Self Promo Thesis – a “Smith”

This was more than my senior thesis project. This was the start of my story. As a graduating design student with the most common last name, Smith, I built an entire self-promotional campaign around the definition of a smith: someone highly skilled at crafting something from a specific material. I wasn’t just a wordsmith or a tradesmith. I was a smartsmith, a skillsmith, a worksmith. The goal? Show who I was and what I could make.

Every element, from the handmade booklet to the hand-stamped mailers and business cards, was crafted to reflect both concept and craft. I mailed this handmade set across the country, hoping it would stand out. It did. Within a week, I landed three job offers. One of them became my first official design role and the first real step in my creative career.