GDUSA Names Two Design Undergrads as Students to Watch for 2023
Graphic Design USA, a source of news and information for graphic designers and the broader creative community for the past 60 years, has named Carnegie Mellon University's School of Design students Ricky Chen (BDes '24) and Jacky Lococo (BDes '24) as two of their Students to Watch for 2023.
GDUSA’s Students To Watch feature “has become tradition that resonates and renews: the students get recognized and the professional creative community gets refreshed.”
The School of Design is incredibly proud of both Ricky and Jacky and we had some extra questions for these students to watch:
Ricky Chen
What was your reaction when you found out you were going to be named a Student to Watch?
I was both overwhelmingly grateful and surprised when I heard about my nomination as I know there are many other talented and deserving designers in my class as well.
Where do you see yourself headed as a designers when you leave the School of Design?
I honestly have no idea. I’m constantly changing and growing, and I can only hope I always do so even after my time at CMU. Though, it would be a really exciting move to one day leave the corporate world and start my own creative studio practice with friends and loved ones.
What has been your favorite part about your education here?
My favorite part is definitely the professors and classmates that I got to learn from and with. At CMU Design, you will grow tremendously as a designer but also as a person.
What can a student experience when they study Communication Design at CMU?
Communication design at CMU can be as freeing and open as you make it to be. While bits of the curriculum are focused on the technical and foundational skills of typography, print, and graphic design, the core of the program is more concerned with teaching you to drive conceptually interesting ideas and meaning within the work you make. The professors always have the best interest in giving you the freedom and opportunity to express those ideas in any medium, style, or tone that makes sense for you.
Jacky Lococo
What was your reaction when you found out you were going to be named a Student to Watch?
I was really surprised and extremely grateful. Ricky and I were together when we found out and it both took us a while to fully process it, but it was really nice to share that moment of excitement.
Where do you see yourself headed as a designer when you leave the School of Design?
That is a great question! Wherever I am, I hope to be able to do projects that I am passionate about and find meaningful. I would love to do some work in print design at some point and be able to take on projects that allow me to develop new skills and try out new tools.
What has been your favorite part about your education here?
My favorite part about learning at CMU design is the community. I am so grateful for my peers and professors, who I am constantly inspired by, and who create a very vibrant and compassionate studio dynamic.
What can a student experience when they study Communication Design at CMU?
Communication design at CMU is seen very holistically and celebrates taking risks as well as students' creative voices. You have the opportunity to work with technologies and communities in the broader CMU community as well as within the different tracks, which makes the process very special and meaningful.