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GOOD TERMS - Selected Graduate Coursework

A portfolio of graduate coursework reflects on my experience in the wonderful Masters of Information Design and Communication program at Southern Polytechnic State University. 

Technical Writing and Editing
Dr. Michele Shauf

I enrolled in SPSU in the fall of 2006, taking one of the required classes for the IDC program in Technical Writing and Editing under the instruction of Dr. Michele Shauf.  This class focused on teaching us how to write well. The writing assignments were intensive and a great review of my grammatical and editorial skills. I finally understood the importance of identifying my audience each time I intend to communicate an idea and write so that the audience can clearly understand the message.

We practiced crafting a resume, always a helpful exercise.  We also learned how to write a proposal regarding teen motor safety that proved extremely challenging. Finally, the capstone project was an extensive research paper and I learned so much about the topic I chose, comparing small- and large-screen technologies like mobile devices, to think how that has changed so much in just a few years.

Selected Projects

Foundation of Graphics
Dr. Betty Oliver 

Dr. Oliver has been my professor three times so far, but our first encounter was for Foundation of Graphics in the spring of 2007. I had always considered my graphics skills to be fairly decent until I took this class and realized how little I actually knew about the proper way to execute document and graphic design. I learned about the fundamental ideas of design, including proximity, alignment, repetition and contrast. 

We applied these design principles to several projects throughout the semester, including a one-pager and two-page spread. We also designed a set of stationary and an interesting graphic resume, a creative alternative to my more standard earlier version. 

Selected Projects

Information Design
Dr. Carol Barnum

I took Information Design with Dr. Barnum in Fall 2007, the last of the required classes in the IDC Program. Dr. Barnum is a fan of team projects and lively discussion and this class was no exception. I enjoyed working with two different people for two workshops, the third workshop I ended up doing solo but thought I still managed to do a good job.

I also reviewed a book written by one of my data heroes, Edward Tufte, and presented the review in a powerpoint to the class over Wimba Live Classroom, a new experience to say the least. I also had the opportunity to redesign the website for the President where I work, again applying what I am learning in my graduate program directly to my career. Learning the foundational elements that define information design as we did in this course have been invaluable to me in describing what I do -- I am not a graphic designer or a web designer, I am an information designer, and this course taught me what that means. 

Selected Projects

Website Design
Dr. Matthew McCool

I have been designing some form of websites since 1997 when I started in my current office. I had never really fully developed a website using web 2.0 technology from scratch before and this term provided exactly that experience I needed to be able to completely learn the process of building a compliant website. I rebuilt my design portfolio website in this class and also learned how to use CSS and XHTML.

I also really enjoy learning about design thinking and Dr. McCool seemed like a kindred spirit in this regard. He was very technically current with using the Google Apps as the platform in the class as well as sharing a host of interesting links and materials for us to discuss and review.

Selected Projects

  • Screenshot of final website index page 

Information Graphics
Dr. Betty Oliver

The thought of taking a graduate level class in the area where I live and breathe was so thrilling for me. I really appreciated Dr. Oliver’s insight and advice on my infographic projects mainly because I knew I could apply what I learned from her to the work I do every day. This class had the most real-world application for me and I was pleasantly surprised at how much I was able to take away considering I came in to the class feeling pretty confident in my knowledge of how to visualize data and information.

Selected Projects

Marketing Communications
Dr. Carol Barnum

I have enjoyed taking these information design classes so much that I continued on into Marketing Communication, a field that is also tied heavily to the work I do every day. I was so inspired by the work of this class, the speakers and my project team who I worked with throughout the term to complete a marketing plan for an animal rescue organization. I am very proud of the work I created in this class and what I learned about marcom that I could take with me.

Selected Projects