What is going on at the School of Visual Arts? The Senior Library is an attempt to answer that question. It is the first in a series of annual publications meant to document the work of the graduating class at SVA in the areas of graphic design, advertising, 3-D design and broadcast digital video each year.

I began by interviewing a number of graduating seniors to get their perspectives. The intent was to include students who represented a cross-section of all the disciplines within the Advertising and Graphic Design department. Eventually, I conducted 23 interviews. Next came the difficult task of selecting the work. More than 2,000 student submissions were edited down to the final 265 pieces. In addition to participating in interviews, the graduating seniors in the department filled out a questionnaire on topics ranging from “What is your motto?” to “What is more important to you: success or happiness?” As it turned out, what the students said was as interesting to me as the work produced. It became clear that here was an opportunity, not only to showcase outstanding work, but also to delve deeper into the process behind the making of the work.

The Senior Library is divided into three volumes. Volume one is a purely visual catalog. Volume two, “Word from the School of Visual Arts,” corresponds to each piece presented in volume one, along with figures and illustrations supporting the interviews. Volume three, “Sort of Clarendon,” is a student’s completed project. It is my hope that these three volumes will not only inform and cross-reference each other, but also, ultimately, create a more in-depth view of what is going on at SVA now, providing a barometer of what is to come in the fields of design and advertising.