MIAD alum, student win “I Am A Voter” Wisconsin design competition

Still from Kelsey Robinson’s “I Am a Voter” entry

Kelsey Robinson (’21 Communication Design) and Sarah Madden (’24 Communication Design) want you to vote! The MIAD alum and student both competed and placed in a new design competition which asked artists to create innovative social media marketing aimed at getting out the vote. Both artists addressed the question of why voting is important personally and in their communities. 

The “I Am a Voter” Wisconsin design contest was coordinated by a team of Milwaukee creatives and educators and was co-sponsored by many Milwaukee-area organizations, including MIAD. Organizers looked for a nonpartisan and “impactful social media post in the form of a graphic design, 2D art piece, 15 second video, or animation that informs, inspires, and activates Wisconsin voters to vote in the 2022 Midterm Elections.” 

Robinson, who submitted an animated video that won first place, started “diving into motion design when I was working on my senior thesis project and realized that it was a discipline that I really enjoyed.” He hopes to continue designing fulfilling projects for causes he cares about, and plans to “evolve my thesis project UltraBold into a real life campaign to help introduce BIPOC youth to career opportunities in creative fields.” Robinson encourages current MIAD students to be “open to new opportunities, ideas, and experiences. Look for ways to use your skills and talents to help others.”

Madden, currently studying Communication Design at MIAD, says the contest helped her see the value of her work in the real world. “Being a full time student and having this opportunity to contribute to the design industry beyond MIAD is a very cool and rewarding experience,” she says. Completing Communication Design projects gave her hands-on professional design experience, which she says supports a sense of purpose in the work she creates and helps her to feel “confident taking on real-world opportunities.” 

Sarah Madden’s “I Am a Voter” entry

The six winning artists receive a scholarship ranging between $1,000 and $3,000 each. Five of the winners were selected by the contest’s judges, while the sixth was decided by public vote. 

Have questions about voting? Check out myvote.wi.gov ahead of the November 8th election. View winning submissions on Instagram (@iamavoterwi), keep up with Kelsey (@kelseyrobinsondesign) and Sarah (@smaddenart), and learn more about the Communication Design major!