BFSDoArt students create brand for future Effingham County industrial park
Students in the Betty Foy Sanders Department of Art present their designs to the Effingham County Industrial Development Authority at Georgia Southern’s City Campus.
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Students in the Betty Foy Sanders Department of Art (BFSDoArt) at Georgia Southern put their education and skills to the test by designing identity standards for a future industrial park to be developed in Effingham County. Chelsey McNicholl, a Georgia Southern alumna and existing industry program manager with the Effingham County Industrial Development Authority (ECIDA), reached out to Ben McKay, a research specialist with the Business Innovation Group (BIG), to see how ECIDA could work with the University to develop a design for the new park. “BIG is happy to connect community partners and businesses with the University,” McKay said. “Working with Chelsey and the Effingham Authority was a great opportunity for our students and BIG.” Four groups of BFSDoArt students from the Design Systems class, taught by Santanu Majumdar, M.F.A., put together several different identity and brand designs for the park, including stationery, road signage, brand guides and more. The students then presented their ideas to board members of the ECIDA during a meeting held at the City Campus classroom in downtown Statesboro. “[The students] did an outstanding job and have given us a lot to consider,” said EIDA Chair John Henry. “I’ve been in business for a long time and have seen presentations from some of the top agencies out there,” added Board Member Dick Knowlton. “These presentations fit right in there as some of the best I’ve ever seen.” The Authority will reveal their selection for the name and branding of the new site in a special presentation in Effingham County in the next few months. The site of the 1,560-acre industrial park is located at Old River Road and I-16. It has already undergone extensive work to ready it for new business including a $1.3 million entrance road, water piping and grading, as well as a cold storage facility already operating on the south side of the property. Majumdar said this opportunity is unique for students, and he is pleased with the effort they put into the projects. “Development and learning through real-world design and presentations needs to be introduced at various stages in the four-year career to achieve a competitive learning outcome,” Majumdar said. “Presenting the final concept design and relevant branding systems to the Effingham County board in a conference room and getting feedback has its own challenge. This kind of experience is not possible in a classroom setting.” Georgia Southern University, a public Carnegie Doctoral/Research University founded in 1906, offers 118 degree programs serving 20,673 students. Through eight colleges, the University offers bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs built on more than a century of academic achievement. Georgia Southern is recognized for its student-centered and hands-on approach to education. Visit GeorgiaSouthern.edu.