SIGD Alumni from the 1980s Approach Design Practice with Spontaneity

From higher education publication design to flagship watercrafts, Auburn’s alumni have been combining design expertise with business prowess for decades.

The School of Graphic and Industrial Design (SIGD) celebrated 80 years of design education last fall, ushering the School into a new era of learning excellence. SIGD’s legacy can be credited to the hard work and dedication of its students—who, as alumni, have gone on to lead the industrial and graphic design industries in various ways.

Walk back through SIGD’s history with award-winning alumni from the decade of decadent design—the 1980s.

Diana K. Nichols ’87

A woman with shoulder-length blonde hair, wearing a navy blazer and white shirt, smiles while standing outdoors in a park with green trees in the background.
Diana K. Nichols ’87

Nichols draws on three decades of collaboration and creative leadership to shape brands in higher education and advertising. She currently serves as the Senior Assistant Vice President of Integrated Marketing Communications at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, where she combines strategy, storytelling and design to resonate with audiences.

Using the Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design she earned at SIGD and a Master of Business Administration from the University of South Alabama, Nichols integrates business strategy with creative craft—and passes what she’s learned to the teams she mentors and the creative culture she fosters.

Nichols’ favorite memory from Auburn is the time she spent in Biggin Hall’s lofted workspace, nicknamed the Terminal Room, where she and her classmates would play word games on the blackboard to get out of their heads while designing.

A group of sixteen young women pose on outdoor steps, some seated, some standing, all wearing matching t-shirts, with a trophy placed in front of the seated row.
In 1984, Nichols (pictured fourth from the right, next to the trophy) designed the Greek Week t-shirt for Auburn’s Panhellenic Interfraternity Council.
A cartoon tiger reclines above bold text reading Greek Week 84 with laurels on each side. Surrounding text reads Auburn University, April 23–28, Panhellenic-Order of Omega-Interfraternity Council.
Nichols hand-lettered the design during her time at Auburn.

“At all times of the day or night, you could hear music by the Cure or Fine Young Cannibals, and there was always really good work being created,” she said.

The problem-solving skills Nichols picked up at SIGD have been essential to her career, helping her navigate changing workflows and situations.

Stacks of South magazines featuring a colorful illustrated cover with trees, a crane, a cyclist, and a yellow bird; various headlines are visible on the covers.
In 2023, Nichols helped overhaul the University of South Alabama’s “South Magazine,” using illustration, photography and publication design to create an award-winning showpiece for the Flagship of the Gulf Coast.

“We were taught to identify problems and look at them from all angles,” she said. “Through technology revolutions, ever-changing media landscapes and even a global pandemic, it’s an evergreen skill that always rises to the occasion.”

Rob Brady ‘83

A man stands next to a Vectrix electric motorcycle inside a showroom or workshop, with posters and equipment visible in the background.
Rob Brady ‘83 poses alongside The ROBRADY Vectrix Superbike.

A visionary leader with over 30 years of experience creating innovative projects that have a positive impact on the world, Brady is the CEO and Design Director of ROBRADY design + production + capital.

“Auburn gave me the time and environment to learn the fundamentals of design. It was where I learned to crawl before I could walk and eventually run,” Brady said, explaining that the foundation he built at SIGD shaped how he thinks as a designer and fostered resilience.

He said experience at Auburn prepared him for what came later in his career—particularly how humor can capture an audience. Brady reminisced about an experience with legendary SIGD Professor Walter Schaer, infamous for tough and humorous critiques of his students, when Brady caught him off guard during a final review with a well-timed joke that broke the tension of the critique.

A sleek, modern electric motorcycle in profile with detailed close-ups of its handlebars, tail light, rear shock, and seat.
The ROBRADY Vectrix Superbike features game-changing clean technology accented by revolutionary design: a motor and batteries instead of an engine, no fuel tank, no tailpipes and no emissions—redefining the aesthetic boundaries of “green” vehicle design.

The moment helped establish a relationship of mutual respect and taught Brady the value of building rapport with colleagues, which led him to take a “big picture” client focus in his business practice. The approach—as well as Brady’s aims to disrupt the market with innovative solutions—has led to 60+ patented and award-winning projects across the robotics, marine, medical, military, industrial and powersports markets with clients like Yamaha, Lockheed Martin and Coca-Cola.

Catch up on SIGD’s history with groovy graduates from the 1970s.

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