Project Overview
University of Utah Recruitment Books; a collaboration.
The Workflow
The U of U produced a viewbook, campus visit packet, and prospective student guide in 2021. My role in these projects was to provide creative feedback, retouch images, and to review/approve press checks at local printers. I collaborated with Enrollment Management Marketing and Communications on campus and with an external agency to complete these projects.
Strategy
- Phase One: Creative Direction
- The first iterations the publications included illustrations that accented the design in a youthful aesthetic. My director and manager preferred to elevate the overall tone of the designs in a manner that would reflect academic excellence. I approached this challenge with art direction that would blend the institution’s program highlights with a bolder illustration style.
- Phase Two: Apply My Illustration Style
- For this illustration look, I began with draw-overs on the first versions of the publications. I referenced the academic stats that were planned for infographics and augmented those highlights through the illustrations. For example, The U of U is a top game engineering school and a major health sciences research institution. I drew elements of those topics and instructed the external agency’s designers to redraw the illustrations in order to keep the line quality consistent with some of the other flourishes throughout the publications.
Results
📈 Collaboration brought the viewbook and guide to life as valuable asset for student recruiters.
📈 The illustration style drew attention to key details and encouraged note taking during recruitment events. A lined note page was added to the back of each book.
📈 Incoming freshman class for Fall 2023 increased by 3% from the previous year, an impressive achievement as student recruitment declines nationwide. These key guides and other branded assets contributed to holistic recruitment cycle.
Lola Reyes-Grant 