The UNL Center for Civic Engagement asked my Graphic Design III class to create icons based on 9 principles of peace and civility in order to promote a more civil atmosphere around campus. We were asked to design gifs, posters, wallet cards, window clings, buttons, and a Certificate of Civility based around our icon designs. 

This project involved me studying how peace and civility can be communicated through simple icons. I created these icons by breaking down the principles to their core meaning in order to effectively express each idea in an unexpected way. I used graphic design as a tool to communicate what these ideas means to an audience of students, faculty, and staff at the university. This work was designed to show peace and civility while expressing different opinions can be easily achieved. The icons draw the audience in by sparking interest in the subject while also making each principle easier to understand. 

I wanted to make each icon clear and easy to understand while also designing interesting and engaging icons. Light-bulbs are often used in graphics to depict ideas being shared. Since the goal of the peace and civility project is to get people to communicate different ideas and opinions in a civil way, I wanted to incorporate this in my icons. I tried to think of a more unexpected way to illustrate a light-bulb in each design. Through visual research and class critiques, I decided to design each icon as a neon sign. Neon signs are often used to draw an audience in with their bright colors and light. I thought this would be a perfect way to draw in viewers in order to create a discussion around these principles of peace and civility.