EWU Student Designers Create Sign to Honor Itron Partnership

Three Eastern Washington University design students developed important professional skills thanks to an applied learning project to create branded signage in partnership with Itron, an energy- and water-resource management company headquartered in Liberty Lake.

“Having a hands-on applied learning experience like this shows you what it takes to be a professional and how to carry yourself in this industry,” said Alyssa Almond, a recent visual communication design graduate who served as art director for the student team.

“I think for all three of us, this was the strongest jumping off point a student could have possibly asked for. It was something that I think really strengthened all of our skillsets as designers,” Almond said.

Almond, along with visual communication design students Ursella Bakken and Sierra Crisp-Johnson, worked with Itron’s Robert Fitzner, art director and senior designer, and Callie Bendickson, director of corporate social responsibility, to create an interactive sign to celebrate Itron’s support for EWU.

Over the years, Itron has made gifts to support programs, scholarships, capital projects and other university needs, while also providing internships and hiring EWU graduates. The sign project adds “collaborating on applied learning” to the company’s all-in support of Eastern.

“Robert and Callie at Itron were a huge part of the success of this project. They gave the students timely feedback and real trust, and Robert understood the student design process,” said Travis Masingale, the EWU professor of design who mentored the students.

The recognition sign project took shape during winter 2025, after an earlier branded decal had been installed in a Catalyst space in fall 2023.

EWU and Itron wanted something more permanent and design-forward, so the project moved to the Department of Design. With the department chair on sabbatical, Masingale stepped in to lead the student team through a full client-style process, from early concepts to prototypes and final fabrication.

“We had several sit-downs,” Fitzner said. “They showed us concepts, came back to us and showed us again. We narrowed it down to a couple. They pushed those forward and then we picked one.”

Almond ’25 said working with Fitzner and Bendickson was an overwhelmingly positive experience.

“They were so incredibly supportive through the entire journey,” Almond said. “Robert gave us his feedback every time we showed him a process, but he really did let us have control over what the sign looked like.”

The students submitted several concepts before developing the selected design through a series of mock-ups. They met weekly with Masingale to keep evolving the project based on Fitzner’s feedback.

“What [Itron] really wanted is something that would feel in line with their existing brand,” said Bakken. “It was a really fun challenge to figure out how to do something that is creative and original that also upholds existing brand guidelines.”

The EWU designers experimented with wood, acrylics, air-dry clay, plastic, foam markers, paint and other materials to create the prototype. The final sign is made of wood with acrylic ribbons of color and includes a QR code linking to Itron’s job postings. The sign maintains Itron’s brand integrity while expressing EWU’s appreciation for the company’s longtime partnership.

Masingale said the real-time learning taught his student designers to focus on project management and precision as they developed highly detailed specs, documentation and prototypes.

“This project was unique because the students were designing under real budget and fabrication limits. They met with Itron in person, built prototypes in our 4D Lab, and iterated until the work could be quoted and fabricated. That is applied learning with real stakes,” Masingale explained.

The Catalyst building, a joint project of Avista Development and McKinstry, provides Eastern students with modern, high tech-classrooms and immersive learning experiences. It was the perfect backdrop for this innovative collaboration.

The final piece – both stunning and functional – is now displayed in the Catalyst building’s Innovation Hub, to showcase Itron’s mission, purpose, and connection to the university, as well as career opportunities for students of EWU.

Two of the three students who participated in the project and have graduated were hired for jobs immediately out of college.

“I’m very proud to have been a part of that [project] and that team. It was so beneficial in getting my first job out of school,” said Bakken ’25.

Fitzner and Bendickson attended the sign unveiling in November and were both happy with the results. “I think it’s fantastic,” Fitzner said. “It represents us as a company, and it represents them as artists. I think they did a great job.”

Click on the video below to learn more about this innovative collaboration.