Successful Applicant Gift
The main aim of the applicant gift was to make sure the applicant knew how impressed we were with their portfolio whilst connecting them to the Department in a personal way. They were originally letterpressed by hand, however due to time constraints this had to be changed to digital printing. The design has a homage to Swiss design with the use of Helvetica typeface and red/black. We wanted to use a pun or play of words to make the design more interesting and relate the typography element of the Department.
Texture from the letterpressed masthead.
The back of the gift where current students working on the activity would write comments about the applicants portfolio.
Portfolio Day Takeaway Gift
The portfolio days activity entailed gaining some information from applicants, such as why they wanted to apply to the university and what they like about design, and then we'd create a card introducing them to another fellow applicant. The takeaway gifts were a great way of making prospectus students feel more welcomed and comfortable in a situation which could feel quite anxious.
The design style of the takeaway gift is coherent to the successful applicant gift to connect them both together.
Production days (including letterpressing)
Each week that portfolio days ran one day was dedicated to the on-the-day activity production flow and another for letterpressing. We used a photopolymer plate specifically made for this job and we also customised the address labels on the envelopes to match the overall style too.
