Alumnus Aaron Roberts’ poster design for the Columbus Food & Wine Affair

The Columbus Food & Wine Affair is set to take place this Friday, and once again its collector-worthy poster is a product of CCAD talent.

Aaron Roberts (CCAD 2012) earned first place in the annual class design project for the event while he was still a senior in Advertising & Graphic Design.

For the class project, students were told the dimensions of the poster and how it would be displayed. They were told the poster had to appeal in both color and black and white, represent food and wine equally, and have an international and contemporary flair.

“It is absolutely amazing to see what these young artists can do,” said Bob Himes, president of the Central Ohio Restaurant Association Foundation. “We benefit from their concepts and ideas, and they benefit by getting a feel for what it’s like to work with clients.”

Roberts was awarded a cash prize and CCAD received a contribution from the Columbus Food & Wine Affair to the CCAD Scholarship Fund.

Advertising & Graphic Design alumnus Stefan Doke (CCAD 2012) was awarded second place in the competition, and honorable mentions were given to Advertising & Graphic Design alumni Andrea Hager (CCAD 2012), Chavilah Bennett (CCAD 2012), and Christopher Olvis (CCAD 2012).

The Columbus Food & Wine Affair draws more than 1,000 people and showcases food from local Columbus restaurants and more than 350 wines from around the world. The event will take place Sept. 21 at the Franklin Park Conservatory.

Christopher Olvis and Michiella Sturiano hold their winning umbrella design for Easton Town Center

Easton Town Center in Columbus, OH, offers a perk for visitors and shoppers when the clouds turn grey: a courtesy umbrella. This year the design is brand new thanks to Advertising & Graphic Design students at the Columbus College of Art & Design.

Easton hosts nearly 21 million visitors a year and orders 8,000 umbrellas a year for those customers to use—so when Steiner & Associates, the managing company of Easton, approached CCAD Advertising & Graphic Design classes with this project, the students were beyond excited.

Students had to not only create a design that incorporated Easton’s current brand theme and colors, but also work on an umbrella stand, follow a strict budget, deal with storage issues, consider guidelines for the arc, panels, and handle for the umbrella, and create a communication plan, all within an eight-week time frame.

A group of Easton staff members chose the winning design team, which included then-seniors Christopher Olvis and Jacob Graham and junior Michiella Sturiano.

Their design features a nature-themed pattern including snowflakes, autumn leaves, and tree branches all on the color blue that Easton uses as a brand color.

Easton Town Center is one of several community clients that CCAD has recently partnered with. Others include The Central Ohio Transit Authority, the State of Ohio’s Governor’s office, ScottsMiracleGro Company, and Nationwide Insurance.