A prestigious design magazine chose senior Hunter Young’s design as a finalist in their annual competition. BYU student Hunter Young is a finalist in the Communication Arts annual Design Competition. Young is in the Graphic Design Program of the Design Department. His piece, “OMSI,” will be featured in the magazine’s annual design edition. “OMSI”, named after the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, is a rebranding project for the museum involving an interchangeable logo system. Young, who is from Portland, Oregon, said the OMSI had a big influence on him when he was growing up, and he wanted to rebrand it because it was due for a change. “I knew that I wanted to create a contemporary branding system that could remain flexible, since the museum has many departments and events,” Young said. “I think because I was working on something that was personal to me, it made the process a lot more fun because I cared about it and was focused on making it the best I could.” The project took about a semester to complete, with a lot of editing and adjusting. Even now, after it’s been submitted for and won a couple of different awards, Young said he is continually working to make the piece better. The Communication Arts Design Annual competition showcases winners from one of the most prestigious design competitions in the United States and throughout the world. Out of the 2,900 total entries, just 126 pieces were accepted as finalists. While Young had submitted his project for a different award, he didn’t know that his professors had submitted it for the Communication Arts competition, but he said he’s glad they did.
“We really have such amazing design professors who are always looking out for you and wanting you to succeed, which I am so grateful for,” he said. “Without their help and encouragement, I probably would not have entered, thinking it was too far of a reach for me.” Young grew up reading Communication Arts magazine, which he said is a staple in the design world. When he learned that he was a finalist and that his design would be featured in the annual design magazine, he was beyond excited. “Being a finalist really means a lot. Above all it has motivated me to keep creating and pushing myself. To be a finalist alongside other designers and studios that I have looked up to for so long is an honor.” Young hopes to make a career out of design. He said he’s looked into other career paths, but in the end he always knew this is what he wanted to do. “I grew up in an environment that showed me not only the importance that art and design has, but that you can actually have a successful and fulfilling creative career, despite what many people might say,”