Above photo: Gaby Mena is the artistic mind behind the graphic walls in The Edge. Anna Bryson | The Crow’s Nest
By Anna Bryson
Senior graphic design major Gaby Mena created the graphics showcased on the walls of The Edge, USF St. Petersburg’s $1.3 million renovation of the old Coquina Club.
Mena’s design is energizing and modern, with bright blue and green arrows against a pristine white background.
“I’m happy that USFSP had some colors other than green and gold I could work with just to breathe a little bit of life into this space — make it look fun and contemporary,” Mena said.
Mena earned this opportunity through an internship at BFrank Studio, an architecture studio in Tampa. Working with the university’s established brand, Mena arranged different elements of the brand in a way that she felt could send a message to students.
“One of the main messages I want to send is that design should be unique and it should be fun to look at,” Mena said.
“I want people to feel energized, inspired by it.”
Students have voiced enthusiasm about The Edge since its opening in August, calling it “bright,” “inviting” and “modern.”
After graduation, Mena hopes to land an internship at Cartoon Network and eventually find a design career that feels like home.
“Seeing how far I’ve been able to push myself and my boundaries and my creativity has been a huge accomplishment,” Mena said. This just happens to be a product of that.
“I consider this project specifically to be a huge accomplishment because it was a paid opportunity and I was employed by the school that I go to, so I thought that was really special and I got to leave my mark on the school.”
