Technology
Demonstrate a critical perspective of technology, its uses, users, and contexts
Understand the role of technologies/media in accessing, managing, developing, and communicating information
Choose appropriate technologies for presenting, organizing, and communicating information for a range of audiences, purposes, and genres
Demonstrate ability to use a range of technologies for writing, editing, and designing
Develop flexibility in adapting to new technologies
Personal Logo
TWC 511 Prin of Visual Communication
The personal logo assignment was the one that caused me to have my a-ha moment. My bachelor’s is in Web Development which requires some skill in design. I have always had difficulty with creating well-designed pages and the graphics to go on them. Things always looked so clunky and overdone. This assignment changed my perspective completely. Through several iterations of a logo using my initials starting with pencil sketches through creating the final product in Adobe Illustrator, which I had to learn, I had many setbacks. The one part of the assignment that really stuck with me was while adding my name to the logo. In response to one version my instructor commented, “You have ruined a perfectly good design!” This caused me to rethink what I was doing and stop cluttering things up. I now have a logo that I am proud of, and I learned the most valuable lesson of my education that has completely changed my approach to my personal life and career: Keep it simple.
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MSTC Outcome: For this assignment I used a range of technologies, starting with pencil and paper to create sketches. I progressed through a simple black and white design created in Adobe Illustrator to the final design in color that you see on this website. While these technologies were chosen for me, I learned how to use each of them effectively to communicate my ideas.
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Keep it Simple: The best designs (and writings) are the most effective.
Crime Poster
TWC 514 Visualizing Data & Information
To complete the crime poster assignment, I had to research crime statistics and present them in a format that was easy to read and understand while being visually appealing. To create the graphs, I had to learn how to use the R programming language. I have some experience with programming, but it was very difficult to learn such a complicated language while determining the best format to present the information. I had to decide what information was important and then put that in a graph format that my audience could understand. I had to focus on the most basic functions of R in order to complete the assignments.
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MSTC Outcome: This was one of my more challenging classes as I had to learn not only design principles, but a new software program that was very complicated to create the graphs I used in my final design. To create the graphs, I had to find a way to communicate the information in a condensed, easy-to-understand format then arrange them on the poster in a way that flowed logically.
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Keep it Simple: Distill facts down to their most easily understood form.