NIC student’s entry takes prize in lottery contest

“Nontraditional” North Idaho College student Marcelle Moe is not only brushing up on her graphic design skills, she’s also building a portfolio for future work. One recent assignment added an impressive item to that portfolio – a fourth-place award in the Idaho Lottery Scratch Ticket Design Contest.

“They just told us to have fun. Go with our imagination. It was fun,” said Moe, an “over 50” student who drives from St. Maries to NIC to attend graphic design classes.

She submitted seven or eight entries. The one that won was called “Cash Scratch Fever,” and used the idea of Idaho’s history with silver and played off tick-tack-toe. Players need three matching items to win; if they get three silver dollars, their prize doubles.

“My game wasn’t inventive,” Moe said, “I think they liked the ‘Cash Scratch Fever’.”

Besides having to meet specific technical requirements such as using the Idaho Lottery’s logo and designing a specific sized ticket, entries were judged on four criteria: creativity, visual appeal, play style and overall marketability, said Mike Helppie, Idaho Lottery sales and marketing director.

This is the second contest and the first year the Idaho Lottery opened the contest to colleges and universities statewide. Last year, the lottery piloted the contest at Boise State University. Former NIC student Nicolet Laursen who attended Boise State won first place in that contest.

The contest went over so well last year, Idaho Lottery decided to expand it to colleges and universities statewide, Helppie said. Six schools contributed 130 entries. Overall first- second- and third-place winners were chosen as well as a winner from each school, which represented fourth place.

Moe was the NIC winner and received a $100 cash scholarship.

Moe has had several successes, said Philippe Valle, NIC graphic design instructor, including being selected to design a calendar for Art on the Edge, an art program offered through St. Vincent dePaul for at-risk youth. And, along with another student, she was selected to design a bottle label for a client.

Speaking about Moe’s design skill, Valle said, “the proof is in the pudding,” in the jobs she’s been selected to do.

Valle’s classes offer practical, real-life experience, Moe said. “We’re using marketing skills and our creative design skills on real life projects.”

Her graphics design “career” has taken a detour. After raising a family, she returned to school and got an associate’s degree in graphic design from NIC in 1996. She did a little work painting signs and designing brochures, but then her husband fell ill and died. In the interim, Moe discovered that her skills hadn’t kept up with all the changes in computers.

“I was lacking in computer design … everything is changing so much, it’s a constant learning experience. Just when you’ve figured it out, they’ve changed it … the software programs I learned back then are obsolete.”

She went back to school to take computer design classes and build her portfolio. “One thing that hasn’t changed is basic understanding of art,” she added.

Moe, who also paints in watercolor and oil, finds it all exciting. “Every time that we have a new class or assignment to design something differently, I enjoy it all. Everything has been a learning experience for me.”

After completing her classes at NIC, she plans to work from home and do freelance graphic design jobs.