Ness a student and chief graphic designer
MINOT, N.D. – Darby Ness has been interested in graphic design from an early age.
“I always really liked it,” she said. “My grandma showed me this graphic design program that she had on her computer at work, and I would always go on there and play on it when I was seven or eight years old.”
Ness’ interest first evolved into experience when she worked on yearbook design in seventh grade.
“I went to South Prairie School, so the seventh-grade class at South Prairie made the yearbook – I was really into that. And then I continued to do it in high school for yearbook one when I was a freshman,” Ness said. “That’s when I got to play with Photoshop, and that got me hooked. I was playing with that throughout high school and then I decided when I was a senior that I wanted to go into graphic design.”
Ness, who was born and raised in Minot, is a junior at Minot State working on a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts with a graphic design emphasis. She is currently the chief graphic designer for the College Democrats of America, an organization she became involved in through her art.
“I like to make political art too, so I posted that online and someone contacted me and said hey, you should join college democrats at Minot State,” Ness said.
When the president of college democrats at Minot State resigned, Ness filled the position. She was then political director for College Democrats of North Dakota (CDND).
“I rebranded CDND,” she said. “I made a new logo so we were branding with the right specs that the college democrats brand with, and I wanted to get more involved in the national level.”
She applied for the chief graphic designer position for the College Democrats of America and was chosen for the position in August of 2018.
“The interesting thing with politics with graphic design is that it’s relatively new. The first person that actually used social media to campaign for their presidency was Barack Obama in 2008,” Ness said.
In addition to her coursework load at Minot State and her position as chief graphic designer, Ness is in the beginning stages of her senior project.
“I’m collecting all the data from the insights of the posts on Facebook and Instagram as a case study for my senior project about how graphic design influences politics,” Ness said.
After earning her degree, she plans to move to Minneapolis.
“I want to work under someone for a while, and then possibly open my own studio,” she said.
For now, Ness can be found in the art department where she takes a variety of art-related courses required for her degree – graphic design, printmaking, photography, drawing, design classes, and art history classes.
“I really love the art department,” Ness said. “It’s like a big family that we have there because we all have each other’s backs and it feels like home. I can go there anytime, and someone’s there.”
About Minot State University
Minot State University is a public university dedicated to excellence in education, scholarship, and community engagement achieved through
rigorous academic experiences, active learning environments, commitment to public service, and a vibrant campus life.
| Published: 10/05/18 |
