Tulsa Tech Student Designs Winning Logo for Jenks Museum

Visual Graphic Design Instructor Tim Lange presented his class with a new assignment, but this wasn’t just an assignment, it was a real-world competition for a logo design for the Jenks America Museum & Historical Society.

“We are approached from time to time by nonprofit organizations and small businesses,” Lange said. “They are looking for professional help, but don’t have much of a budget, and our students are looking to create portfolio pieces that will help get them experience.”

“I try to make this as much like working in a graphic design studio or advertising agency as possible. The clients fill out a design brief and then the students all have an opportunity to work on the project for not only the client, but for a grade as well.”

Elle DuPre, a second-year student, was nervous and excited for the opportunity and began her process, keeping the colors in mind and wanting to connect the museum to Jenks. Her idea kept going back to the Jenks Lighthouse because it is a staple in the community.

“I showed my initial designs to Mr. Lange, and he suggested I minimize the lighthouse with line art, giving it just an outline and some lines for shape. He helped me improve my design and I’m really proud of the finished project.”

The Jenks America Museum & Historical Society also loved her design, selecting her project as their winner in the logo contest.

DuPre has loved art since she was in elementary school. In sixth grade, she started drawing any chance she could and realized it had become her passion. In high school, she took a Multimedia and Image Design class and had so much fun learning that when a Tulsa Tech representative spoke at Union High School about all the classes that were available, she jumped at the chance to continue learning graphic design.

DuPre plans on continuing her education at Tulsa Community College, taking business and graphic design courses to help her pursue her dream of becoming a graphic design artist.

“Tulsa Tech has opened bigger doors for a lot of students,” DuPre said. “Coming here gave me the opportunity to meet people who had similar interests to me. It is a place I’m happy to be at every day. It is a place where you can explore your interests, and it helps students get good paying jobs faster than if you went to college.”

“Seeing the students blossom and gain self-confidence is great,” Lange said. “We want to get them experience in interviewing, talking to clients and working one-on-one with clients, giving them real-world experience for when they start their careers.”

Tulsa Tech has taught DuPre to step out of her comfort zone. Through SkillsUSA, she’s become a better communicator with her peers and has a better grasp on how to present her ideas to clients. After seeing the SkillsUSA competitions last year, she has decided to push herself to compete this year and continue to work on not only her design skills, but herself as well.