Research
The Media Design MFA program emphasizes essential skills needed to engage audiences and succeed in marketing and design. Through a blend of coursework, practical projects, and collaboration, students learn to identify client needs, conduct research, and create captivating designs. These skills help in developing user-centered designs that effectively convey messages across various media. Additionally, expertise in ideation, testing, and evaluation fosters continuous improvement and enhancement of design strategies. By applying these methods, designers can create compelling, results-driven solutions that engage audiences and establish meaningful connections.
Compantences Learned
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Design Research
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Adobe Suite
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Defining Clients Needs
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Effective Client Communication
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Branding for attention
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Projection of Brand Identity
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Determining Audiences Needs
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Collaboration in the branding process
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Animation
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Personas
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Copywriting
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Brand Voice
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Percision in Design
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Brand Tone
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Visual Hierarchy
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Principles of Design
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Sonic Branding
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Motion Graphics
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Expressive Typography
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Visual Hierarchy
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Sonic Branding
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Video Production
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Photo Editing
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Personas
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​Testing Design Effectiveness
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Logo Design
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Time Management ​
Chosen Compentencies
Research in Design
Design research involves exploring users' behaviors and preferences to guide insightful design choices. This competency is the most tedious yet essential part of design. To ensure my creations meet clients' needs, they must be aesthetically pleasing and provide accurate information about culture, colors, meanings, and more. At the start of this program, I didn’t fully grasp the importance of research; it is a crucial aspect of design. Understanding the significance of research will help me be successful in any design project throughout my career.
Percision In Design
Original
Being accurate in design plays a valuable role in the success of a project; a small detail can turn someone away from your design. At the beginning of this course, I was assigned a project to replicate an image utilizing the pen tool in Adobe Illustrator. My bachelor's degree is in graphic design, so I had experience with the pen tool, but this project made me better with it. After this project, I appreciated the pen tool and the details you can accomplish using it. Developing a fierce attention to detail will help keep me aware of even the small things in any project I take on in my career.
Recreated
Defining Clients Needs
Understanding clients' unique needs and challenges to develop targeted design solutions that meet those requirements is a key insight I gained during the program. I acquired this through research, creating personas, and engaging in discussions with peers and instructors. This comprehensive approach is crucial for my professional career as it enhances my ability to devise innovative solutions and ensures that those solutions align closely with the expectations of clients and their audiences. By being attuned to the nuanced demands of those I serve, I can deliver designs that resonate effectively, ultimately driving successful outcomes for my projects and fostering long-term client relationships.
Visual Hierarchy
Adding hierarchy to a design ensures that all elements are organized and prioritized in an easily digestible way that resonates with the audience. Spacing, color, size, and alignment play a role in determining a design's hierarchy. After feedback iterations were made to enhance visual appeal, the pole banner design gave me a better understanding of how to hierarchize elements. Understanding visual hierarchy is essential to my career because a poor design can be highly unappealing and fail to convey the intended message.
Expressive Typography
Expressive typography is a style that uses typography to visually communicate meanings and ideas beyond the literal interpretation of the words. It brings emotions into play in a stylized way. This was learned through research into typography related to holiday fonts, and several designs were created using the fonts discovered. This gave me a newfound appreciation for typography and font families; words, if designed correctly, can mean a multitude of things. This innovative tool is highly effective for enhancing design concepts. It not only aids in improving aesthetics but also helps streamline the design process, making it easier for designers to create visually appealing and functional works. By incorporating this tool, I can elevate my design projects to new heights, ensuring a more polished and professional outcome.
Copywriting
Copywriting is an essential and impactful form of communication that captivates and motivates an audience. Through carefully crafted words and persuasive techniques, it inspires individuals to take meaningful action, whether that be making a purchase, signing up for a newsletter, or supporting a cause. Good copywriting not only conveys information but also evokes emotions and builds connections, making it a vital tool in marketing and branding. This was learned through understanding the audiences’ needs for Lucky Dog Rescue and using persuasive techniques to lure the reader in a favorable direction. This will be important to my design career because I can create and perceive advertising copy that sells and connects with its audience.
