FIRST KNIGHT
Four years ago, I was still a student at Geneseo, working as a graphic design assistant for the technology department. At the time, the mighty and wonderful Andrea Klein enlisted my help to create a brand and host of design pieces for an awesome new event for incoming freshmen. The event, called "First Knight", is a joyful and welcoming celebration, complete with food, music, games & fireworks, directly after Opening Convocation on the night before the first day of the fall semester. Let me just say, Andrea Klein can throw a DANG good party.
As a student, I was so so excited to have the opportunity to work on this project, and to be able to work with Andrea (literally, one of the coolest people you'd ever hope to meet). This assignment was nothing like I'd done before and I got to experiment with illustration and typography (and, apparently, the warp tool). It was loud and joyful and celebratory and extremely blue, and it remained one of my favorite portfolio pieces for a long time afterwards. Here's at look at the First Knight materials Andrea and I created together:
The motif - what we'd base all the successive materials upon.
Poster design
T-shirt design
Andrea expanded the motif across banners, handouts, and even frisbees, to really round out the look for this awesome event.
LAST KNIGHT
Now, 4 years later, as Andrea was gearing up to re-brand the Senior Champagne Toast, an event for graduating seniors that occurs after graduation rehearsal, we tossed around names for the event. Maybe "Senior Soiree", maybe "Senior Send-Off Shindig". We even pulled out the thesaurus looking for other words for "party", but then we realized, WAIT. This event would occur on the graduating seniors' last night on campus, the night before commencement. LAST KNIGHT. Perfect. AND, to add a little bit of oh-so-delicious full-circle serendipity, this graduating class was the first class that got to enjoy the First Knight celebration 4 years earlier.
Now, the design for Last Knight is a bit more grown-up. Matured exactly 4 years - just like the graduating class and just like my eye and skills as a designer. The design retains elements from the First Knight designs, but with a new matured perspective and presented with a bit more refinement and elegance.
Motif
Flyer & front of invitation
Front and back of senior invitation
T-shirt design
If you thought I'd conclude this blog without presenting a juxtaposition of Freshmen First Knight and Senior Last Knight, well, you were wrong, sorry.
In conclusion, this post is quite timely because tonight IS the Last Knight for the class of 2016.
A big, happy, hearty congratulations to the Senior Class of 2016 - at any and every school, but at Geneseo especially!