Even before he casts his first ballot, Trevonne Deveaux’s work is making a statement about voting, and it’s for sale at H&M.
Deveaux ’22, a user experience design major, works at the retail giant’s Braintree, Massachusetts, store. This summer, the company invited employees to submit artwork that would inspire voting, with the winner’s design to be featured on apparel sold online and in the employee’s local store. The winner’s work would join that of six other designers for a limited-edition collection that launched on Sept. 22, National Voter Registration Day.
“I thought about something that was straight to the point and would point towards peace,” says Deveaux.
A native of the Bahamas, Deveaux moved to Georgia when he was 17 and later to Massachusetts. He graduated with his associate degree in graphic design from Massasoit Community College last year and matriculated to Lesley in the spring, choosing user experience because he “wanted to stay in the realm between art and technology.”
While at Massasoit, Deveaux began designing logos and T-shirts for family members and acquaintances, along with a few clients through Upwork, a platform that connects freelancers with customers. He is also developing his own brand, Nassuvian Creations, which will have island-inspired stickers and T-shirts.
After he graduates from Lesley, Deveaux would like to focus on shorter-term projects, so he can work on a variety of designs. The H&M contest was good practice.
He submitted several options to H&M, as he would any client. The winning design reads “Your Vote Matters,” with the V in the form of a hand showing the peace sign.
In August, H&M notified Deveaux that he’d been selected and sent a photographer and videographer to his home to record him in his workspace. The following month, his designs appeared on the shelves of the Braintree store and on the H&M website.
“It’s a bit surreal. I still don’t believe it,” he says. “Stuff like this doesn’t happen to me. Every day I still thank God about it.”
Deveaux will vote in his first American election this November, and his design reflects his own sentiments about voting.
“It’s my responsibly to use the opportunity I have…we can make change,” he says.
