A Canadian design student with a passion for ocean liners, Riley Bugg discovered the SS United States Conservancy the same way many people today learn about new things - through social media. While Riley had been interested in ocean liners for a number of years, it was an ad on Facebook about the Conservancy’s work to save America’s Flagship that piqued his interest further.

Earlier this year, Riley saw another social media post - this one offering a contest to design a t-shirt to support the Conservancy’s work. An artist by passion and trade, Riley began his design process by looking at other classic ads and posters and researching various design perspectives. Asked about his design, Riley noted that he actually had another ocean liner, the SS Normandie in mind when he was putting together the design.

Ultimately, Riley decided he wanted to focus on two key elements. First, conveying. a sense of size and scale to the SS United States by portraying the historic ocean liner next to a sail boat, while also keeping a portion of the ship out of frame. Second, he wanted to create a stylized design that would be eye-catching and encourage others to learn more about America’s Flagship.

Riley said that he hopes people who see his design will help the Conservancy raise awareness about the historical significance of the great ocean liner, and donate to help preserve the SS United States so it doesn’t become a relic like so many other ocean liners.

T-shirts can be ordered by visiting: https://www.customink.com/fundraising/maiden-voyage-70th-anniversary-t-shirt. You can see more of Riley Bugg’s design work at www.rileybugg.com.