Graphic design students create logos for area businesses

Dundee-Crown High School students who signed up for art teacher Kimberly Konie's graphic design class this term knew they'd be applying what they had learned in previous art classes to the computer.

What they found out was that their assignments would be graphic design jobs for actual area businesses.

As a way to provide students with real working experiences, Konie sent the word out to local business owners asking if they'd like the students to design them a logo, business cards, letterhead or a direct mail piece.

She was delighted to receive 15 inquiries, seven of which were selected for the students' projects.

"I think it's really motivational, because they're excited that they're working for somebody and they're doing a real job and working like a graphic designer," Konie said.

"They're getting a taste of it to see if they like it enough to maybe go to school for it. If some of these businesses do choose their designs, I think it will be rewarding for them."

Konie got the idea from a fellow DCHS teacher, who had seen it done at another school. She started by sending a questionnaire to the businesses to find out what they did and what kind of graphic design needs they had.

The students will be designing a logo for the District 300 Foundation for Educational Excellence; a logo for Rosie O'Hare's bar in East Dundee; a direct mail piece for Northern Illinois Mortgage Corp. in Algonquin; a direct mail flier for Me Clothing and Apparel, a new snowboarding clothing store in Algonquin; a logo for The Growing Scene, a garden, landscaping and farm stand business in Marengo; a logo for CCR Tops, a granite and laminate company in Elgin; a letterhead for NYC Bagel Deli in Chicago; and a business card for Academy Productions, a company that films snowboarding and sporting events.

Konie arranged the students in groups of three or four, and each has a different "client."

"Although they're still each designing their own piece, I still wanted them to be able to work as a group on the same project so they can talk about ideas and bounce them off each other," Konie said.

They started by doing research.

"The first part was researching the logo, any logo. They had to come to class with three different logos and talk about why it works, and then the next week they had to come to class with pieces of direct mail to get examples of that," Konie said.

"Then I had them talk about what questions would they ask the businesses -- what do you need to know about this business to make their logo."

Each student then had to come up with 12 thumbnail sketches for their project. They are drawing them themselves using tech pens.

"I want them to decide as a group which one they like the best. I help them choose if they are stuck. A lot of them are stuck between two, so we'll maybe even pull from both ideas," Konie said.

For those working on a logo, Konie will take their best designs and take a digital photo of them so it can be created in Adobe Photoshop. Those working with clients who already have a logo are already on the computer designing business cards, letterhead or direct mail pieces.

Konie plans to send the businesses all of the designs created for them and let them choose what they like.

Konie said the students are having a good time with the project, and that she will be looking for more businesses to work with for the fourth term when the class will be taken by a new group of students.

• If you have any news about your club, school, church, business, neighbor, or even yourself, please contact Kirstin Finneran by cell at (312) 518-4993 or e-mail at kirstinfinneran@comcast.net.