A couple of years ago, I had an idea to open up The Inlander cover design to college students with the goal of getting their work published. The trick was to find an issue that we produce every year, so that we could have the students work on it in advance.

I ended up talking with Greg Stiles, a graphic design instructor at Spokane Falls Community College, and he happily worked the idea into his curriculum. And over the last few months, I have been visiting with the students and tracking their progress.

Some went in a direction that I would have never imagined, like Markie Davis’ approach of a zombie Christmas Carol. Some stuck to the Santa hats. But my favorite — and it was a tough choice — was the bold and simple design by Nate Godwin. You’ll find his work, and other entries I liked on this page.