Sarah Edmands Martin

DESIGNER

Associate Professor
University of Notre Dame

Designer, artist, and scholar working at the intersection of visual communication design, critical fabulation, and media aesthetics. 


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UIC School of Design guest juror
m(other)ing exhibition open
forthcoming talk at Cornell





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Open Studios: Eskenazi School of Art, Architecture + Design

Animation, promotional materials2018–2020
Promotional posters and animations attracting the public to events put on by the art and design programs at Indiana University.    






Concept


These poster designs and animations were both created to promote the School of Art, Architecture + Design at Indiana University, specifically their annual Open Studios event. Opening the university’s doors to students, families, artists, and regional visitors, the Open Studios event invited a wide audience to try their hand at various art-making activities and view student artwork in multiple studio locations. In additional, the visitor’s could explore artists' studio practices, ask questions about the school’s areas of study, and preview course listings for Spring 2019.

This work is intended to be an homage to Seymour Chwast’s Design & Style 6: Surrealism published by the Pushpin Group.  
digital animation
after effects
poster design
promotional materials
print design

won silver Graphis poster design award
published in Graphis 2020 Poster Annual





































    These animated promotional posters for the Eskenazi School’s Graphic Design area serve as visually compelling invitations for enrollment, each strategically designed to reflect the essence of the respective courses. 





    Detail views






















    Promotional animations from 2019 extend the Eskenazi School’s Graphic Design promotional materials to serve as visually compelling invitations for enrollment. Each strategically designed animation reflects the spirit of the liberal arts: learning, curiosity, knowing through making. The animations appeal to students new to the field by making graphic design look bold, exciting, and relevant to contemporary visual culture. Additionally, it positions the school’s courses as an entry point to creative expression. They also seek to attract students interested in developing critical thinking skills through design. The abstract nature of the visuals invites curiosity, making the course seem like an intellectual puzzle waiting to be solved.













    These posters promote engagement and new enrollment by visually reflecting each course's core principles—from creativity and storytelling to problem-solving, production, and typography. Bold, pop-art-inspired imagery of the “Intro to Graphic Design” instantly grabs a viewer’s attention, echoing the communicative power of graphic design. The halftone effect and high-contrast color scheme create a sense of dynamism, reinforcing the idea that design is about visual storytelling. For example, the “Graphic Design Problem Solving” poster, a maze-like, isometric pattern dominates the composition, visually representing complexity and structured thinking—key components of problem-solving in design. The red color scheme conveys urgency and energy, suggesting a challenging but rewarding course. Additionally, for the “Production for Graphic Design” poster, the design takes inspiration from technical print production elements, incorporating halftone tests, registration marks, and calibration charts. The muted, industrial color palette and structured grid layout emphasize precision and craftsmanship.

    In essence, the design of these posters are more than just advertisements; they are an extension of the design principles taught within the courses, acting as both recruitment tools and educational previews.