graphic design | University of Ჹɲʻ System News /news News from the University of Hawaii Fri, 15 Aug 2025 00:41:26 +0000 en-US hourly 1 /news/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/cropped-UHNews512-1-32x32.jpg graphic design | University of Ჹɲʻ System News /news 32 32 28449828 From Kauaʻi CC to creative director: 鶹ýalumna builds a bold brand /news/2025/08/14/from-kauai-cc-to-creative-director/ Fri, 15 Aug 2025 00:35:01 +0000 /news/?p=220268 Passion for design and culture fuels alumna’s marketing business.

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Gabriella Wilson-Rytting

Gabriella Wilson-Rytting, founder and creative director of , was chasing college credits before some of her Kapaʻa High School classmates were even thinking about higher education. While still in high school, she jumped at the opportunity to take dual credit courses, and earned her associate degree in liberal arts from Kauaʻi Community College by 2018.

“I remember how supported I felt by my professors and how much freedom I had to explore different areas of interest. The photography and illustration classes in particular lit something up in me—they made it clear that design was what I wanted to pursue,” Wilson-Rytting said. “I also appreciated the business class that opened my eyes to entrepreneurship, and the Hawaiian Studies program, which helped me reclaim and better understand the cultural context I grew up in. All of that shaped who I am today—not just as a designer, but as a business owner and storyteller.”

Her next educational chapter took her across the ocean to the University of 鶹ý at ԴDz, a leap she felt ready for thanks to the foundation she built at Kauaʻi CC.

Community college = solid base

Gabriella Wilson-Rytting

“My advice: trust your foundation. Community college gives you such a solid base,” Wilson-Rytting said. “Your experiences from a smaller campus are still incredibly valuable, and they give you an edge when navigating a bigger university setting.”

That solid base propelled her to earn two degrees from UH ԴDz—a bachelor of fine arts in graphic design and a bachelor of arts in cultural studies. Today, she channels her creativity and cultural perspective into Essence Marketing & Design. The Oʻahu-based company specializes in branding, website design, content creation and digital strategies tailored to small businesses.

“Everything is custom and intentional—there’s no cookie-cutter work here,” she said. “As a Native Hawaiian woman and small business owner myself, I understand the importance of culture, depth and representation.”

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Retro lunch boxes with Sweet Tooth design
Sweet Tooth Dessert House by Emiri Miyaji

University of Ჹɲʻ students received top honors for their creative excellence at the , a statewide competition hosted by the (AAF) Ჹɲʻ to celebrate outstanding achievement in advertising and design.

辱ʻDZԾ Community College’s New Media Arts (NMA) program earned 13 of the 16 awards presented in the college division this year. Students from 辱ʻDZԾ CC, UH ԴDz, and UH West ʻ earned awards across categories, including packaging, editorial design, logo development, interactive media, and illustration.

Best of Show

Sweet Tooth takeout packaging design
Sweet Tooth Dessert House by Emiri Miyaji

Among this year’s honorees, 辱ʻDZԾ CC student Emiri Miyaji received College Best of Show, the top award in the college division, for her branding and packaging project, . This marks the eighth time a 辱ʻDZԾ CC New Media Arts student has won this award, and the second consecutive year the college has earned the title. Miyaji also received Pele Gold for the same project and a $1,500 scholarship through the Nella Media Group Network and Eleven 17 Creative Scholarship Program.

“As a beginner designer, building confidence can be tough, so having my work recognized by industry professionals I admire was truly an honor,” Miyaji said. “This project was my final submission for school, and with complete creative freedom, it was a joy to create. My habit of closely observing the world around me—whether through travel or simply appreciating everyday signage—sharpened my design instincts and gave me a rich pool of ideas to draw from during brainstorming.”

National award

Black and white images of S. Neil Fujita
S. Neil Fujita’s Visionary Fusion by Hanna Shibata

In addition to student recognitions at the state level, 辱ʻDZԾ CC student Hanna Shibata received a national AAF award in the category of online and interactive website (desktop or mobile) for her project .

“As an experienced designer who decided to challenge myself and expand my creativity in different disciplines, it is humbling to hear that my achievement is recognized at such a high level,” said Shibata. “I also believe it’s a testimony to the quality of education the NMA program that 辱ʻDZԾ CC provides. Learning at the New Media Arts program was an eye-opening, inspiring experience for me. The faculty was supportive, and my cohort was great people to work with.”

Across the UH System

Woman's face with magenta and blue lighting
Confidence by Tiffany Liu
Bottles, stickers, wearables and tote bag with ululani logo
Ululani’s Shave Ice Rebrand by Atash Imanverdi

Karen Brizendine, a 2013 graduate of 辱ʻDZԾ CC, was also honored with the AAF Ჹɲʻ 2025 Extra Mile Award for her contribution to the local advertising and media industry as a freelance animator, motion graphics editor and visual effects artist.

