UH-Maui College graphic design students gave their logo design pitch to Maui Economic Opportunity business planning class entrepreneurs in the collaborative “The Real Deal” event on May 9.
Students in the college’s “Intro to Graphic Design (CM 125)” were paired with entrepreneurs from MEO’s Core Four business planning class to design logos and develop promotional products for each business. “The Real Deal” was an online event via Zoom.
Course instructor Marc Antosch explained in a letter to Core Four students that his goal for the class was to “provide students with the foundational concepts of design, hands-on learning and preparing them for a professional career in graphic design.”
Students met with their “clients” to discuss business identity, target audience and their favorite business logos. In addition to logos, students created mockups of promotional items like T-shirts and shopping bags.
Four businesses from the MEO Core Four classes joined the project. The businesses, their products, the owners and the students follow:
– Da Coffee House; a food truck, selling tea, coffee, desserts and sandwiches on Moloka‘i; Desirae Cabalar; Arren Bacay and Tim McHugh.
– Island Bitters; bitters made on island with local ingredients; Joanne Wing; Evan Sparkman and Jonas Marcial.
– Nagasako Designs; handcrafted jewelry and accessories; Martina Nagasako; Jay Corpuz and Karlyn Romain.
– Maui Vanilla Co.; produces extracts from the cacao and vanilla flowers it grows; Mary Law; Matt Ines and Arabella Llamello.
For the entrepreneurs, the interaction with the UH-Maui College students gave them a window into the detailed components of developing a signature logo.
Nagasako said it was really cool to see the thought process behind the development of her logos and gained a greater appreciation of the work that goes into logo development.
“I was just so impressed with their work,” said Law of Maui Vanilla during the “The Real Deal.” “I really didn’t realize you had all of that going on” in designing the logo.
Law could not choose between the logo proposals by Ines and Llamello. “Both have the potential for being the logo,” she said, while expressing her gratitude for the energy put in by the two graphic artists.
This is the second year that UH-Maui College and MEO’s Business Development Center have collaborated. The Core Four series, offered multiple times during the year, provides business planning and development for entrepreneurs.
“Our students got a chance to work with these talented graphic artists without cost,” said BDC Director David Daly. “Entrepreneurs may believe that their magical idea is enough to bring success, but there is so much more to opening, running and growing a business.
“The entrepreneurs got a look into the genesis of a logo and insight into better marketing their products.”
For more information about the MEO BDC Core Four classes, call (808) 243-4318 or go to https://www.meoinc.org/programs-services/business-development-center/core-four/. To learn more about UH-Maui College’s Academy for Creative Media, contact program coordinator Brian Kohne at [email protected].
Matt Ines’ logo proposal for Maui Vanilla was presented at “The Real Deal” online event on May 9. UH-Maui College graphic design students were paired with Maui Economic Opportunity Core Four business planning class entrepreneurs to create logos and promotional materials.
Shown is Arabella Llamello’s Maui Vanilla logo proposal.
UH-Maui College graphic design students gave their logo design marketing pitch to Maui Economic Opportunity business planning class entrepreneurs in the collaborative “The Real Deal” event, held via Zoom, on May 9.
