If I’m being honest, this has been my most chaotic semester. This entire year has tested my imagination, creativity, and ability to implement ideas. Starting last fall, the Art and Design capstone became a project that truly pushed me to use everything I’ve learned over the last four years.
The premise for what would become my senior show was a medical apparel brand focused on the mental health of nurses. This idea was inspired by my mother and the stories she would tell me after her shifts as a licensed practical nurse. Those stories always delivered the same message: nurses are some of the toughest people out there. No matter what they’re going through, they have to set it aside and focus on their patients. That realization led me to create Bene Hospitality, a company that sells nursing scrubs with motivational messages printed on them.
Since the capstone is technically a two-semester course, the foundation of the brand began in my Brand Design class. I saw this as the technical and brainstorming phase of the project, where I had to create the brand’s visual identity from scratch. Wanting to design something soothing with a touch of whimsy, I centered the brand around the Latin word bene and the letter “b.” Bene, meaning “good” or “well,” felt like the perfect word to express my brand’s mission: to make clothing that supports the goodness and wellness of the healthcare workers who wear it. Once the name was settled, the logo and marketing materials (letterheads, posters, etc.) were all designed around the “B” in bene. The rest of that semester was spent refining the brand through class critiques to finalize the visual details. The goal was to carry that momentum into the second semester: the actual capstone course.
If the first semester was about laying the foundation, the second semester was about bringing everything to life before the capstone exhibition. Printing posters and creating merchandise prototypes was a complete shift. Moving from a class of only graphic design students to a mixed group of other art majors gave me a chance not only to receive different feedback, but also to see how others approached their capstone projects. Everything I worked on benefited from the input of my peers and professors, helping me grow both as a graphic designer and as a person.
I’m genuinely proud of how the final show turned out. My work took up two walls in the Silver Center, and I think the layout of my materials really communicated my intended message. The installation process was a learning experience in itself as I had never installed a show before. Taking exact measurements, choosing the best materials, and figuring out the ideal placements are skills I’ll take with me after graduation.
If I had to pick a favorite part of my exhibition, it would definitely be the scrubs and the mannequin display. Although this was the most time-consuming element, it was also the most satisfying to complete. I lost count of all the hours spent printing the designs and applying them to the fabric, but the final result made it all worth it. It was a true learning experience — just like the entire capstone.
