Montana State seniors earn national graphic design awards

BOZEMAN - Three seniors studying graphic design at Montana State University received national recognition for their work this month, earning 2025 American Graphic Design Awards and placing among the top 10% of more than 6,000 applicants.

Now in its 62nd year, the Graphic Design USA competition encompasses both established agencies and individual designers. GDUSA's selection of Sasha Maguire, Shelby Thompson and Cassidy Ward marks the second time that three MSU students from the College of Arts and Architecture have received awards.

"We are extremely proud of these students and our graphic design program," said School of Art director Josh DeWeese. "Once again, they are being recognized nationally for their excellent work."

Maguire received an award for her series of five printed books titled "Women Who Design: Bozeman, MT." The volumes compile interviews, photographs and work samples from female designers in Bozeman, demonstrating their successes and struggles breaking into the industry.

"I love supporting women. I want to build them up, show their work, show their talent and inspire other women to design," said Maguire, who is from Fryeburg, Maine. Fond memories of visiting her sister in Bozeman led her to MSU.

The series has since expanded to include women in architecture, apparel and interior design. Maguire plans to interview 10 designers this spring as part of her independent study with assistant professor William Culpepper, who encouraged her to apply for the competition and connected her with MSU's Undergraduate Scholars Program.

USP provided Maguire with $3,000 in grant funding and a platform for sharing the early stages of her research at MSU's Student Research Celebration last year. She also published her design in Curiositas, the university's undergraduate research journal.

Maguire's work will culminate in a spring open house to connect local designers with each other and MSU students. She imagines her project could expand with a new set of books for each place she lives in the future.

The intersection of travel and design is similarly inspiring for Shelby Thompson, a two-time winner of an American Graphic Design Award who is pursuing a business certificate at MSU in addition to graphic design. The senior from Eagle River, Alaska, proposed a collaboration between the language-learning app Duolingo and Delta Airlines for her submission this year, aiming to turn travel into a journey of learning.

Thompson developed the project during Culpepper's professional studio course, where students created a collaboration between two organizations for their first project. She proposed having users earn Delta SkyMiles each time they reached a new level in Duolingo, and they could take tailored language lessons on board the airplane using the screen in front of them. To promote the partnership, Thompson designed digital advertisements using Duolingo's owl mascot.

The encouragement she received during critique sessions in class was valuable in deciding to pair Duolingo and Delta Airlines, she said. She trusted her peers to give honest feedback after years of working closely with them at MSU.

"I'll tell the class, 'Rip me to shreds. Tell me it looks bad, so I can make it better,'" Thompson said. "Getting feedback from people is super important, and I know them so well, so they're not afraid to give constructive criticism. Everybody wants to see you succeed."

Thompson found success in the GDUSA competition last year by rebranding the nonprofit Gallatin Valley Land Trust. She said earning a second award is validating, especially considering she started college on the STEM track, or science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Her decision to switch gears, sparked by a friend studying graphic design, turned her artistic inclination into a career. Thompson hopes to find a job at a small design firm in the West after graduating this spring.

Cassidy Ward created her award-winning design in the professional studio course alongside Thompson. The senior from Bend, Oregon, devised a collaboration between the Clif Bar company and the National Park Service using the tagline, "Fueling the adventure."

"It was very rewarding to see this project come together in a believable fashion, and I enjoyed working with two existing visual systems to design something new," said Ward, who was drawn to MSU for its community and outdoor recreation opportunities. She plans to travel abroad after graduating in May.

Ward developed branded granola bar packaging, park signage and iron-on patches for her campaign. Each design included mascot Smokey Bear wearing his signature ranger hat, emblazoned with "CLIF." She said she liked solving the visual "puzzle" of making the collaboration come to life.

"Our students create professional quality work that stands alongside work from peer design programs across the country, from Shelby and Cassidy's collaborative branding project to Sasha's research elevating awareness of women designers," Culpepper said. "This showcases both their talent and the strength of our program."