1945: Hope for Peace, End of WWII, Birth of the United Nations Exhibition

2020 marks the 75th anniversary of World War II ending, and the signing of the United Nations Charter. San Francisco was the epicenter of the signing of the charter and was also essential to providing military assistance during the war.

It was only right to have the Academy of Art University San Francisco, School of Graphic Design and School of Advertising collaborate to assist in providing visuals to commemorate this momentous victory in history. These visuals will be placed on banners and showcased in the San Francisco War Memorial Building for visitors to see.

Our team's creative process started with multiple rounds of brainstorming and exchanging of different viewpoints of the occasion. Since our group consisted of students of diverse backgrounds, we were able to have numerous variations of what these visual banners should encompass. This was an essential part of providing an assortment of designs that spoke to people across all demographics.

After weeks of planning and designing, we finalized banners designs that incorporated highlighting this victory in history, while modernizing it in a way to speak to today's audience. Also, the School of Advertising included a social media strategy to virtually showcase these banners and increase social engagement.
The final banners represented the historical moments of War World II and the signing of the United Nations charter, accompanied by a polished and artistic designs.

Contributors Included:

Ken Maley, Media Consultants International

Dana Lombardy, Senior Editor and Publisher

Academy of Art University

Dr. Elisa Stephens, President, Academy of Art University

Phil Hamlett, Director, School of Graphic Design at Academy of Art University

Mary Scott, Director Emerita, School of Graphic Design, Academy of Art University

Thomas McNulty, Associate Director, School of Graphic Design at Academy of Art University

Academy of Art University, School of Graphic Design

Team A (runner-up)
Tom Galang, Hanami Itagaki, Gulvinder Kaur, Manishka Khanna Germaine Lau, Jennifer Sandra Wittor, Jiabao Chen, Zhaojie Liu

Team B (winner)
Regina Pardon, Meagan Floris, Julia Fernandez, Elyse Yerman, Shantih Cannon, Kha Han Le (Kelly), Hai Hsiang Lang, Oscar Hoffman

Academy of Art University, School of Advertising

Cory Booth and Stephon Allen