Two Nicholls graduates recently received national recognition for the graphic design layout of the University’s literary magazine, Mosaic.
Mosaic is the official university literary magazine compiled with students’ works of arts such as poetry, fiction, short pieces and artwork.
Mariella Jimenez, graphic design graduate from Thibodaux, and Derek Matherne, graphic design graduate from Destrehan, worked together to create a contemporary design to represent the creative student works that make up this year’s Mosaic.
Matherne credited Greg Hotard, Nicholls alumni and friend of the design duo, for the photographs featured on the front and back cover of the magazine.
“We were thinking about the name “mosaic” and glass being pieced together,” Jimenez said. “That’s where we got the triangles as our graphic that we used throughout.”
Matherne said he knew the design he and Jimenez created was the perfect fit for the magazine upon completion.
“This is something the Mosaic needs,” Matherne said. “It needs something fresh, it needs something different.”
Jimenez and Matherne submitted their design to the American Graphic Design Awards, which is presented by Graphic Design USA magazine. The contest allows for designers across the country specializing in several different categories of graphic design to compete and showcase their talent.
Matherne said he submitted the design to GDUSA not expecting to win, but as soon as he received a mysterious package from the magazine, his thoughts changed.
“As soon as I saw it, I knew we won,” Matherne expressed. “I was thrilled and shocked at the same time because when you are designing, you like to think your stuff is good but you never think it’s THAT good. When the award came in, it was kind of like a shock, but it was exciting.”
Both Jimenez and Matherne agreed that the hardest part of creating this graphic design was the overall layout and compiling all of the literary and artistic works of the students without anything falling out of place. After that part was over, both designers were pleased with the final product.
“I couldn’t have asked for it to come out better than it did,” Jimenez said.
Gavin Johnson, engineering senior from Larose and chief student editor of the Mosaic, said the magazine staff basically gave the graphic designers free reign to create the layout, but they still worked with Jimenez and Matherne in order to get a satisfying final product.
“The finished product that you see is basically the second draft of what Mariella and Derek brought to us because we just loved it so much.” Johnson said.
The Mosaic is planning to submit the entire magazine for regional review in order to see how the university’s student works are viewed throughout the area.
The Mosaic staff is currently getting in contact with graphic design majors to recommend new designers to create the 2013, 50th edition of the Mosaic.
If students are interested in submitting any literature or art work to the Mosaic for a chance to be included in next year’s edition, email [email protected]. The deadline to submit is Nov. 1.
Johnson said the Mosaic staff hopes to release the new edition of the magazine early spring of 2013.