GDES Alumna Designs Auburn Indy Car Graphics

Laura Bartlett ’23, a graduate of Auburn's School of Industrial and Graphic Design (SIGD), recently designed a new competition livery for the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering’s full-size Indy race car.

Laura Martin Car Wrap Nova Car

The graphics on the car, managed by a team of Auburn engineering students for research purposes and raced each year in an international university competition, are changed out roughly once every 12–15 months. According to Stephanie Meyer, a graduate research assistant and part of the Indy car’s engineering support team, Bartlett’s redesign marks the first time the vehicle’s graphic treatment has been designed by an Auburn student.

Bartlett was quick to credit her graphic design training at Auburn for having well prepared her for such an unusual project.

“My education helped me in two ways,” she said. “One, Auburn gave me knowledge about the software we used so I could build on it and tackle advanced challenges we hadn’t yet faced as part of our curriculum. And second, the coursework and professors train your eyes to see every little detail of your design—and how all these details work to make the entire piece.”



Laura Martin Car Wrap Nova Car“It means a lot that I was chosen to be a part of this experience because I am a born-and-raised Auburn native and I felt the car represented not only the university, but also the city,” Bartlett added. “So, I took it very seriously and did a lot of research to come up with ideas Auburn fans would think looked fierce. This is the first time I get to see something I made put in production and showcased around the country, and if the races go well enough, maybe even the world.”