What is graphic design? That’s the question 16 senior graphic design majors want to answer in their upcoming show, “Methodologie.” The show combines the talents of the entire senior graphic design class into one cohesive display that will premiere Sunday, March 24, in the Sargent Art Building. It will be on display until Monday, April 8.

The show itself delves into the process behind the works — the “methodologie” — that goes into designs that communicate effectively.

Aaron Fort, one of the graphic design seniors, said the majority of the pieces in the show are drawn from students’ projects in past classes. Each student will contribute four to five pieces, making this the art department’s largest display of the year. “The whole show is highlighting processes and how we come up with our ideas,” he said. “We’re going to walk people through a few of our projects from start to finish [and] explain how each project came to be.” The show will also communicate the philosophy that drives the students and what design means for them.

Katie Klaiber, another contributing senior, said this show displays how design is all about communicating a message. “You look anywhere, and everything that you see is communicating something,” she said. “Every piece of design has a message behind it.”

Each student brings unique personality and skill to the show and to the group as a whole. Contributor Karen Kong said the show displays the passion of the graphic design seniors. “All of us are so different, but all of us are so passionate. We have such a tight family,” she said. “It’s just really sentimental I feel like, for all of us. It’s like it’s [our] last step.”

Kaylan Whitaker, another contributing senior, said this show is kind of like icing on the cake. “[We’re] getting to show off our portfolios, which [are] basically our resumes.” She also emphasized the closeness of the senior class as a whole and their excitement to put on the show together.

“Being with the same people for four years in the same classes, you’re just going to get really close,” she said. “The fun thing about design is [that] you can feed off each other, and you can inspire each other. It’s like this constant circulation of creativity.”

Mr. Jay Bopp, chair of the Division of Art and Design, said he believes the show will be a very informative and engaging display. “It helps the audience to learn about all of the research and prototyping that goes into creating something even as basic as a logo or an advertisement,” he said. “I’m not sure people understand how much goes into that.”

Although the show is not a requirement for the students to fulfill their degrees, all are contributing. The preparation has involved not only hands-on setup in the Sargent Art Building, but also the design of a special book for the show, the making of a teaser film for the premiere and multiple promotion methods.

Bopp said the students’ work in promoting the show has put into practice their study of marketing, advertising and branding. The students currently have a Facebook page and website promoting the show (methodologie2013.com).

Bopp holds an advisory role in the planning and promotion for the show. “This is their first opportunity to actually do something in a space — literally putting things on the wall and on the ceiling,” he said. “It helps them to actually have to solve the problem not just in theory but in execution.”

The students plan to dedicate the show to Bopp. Whitaker mentioned how grateful all of the students are to Bopp and the entire art faculty for their Christlike examples and guidance. “We could not do what we do without them,” she said. “We love them.”