LBCC in 1980 and has been with the college teaching graphic art for 32 years.

“I have been thinking about retiring for a while actually ” said Aikman,”there maybe be a chance of working part time at some point in the future, but that wont be for a while.”

The department will be having graphic art instructors Lewis Franklin and Frossene King help out the graphic design department by the students that are finishing up their degrees.

“I think it’s a really awful idea not to have one instructor for graphic design,” said Betterton, “I think it’s irritating to be honest, I don’t think they understand the things we students do in the program. I mean we are here all day everyday, even weekends.”

They are usually the first people on campus and the last to leave with security getting them to leave the campus because they are around so late. The students feel they need faculty who can be there that much with them.

It takes a lot of time and dedication to be a part of the graphic design department. The students and faculty feel like family, and now things will change for them with new instructors with different schedules.

“The graphic design department is not going anywhere,” said Aikman, “it’s alive and well and will be continuing, the college will hopefully hire a full time instructor, but not yet.”

If the students are interested in what the graphic design department does, the department makes sure to invite the students to the graphic design show which is a gallery present by the graphic design students. Opening night for the show is  May 13^th, starting at 7:00 p.m. in South Santiam Hall.

If anyone is interested in graphic design but does not have time for the class, can feel free to join their club, The Visual Art Club. It’s said to be probably the longest established club on campus. They are an active club, anyone is able to join, they do road trips, fundraisers, social activities.