Ceremony of Thanks Brochure

Honoring those who donated their bodies for medical education

The annual Ceremony of Thanks is a program hosted by the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA in which the students and faculty express gratitude for those patients who have graciously donated their final remains to medical education. Family members of those who donated are invited for a program and to interact with the students to share memories of their loved ones. I was a member of the design committee for the 2017 Ceremony of Thanks. In this role, I primarily was responsible for updating a dated program design (think Microsoft Word and ClipArt). The design process and final product can be seen below.

Initial Ideation

After searching for initial design inspiration from grave headstones, funerals, and funeral homes, I found one key element that is pervasive in the way that many Americans like to commemorate their deceased: images of nature. In countless obituaries, flora predominate, perhaps out of their beauty, but likely also because of the way they emphasize life and rebirth.

The budding seedling especially creates an impression that this life that has passed represents also a new beginning for that person’s spirit. After a few sketches, I created a symmetrical stem with three leaves, and then drew this in Adobe Illustrator.

Laser Cut Design
Floral elements however can range in their impact from serenitiy to frivolity. To add depth and gravity to the event, I chose to laser cut this design into heavy blue cardstock. Knowing that having both printed text and a cut design together introduces technical challenges (which to do first?) and also reading challenges (printing with white ink?), I then realized that all written information would have to remain on white paper.

Final Card Creation

I chose to cut out a window in between two vines through which the title and event information can be seen. Encasing the program information in a heavy title page reflects the gravity of the event, and it mirrors our own quiet reflection on the relationship we each had with the patient and family member. Upon opening the front page, the title is framed by a classic design which is found on my own grandfather’s grave.

I spent roughly 24h of time inserting page by page of card stock into the laser cutter at UCLA’s Powell Library. Completed in 4h batches (to a soundrack that inspired focus), I proudly marched the pile to the UCLA Printing Services to print the inner pages and assemble the brochures.

On the day of the event, the family members could not get enough brochures. They were touched by the creation, and said they wanted extras to send to their families who couldn’t attend. I’m glad I could help them honor their loved one.