Emma Mitchell ’24 and Ashley Josey ’25 captured first and second place, respectively, in the Triad AIGA’s “Make The World Not So Sad” poster design competition.
Members of Elon University’s AIGA chapter competed in the Triad AIGA “Make The World Not So Sad” poster design exhibition, a Greensboro-based competition held in fall 2022 that raised awareness about mental health. With support from Assistant Professor of Communication Design Rebecca Bagley, who advises the campus chapter, Elon students submitted 80 entries.
Emma Mitchell ’24 won first place in the People’s Choice Awards category, and Ashley Josey ’25 captured second place. A communication design major, Mitchell created an inspirational poster that depicts a breakfast setting with the headline, “Every morning is an opportunity to begin again.”
Click here to see photos of the chapter’s submissions.
Josey’s poster, titled “Release,” features large text that reads “inhale” and “exhale,” with inspirational phrases creating an outside border.
“I think we rarely take a moment to just breathe,” said Josey, a communication design major. “I created ‘Release’ to inspire this intentional pause – a nudge to check in with ourselves in such a fast-moving world.”
Josey said she keeps a simple objective in mind when designing content. “I approach design from a goal to improve at least one person’s day,” she explained. “It was super motivating to see my work making that impact.”
The Elon junior commended Bagley for her enduring support, which several other students echoed in online posts regarding the exhibition. Bagley has an extensive background in design and published an e-book, titled “The Design Cookbook: Cooking Up Your Best Graphic Design Ideas,” in 2022 with Kendall Hunt Publishing Company.
“I appreciate how Professor Bagley pushes her students to grow their creative practice beyond the classroom,” Josey said. “Her mentorship as I worked on this project really helped me build confidence in my process and goals as a designer.”
Launched in fall 2020, Elon’s AIGA (American Institute of Graphic Arts) chapter supports aspiring design professionals, providing opportunities to get involved, create a community, and build leadership skills. Follow the student organization on Instagram (@aigaelon).