Appeal can vary by season, as students leave Ann Arbor over the summer and cold winters limit foot traffic. To represent a larger scope of what MBGNA offers, I designed my posters to reflect seasonality and growth.

Matthaei Botanical Gardens & Nichols Arboretum

Poster Design, 2026

A poster series for MBGNA, a University of Michigan organization spanning over 800 acres in Ann Arbor. Their work across their five locations includes research, land and garden cultivation, educational programming, community engagement, and more.

There's a perception gap between MBGNA's full identity and what its audience engages with

PROCESS

I researched the type of plants MBGNA grows in its different facilities & what blooms at certain times of the year. For example, Nichols Arb, where the summer event takes place, features hydrangeas, morning glories, flowering tobaccos, and symphoricarpos.

One challenge I faced was ensuring the static posters were visually compelling alongside the animated posters. I wanted the flower blooms to reveal the image, representing the visitors as the heart of MBGNA. Early explorations focused on translating the plant’s unique forms into geometric shapes, testing how the image would interact with the shapes, and organizing hierarchy with the text.

APPLICATIONS

“Place as a Practice”

At the heart of MBGNA are the people and the practices that sustain it. Acts of care give this space its meaning and make it a living part of the community it serves.