Chippewa Valley Times

Melanie Graves, a graphic designer from St. Paul and a master's student at the University of Wisconsin-Stout, has had her work featured in an international textbook. Her typography design "Create" is included in the second edition of "Mastering Type: The Essential Guide to Typography for Print and Digital Design." The book, authored by Professor Denise Bosler of Kutztown University, was published by Bloomsbury Publishing.

Graves described her piece as a digital illustration that celebrates creativity across various mediums. She expressed excitement about being selected for the textbook among 272 designs from over 2,000 submissions worldwide. The competition aimed to gather diverse typographic samples for inclusion in the publication.

Professor Bosler highlighted the challenge of selecting pieces due to the high quality of submissions. She noted that Graves' work added a playful and expressive element to the Word chapter of the book.

The "Create" design originated as a class project under Program Director Erik Evensen at UW-Stout. It involved creating a mural proposal featuring elements from various art and design programs offered at the university. Though not chosen for the university mural, Graves' work was displayed at Minneapolis's Art on Hennepin Avenue festival.

Graves holds a bachelor's degree in graphic design from UW-Eau Claire and has nearly ten years of industry experience. She chose UW-Stout for its strong reputation in art and design education, allowing her to balance work with academic pursuits. Graves continues to develop new skills through her coursework while engaging with community projects.

She contributes to Explore Minnesota by designing national ads and managing social media content. Additionally, she participates in local art initiatives like Eau Claire's Color Block program, where her mural "Dream Big" can be seen along the Chippewa River State Trail.

Designers interested in using "Create" can contact Graves through her portfolio site.

UW-Stout offers a variety of art-related programs and emphasizes applied learning, business collaboration, and career readiness as part of its mission as Wisconsin’s Polytechnic University.