Design x Industry

Pop-up showcases graphic design student publications shown at the Boston Art Book Fair

Students in the Publication Design course wearing the group's orange aprons, smiling and laughing together in the design lab — Professor Kristen Mallia provided opportunities for students to take charge of the production process. “How do you start that conversation, figure out what you want, test out paper stocks, think about binding materials, all the mechanics of that. And then for the collective project, students had to figure out how to work together toward a very real-world end goal.”

Suffolk University graphic design major Nick Zujus, Class of 2024, has seen his work out in the world before—on banners and even clothing he’s designed. But showing his work alongside classmates at last fall’s Boston Art Book Fair felt different.

“I had never stood before my work as guests viewed and contemplated purchasing it,” he says. Promoting his pieces on social media ahead of the event and engaging with the public in person gave Zujus greater professional confidence and a new sense of pride in his work, which will serve him well when he graduates this spring.

That’s the goal, says Graphic Design Professor Kristen Mallia, who applied to the large juried fair to give her publication design students experience in both the creative and commercial sides of the industry. Building on that success, students will show their work at a pop-up show from March 18-29 in the Suffolk University Gallery on the sixth floor of the Sawyer Building from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Monday through Friday.

On top of learning design theory and skills like typography in class, students were responsible for seeing multiple projects through to completion. “I was excited to expose students to the realities of design,” says Mallia. “How do you budget, work with vendors, and prepare files for the printer? What price do you put on your finished piece?”

Each student created two independent pieces and contributed to a collective class project. They created buzz beforehand through their class and individual Instagram accounts, then showed their work alongside indie artists and publishers large and small during the three-day fair at the bustling Boston Center for the Arts’ Cyclorama.

“As a designer, if you know how to work for yourself to execute projects and promote them and network, those are skills that translate whether you work in a boutique small studio or in house at a large company,” says Mallia. “If students learn how to make those connections and put out work that they love, I feel like they can do so much more.”