Donald Suthard

Donald Suthard is an Environmental Graphic Designer at Arrowstreet in Boston.
Before joining Arrowstreet Donald Suthard was the Art Director at Suffolk Univsersity for 14 years and a freelance designer for 11 years before that.
Donald Suthard has recently been working on a new high school for Blackstone Valley Prep (BVP), a charter school located in Cumberland, Rhode Island. When it came to the design, BVP wanted an environment that was colorful and inspiring, but didn’t look or feel like a traditional high school. Turning to BVP’s own culture for inspiration, our graphics studio developed a series of environmental graphics that complement and enhance the architecture and add the desired wow factor.
The overall concept features P.R.I.D.E. (Perseverance, Respect, Integrity, Discipline, and Enthusiasm); the school’s core set of principles. Oversized letters on colorful accent walls are paired with quotes chosen by members of the BVP community. Each letter is set in a different typeface to represent BVP’s diverse community of people and ideas. The graphics are strategically placed throughout the school to inspire and encourage staff and scholars each day.
On a smaller scale, short quotes and words of wisdom are installed in unexpected and sometimes hidden locations around the school. These “words of encouragement” are intended to motivate and sometimes surprise scholars.
At the school’s entrance, BVP’s mission statement is surrounded by individual photos of each of the scholars, designed to emphasize the important role they play as the centerpiece of the BVP community.
The school is currently under construction and is expected to be completed later this year.
Arrowstreet is an award winning, Boston-based architecture and design firm comprised of over 95 architects, interior designers, planners, and graphic designers who are astute observers, who bring diverse perspectives to every venture.
He earned his degree in design from the Massachusetts College of Art and Design and also earned his Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Graphic Design at the Vermont College of Fine Arts.
Connect with Donald Suthard on LinkedIn.
See his work at Arrowstreet.