By Janina Stajic
By pooling their collective skills, a group of Vancouver Island University alumni have created VIU alumni merchandise.
The T-shirts, which come in two different styles, were designed by graphic design alumna Sarita Mielke, who graduated in 2010, and Terence Fitzgerald, who graduated from the same program in 1992.
Mielke and Fitzgerald then worked closely with Senini Graphics, owned by Brent Senini, who was in VIU’s fine arts program in 1975. He and his company’s head designer, Neil Speirs, a 2013 graduate of VIU’s graphic design program, advised on colour choices and also printed the T-shirts.
“It was great to be able to work together on this project,” said Fitzgerald. “It was an example of how alumni can network and support each other even once they’ve left VIU.”
The team ended up developing two different designs – one with a classic look; the other with a more modern appeal. They then approached the team at Senini Graphics to discuss colour choice and printing options.
“We decided on a navy blue colour as it’s a classic look, but also one of VIU’s colours,” said Senini. “Then we printed it using a technique called discharge printing, where the design is bleached out of the shirt, rather than printed on top. It makes for a cleaner, more interesting finish.”
The T-shirts are $20 and proceeds go toward developing programs for alumni and scholarships and bursaries for current students.
For more information on purchasing an alumni T-shirt or on VIU’s Alumni Association, please e-mail alumni@viu.ca or call 250-740-6215.