A+ Colorado

Awards

About

A+ Colorado is an independent, nonprofit organization committed to ensuring every Colorado student can access an excellent education. They use the power of data and research to advocate for district and systems-level policies that will accelerate learning for all students. Operating at the confluence of practice, policy, and politics, we challenge ourselves, educators, and policymakers to rethink public education. Every year they host an event to celebrate and discuss improvements and progress in the education realm. We were asked to design and fabricate awards to be given away for honorable mention in regards to this progress.

2019 Award

I sketched, designed, and resin casted, assembled, and finished these awards. The design incorporates a speech bubble with the A+ knocked out of its overall form, as well as a recessed section for a custom etched inset plexiglass plaque. I created a model of the award in Rhino, a 3D modeling software, to then hand off to a local fabricator to CNC cut a MDF master to produce a silicone mold. Each one includes a cork backer for laying flat, is cast in orange resin, and is touched up with spray paint to match the company’s branding.

2018 Award

We reached out to a local fabricator to help us cast the A’s from an existing mold we already owned. Once casted, I sanded and laser etched the A’s to incorporate them into the rest of the award design. I then designed a set of plexiglass bases that could hold and display the A’s when not being admired. As a team, we finished and assembled the awards to give away with other objects for the event. The final product is comprised of an orange resin letter A and an orange and frosted plexiglass base held together by small black anal head screws.

Art Direction: Rick Griffith

Work completed through MATTER