Steven Verdile '18BFA

Steven Verdile ‘18BFA has been interested in graphic design since high school, when he was already freelancing as a designer of trading cards in his hometown of Bay Shore, NY. Now, as a senior Graphic Design major, his innovative design projects have earned him major recognition.

Verdile was the Student Warm-Up speaker at the AIGA/NY The Game Studio event. He presented his “Fair Score” project, a browser extension that allows users to check whether products they are about to buy are free from human labor trafficking violations. Verdile developed “Fair Score” for his Junior Design class with Professor Aaris Sherin, who serves on the board of AIGA/NY and recommended him as a Student Warm-Up speaker.

He also won first place in the College of Professional Studies’ Pitch Johnny Competition on November 11, 2017, and was awarded $600 for his “Stuff Your Dorm” project, which imagines a website selling everything a student might need in a dorm room, with delivery directly to the dorm. “Stuff Your Dorm” would allow students and their parents to avoid the hassle of having to shop at multiple stores and transport items back and forth, something Verdile recognized as a challenge once he and his two brothers were all enrolled at separate colleges.

During the summer of 2017, Verdile was the off-air graphic design intern for the Oxygen Network, contributing to creative content for the network’s rebranding efforts. He worked closely with the team responsible for designing show art, print materials, promotional content for social media, and digital distribution assets. The internship provided real-world experience of what a professional graphic design job would be like after Verdile graduates. “There are more jobs in graphic design than you might think,” said Verdile. “And there are so many kinds of work you can do in the field.”

In addition to his coursework and internships, Verdile is Design Editor for The Torch, the independent, student-run newspaper of St. John's University. He has been involved with The Torch since his freshman year, when he began as a Design Assistant. “I walked through the Activities Fair my first year and thought about where I could add the most value at that time,” said Verdile, who oversees the layout for the newspaper as well as illustrations and the design of their website.

Graphic Design has been a way for Verdile to combine his interests with art and computer science, and allows him to develop creative solutions. “It involves a lot of problem-solving,” he said. “You have to understand what the client wants and figure out how to deliver it.”

With his ability to innovate solutions like “Fair Score” and “Stuff Your Dorm,” as well as the many possibilities for employment in his chosen field, Verdile has a bright future ahead of him. 

"Steven has a great attitude," said Sherin. "He works super hard and readily accepts feedback even if it means revising projects numerous times. The progress Steven has made in the last three years is tremendous. His concepts are more robust and his visual work has become very sophisticated. I am so happy to see Steven’s work being recognized both by AIGA/NY and the Pitch Johnny competition. I can’t wait to see where Steven ends up after he graduates in May!"