UH ԴDz School of Cinematic Arts student Tiffany Liu earned two bronze Pele Awards for her short film , which she wrote, directed, produced, and edited. The film, which follows a hip-hop dancer confronting her insecurities just before an international dance showcase, was recognized in the Film/Video & Sound and Elements of Advertising categories.

Atash Imanverdi, a student at the UH West ʻ Academy for Creative Media earned a silver Pele Award in the Logo Design category for .

Group shot of pele award winners
From left: Alysha Cayabyab, Jackie Choy, Angelica Palilio, Gabby Abbey, Amy Rhee, Michael Fiocco, Jason Cutinella (NMG Network), Cassidy Stolarek (Eleven 17 Creative), Emiri Miyaji , Tiffany Liu, Vivian Bui, Hoang Ho, Atash Imanverdi, Hanna Shibata, Paul Lam (Pele Awards Chair) (Image credit: Melissa Lum)

2025 Pele Award Recipients

Emiri Miyaji (Pele Gold & Best in Show)
Project:
Medium: Packaging
辱ʻDZԾ Community College
Winner of $1,500 cash scholarship from the NMG Network & Eleven 17 Creative Scholarship Program

Angelica Palilio (Pele Silver)
Project:
Medium: Packaging
辱ʻDZԾ Community College

Alysha Cayabyab (Pele Bronze)
Project:
Medium: Cover/Editorial Spread or Feature Series
辱ʻDZԾ Community College

Tiffany Liu (Pele Bronze)
Project:
Medium: Cinematography
University of Ჹɲʻ ԴDz

Tiffany Liu (Pele Bronze)
Project:
Medium: Television Advertising – Single
University of Ჹɲʻ ԴDz

Amy Rhee (Pele Silver)
Project:
Medium: Packaging
辱ʻDZԾ Community College

Gabriella Abbey (Pele Bronze)
Project:
Medium: Collateral Material – Special Event Materials
辱ʻDZԾ Community College

Hoang Ho (Pele Bronze)
Project:
Medium: Illustration
辱ʻDZԾ Community College

Hanna Shibata (Pele Gold)
Project:
Medium: Packaging
辱ʻDZԾ Community College

Michael Fiocco (Pele Gold)
Project:
Medium: Logo Design
辱ʻDZԾ Community College

Amy Rhee (Pele Gold)
Project:
Medium: Online/Interactive: App (Mobile or Web-Based)
辱ʻDZԾ Community College

Hanna Shibata (Pele Gold)
Project:
Medium: Online/Interactive: Website (desktop or mobile)
辱ʻDZԾ Community College

Emiri Miyaji (Pele Gold)
Project:
Medium: Logo Design
辱ʻDZԾ Community College

Jackilyn Choy (Pele Gold)
Project:
Medium: Cover
辱ʻDZԾ Community College

Vivian Bui (Pele Bronze)
Project:
Medium: Cover/Editorial Spread or Feature Series
辱ʻDZԾ Community College

Atash Imanverdi (Pele Silver)
Project:
Medium: Logo Design
University of Ჹɲʻ–W ʻ

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pamphlet
Designs by student Caitlyn Lok for State Kūpuna Care.

has been recognized as one of the top 25 graphic design schools on the West Coast, according to . UH ԴDz stood out among more than 50 higher education institutions considered for the ranking.

“We are very proud of this accomplishment and excited to see that we have been able to maintain and even improve upon the rankings for several years,” said Chae Ho Lee, a professor in the UH ԴDz . “Our graphic design students not only gain a strong foundation in graphic design practice and theory but have moved on to successful careers in design and have become leaders in their community.”

The West Coast region ranking includes California, Oregon, Washington, 鶹ý and Alaska.

Real-world impact

Assortment of items with the Hawaii Dementia Initiative logo
Designs by Olga From for the 鶹ý Dementia Initiative

A key feature of the program is the Graphic Design Workshop, which gives students the opportunity to provide high-quality graphic design services to non-profit organizations across the state. This spring, students developed marketing materials and visual identity systems for Kūpuna Care, a state-funded program that supports elders in aging safely at home. They also created designs for the 鶹ý Dementia Initiative, launched by the 鶹ý State Executive Office on Aging to address Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.

Past clients have included a variety of organizations including on-campus groups such as the UH ԴDz . The program’s work has received local recognition from AIGA 鶹ý, the Pele Awards, and Honolulu Magazine, and national recognition from AIGA Los Angeles, the Adobe Design Achievement Awards, HOW magazine, and Print magazine.

Top-ranked program

students looking at art
BFA design students visit Edward Enterprises, 鶹ý‘s largest locally owned commercial printing company

About 86% of graduates from UH ԴDz’s graphic design program are currently working in the design field, holding positions locally, nationally and internationally.

In 2022, UH ԴDz’s graphic design program was ranked among the nation’s top 50 graphic design schools by Animation Career Review. It earned the number 12 spot out of the top 25 schools on the West Coast and is housed in the UH ԴDz .

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