The following article appeared in the From The Hill Magazine Winter 2025 Issue. Follow these links to make a gift, update your information, or submit a class note.
Erin Molkenthin ’24 on Using AI to Design the Cover of From The Hill
By Erin Molkenthin ‘24, Internal and Visual Communications Coordinator
My name is Erin Molkenthin, and I am a 2024 graduate of Albertus Magnus College. A year and a half ago, I was going into my senior year of college, unsure of what awaited me after I graduated. I was bright-eyed and ready for my first day at the Albertus Marketing and Communications Department as an intern. I had many opportunities to apply my class knowledge to real projects, which enabled me to grow considerably as a designer. Now, a year and a half later, I am working full-time for the Marketing and Communications Department here at Albertus, designing (and even being featured on) the cover of From the Hill!
My process of creating this cover relied heavily on the use of Adobe photo editing tools, including the newest AI software in Photoshop. I was tasked with capturing a picture that featured the four pillars as books supporting a computer. This was meant to represent how the knowledge of the past is used to support the future of learning and technology. The first step in capturing this photo was coming up with ideas for composition, layout, and landscape. How would I capture this effectively, what props would I use, and who would the model be? As with all designs, there was a lot of trial and error to get the desired finished product. We ultimately decided it would be best for me to be in the photo, and I collaborated with Daniel Borkowski, the Junior Web Developer for the College, to get the shot.
Editing is the next step of the process. I used Adobe Photoshop’s AI to remove distracting elements from the background and merge the eight books into only four. I then overlaid an old book texture for a more realistic feel and added each pillar name to its corresponding color. After this I edited the lighting and then I was done!
While there is certainly a lot more that goes into photo editing than meets the eye, the skills I learned in my classes, my internship, and my job have prepared me to create this cover! Being able to utilize and understand the newest tools is what keeps me growing as a designer and photographer. AI is something that I have learned to incorporate into my editing, not to completely take over, but to aid in my projects for more efficiency. As AI keeps developing, it is important to be able to understand how it works and how to use it to your advantage, in order to be the best you can be in this ever evolving industry.