David Capriotti: Fringe poster design winner

David Capriotti with his winning poster, a large F10 flag,
and an astronaut in a pink tutu.

TAFE SA advertising and graphic design graduate David Capriotti’s talent has landed him the coveted 2010 Adelaide Fringe poster win, with his stencilled astronaut sporting a pink tutu and flag.

David who graduated in 2007 with a Diploma of Advertising and Graphic Design at the Croydon campus explained the image intended to capture the iconic nature of the Fringe.

"I came up with the idea of a tutu wearing astronaut because it illustrates how something everyday and familiar, like our city, is completely transformed when the Adelaide Fringe is on," he said.

After graduating, David was quick to gain a junior art director role at THEM Advertising in Kent Town. He believes this is a testament to the lecturing staff of Rita Siow and Tim Sanders who helped him develop from a raw student into a designer who was trained to think, visualise and present.

"At TAFE SA I was taught the skills I needed to gain employment – from how to use various computer programs to experimenting with different mediums, and more importantly how to think creatively. I was personally approached and subsequently hired at the 3rd year graduation exhibition by my current employer, as were many others in my course," David said.

It was his time at Croydon which started David’s quest for the Fringe poster win; he first entered the competition in 2005 as a student and was shortlisted from over 400 entries nationwide.

Advertising and Graphic Design lecturer, Rita Siow commented on David as a valued student and a great participant in Adelaide’s graphic design industry.

"David is recognised as a star by his lecturers – a grounded, talented individual with a maturity beyond his years and a wicked sense of humour," she said.

Rita also said pieces from David’s student portfolio were awarded distinctions at the Australian Graphic Design Association Awards and the Adelaide Advertising and Design Club. "His exceptional creative talent in both copywriting and design saw him selected as one of the six South Australian applicants into the prestigious 2009 AWARDS School for aspiring art directors and writers."

At only 22, David has a list of exceptional achievements under his belt and credits TAFE SA as the building blocks for his success.

"I feel the great thing about TAFE SA was that all the staff at Croydon put their own individual and quirky spin on their subjects and this encouraged us, as students, to think independently and be creative."