Background
Johnson County Community College challenged marketing designers to craft a cover for the Spring 2020 commencement—a season like no other in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Challenge
I'm still new to the team and the nuances of how far to push work. Diving into the anxiety of the moment was obvious. I never considered anything else.
Solution
Because graduates everywhere would miss their milestone moment this year, I imagined how a student might decorate his or her mortarboard, if given the chance. Enamel pins bring some lightheartedness to this strange time and, when arranged loosely around the tassel, create a bold and memorable composition.
Epilogue: The piece didn't win, but it's a worthy memento of Spring 2020. It also was made while working from home, apart from my colleagues, in the first days of a new way of working in marketing that later became permanent.
Art direction and design // Chris Ralston
Photography // Getty
Photography // Getty
