The Coastal Reading Nook 

Amy Kaszuba 

 

I entered my journey in college without knowing what career path I wanted to take. After careful consideration, I decided that I was going to set out to study visual arts with a concentration in visual communications. I was thrust into a world of creativity and love for the arts. I was surrounded by like-minded peers and placed in an environment that allowed me to flourish. Little did I know that the journey I had set foot on at Stockton University would conclude with a senior exhibition. 

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Throughout my schooling, I found that I gravitated towards a design software named Adobe InDesign. This software is best equipped for creating print and editorial designs. I developed a profound interest in projects like newsletters, books or booklets, catalogs, and magazines. The first project that sparked this interest was The World of Tea booklet designed in my image and typography course. I created this during my very first semester at Stockton and as a visual art major. I knew that this was something that I wanted to pursue further so I went home and began designing personal projects to become more familiar with the software. This is when I designed the academic planner in the fall of 2022. 

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Following this, I was assigned a booklet project in my senior project 1 course. This project was a turning point for me and solidified that this was something that I wanted to focus on. For this project, I designed the Kuluna Kinis Catalog and Lookbook, and it became the basis of this exhibition. 

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Eventually, I experienced a newfound confidence in myself. With the help of my professors, I can say that I have grown tremendously as a graphic designer. I intend for the rest of the designs on display to be a reflection of the growth I have undergone since beginning college. I want to share with my closest friends and family, the journey that I feel I have accomplished here at Stockton. 

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The Coastal Reading Nook is both a representation of what I have achieved thus far as well as all of the things I admire. Including family, the Jersey Shore, and all things printed design. To dive a little farther back, I was thirteen years old when I asked my Pop if we could build a reading nook in the closet of my room. My mom reluctantly agreed without knowing what this unique request would inspire in the future. As well as this, my Grandma would take my cousins and me to the beach every week and took pride in being what she referred to as a beach bum. This is important to acknowledge as this exhibition is ultimately inspired by key points in my life. An homage to the past, a commemoration of my growth, and the first step into my future career.