2008's First Place Winner and Winner of the Adobe Scholarship

CATEGORY Travel
DESIGNER Paul Johnson
SCHOOL Montana State University
YEAR Senior
MAJOR Graphic Design
INSTRUCTOR Jeffrey Conger
INTERNSHIP WON National Geographic Adventure

What was the biggest challenge in creating your entry?
From a design point of view, it was tough creating a comical "thrown together" travelog feel that still had enough structure to easily flow for a reader. ...

From a content point of view, I was always walking a line between having the layout still be funny but doing so in a way that didn't paint the state in an overly negative light.

What was your inspiration in creating your entry?
I grew up on a farm in North Dakota, so I've got a pretty deep connection to the area. From an outside perspective though, there really doesn't seem to be much reason to consider it a travel destination. It's actually true that North Dakota is the least visited state. I thought that was a unique distinction that needed to be capitalized on! So I tried to center the layout around turning that fact into a humorous selling point for recruiting college-aged visitors. So the message is: You want to come here because most people don't. ***Winter Travel Note: It's possible that your car will go off the road when a -30Ëš ground blizzard kicks up, and you have to survive by curling up in a sleeping bag with your dog next to you for warmth, just a heads up.

Do you participate in any publication- or design-related campus activities?
Not at MSU. At Northwest College in Wyoming, the school I transfered from, a group of us designed and published a visual arts magazine featuring student photography, fine art, and design. They were sold on campus and sent out to alumni.

What are your favorite magazines?
The Atlantic and Newsweek - news fix; HOW and Print - design fix; Discover - science fix; Powder - snow fix

What do you want to do while in New York for your internship?
I want to experience as much as possible during the period of time I'm there. Hmm, that's not very specific.