Photo Editing
Photo editing is an essential skill that, when learned effectively, can significantly impact one’s career. Proficiency in cropping, color correction, and background removal can substantially improve a project. Throughout this program, I had numerous opportunities to edit photos for developing the Little Sprouts Toys Brand and various assignments. A foundational knowledge of photo editing will benefit my career and position me as a valuable team member.
Testing Design Effectiveness
Testing design effectiveness involves a comprehensive evaluation of how various design elements influence audience perception and behavior. This process seeks to understand the relationships between the visual and functional aspects of a design and how they resonate with the target audience. By measuring responses, feedback, and behavior shifts, designers can ascertain which elements effectively communicate their intended messages and engage users. Ultimately, this evaluation aids in refining designs to enhance user experience and more effectively meet audience expectations. This was learned through conducting A/B testing and usability testing, as well as analyzing feedback. This ensures that the design decisions made are data-driven and aligned with not only audience preferences but also client needs.
Audio Logo
When I first learned about an audio logo, the first example that came to mind was the iconic jingle associated with McDonald's, often referred to as the “ba da ba ba" jingle. This catchy tune frequently plays in my head, illustrating how ingrained it has become in our collective memory. McDonald's uses this jingle as a hallmark of its branding, linking it to their identity and ensuring instant recognition among consumers. It exemplifies an excellent sonic brand. I believe audio logos is a powerful and effective means of forging memorable connections between consumers and brands. Companies can evoke emotions, reinforce brand messages, and create lasting impressions by employing unique auditory elements, such as jingles, sound logos, or specific soundscapes in a world where visual stimuli often dominate.
Motion Graphics Vs Animation
Being accurate in design plays a valuable role in the success of a project; a small detail can turn someone away from your design. At the beginning of this course, I was assigned a project to replicate an image utilizing the pen tool in Adobe Illustrator. My bachelor's degree is in graphic design, so I had experience with the pen tool, but this project made me better with it. After this project, I appreciated the pen tool and the details you can accomplish using it. Developing a fierce attention to detail will help keep me aware of even the small things in any project I take on in my career.
Logo Design
Logo design involves crafting a visual symbol that encapsulates a brand’s identity, values, and mission. A thoughtfully designed logo serves as more than just an image; it functions as a strategic asset that fosters brand recognition, distinguishes a company from its competitors, and conveys the brand’s essence instantly. Compelling logos are simple, memorable, and versatile, allowing them to be used across various platforms. During this course, I completed the brand identity for Little Sprouts Toys. This included logo design, which is essential as it often forms the foundation of a brand's identity. As a designer, creating impactful logos will help me establish strong first impressions and lasting connections.
Video Production
Video production involves the planning, shooting, and editing of visual content to convey messages, narrate stories, or promote brands. It integrates storytelling, cinematography, sound design, and editing to produce engaging and impactful content. Whether for marketing, education, or entertainment, video has emerged as one of the most influential mediums for audience engagement. In my career, video production is essential because it allows me to create compelling visual narratives that capture attention and drive engagement. Digital communication continues to dominate social media channels, and the ability to produce high-quality videos is a valuable skill in branding, advertising, and storytelling.
Collaboration in the branding process
Collaboration is essential for branding, integrating diverse perspectives, skills, and creativity to build a cohesive brand identity. Successful design involves contributions from designers, clients, and consumers to ensure that every aspect supports the brand’s mission and connects with the target audience. Cooperative efforts facilitate constructive feedback, refine ideas, and solve problems, ultimately resulting in a robust brand. Throughout my career, collaboration has been vital in enhancing my work and broadening my creative problem-solving abilities, leading to innovative solutions that might have been overlooked individually. It improves my capacity to communicate, adapt, and merge various perspectives into a singular vision.
Time Management
Time management is essential in the design industry, facilitating efficient project completion, meeting deadlines, and consistently delivering high-quality work. Balancing multiple tasks- such as research, conceptualization, revisions, and feedback from professors- requires careful planning and organization. Throughout my career, effective time management has allowed me to manage several projects at once, meet client expectations, and uphold a high level of professionalism. By using my time wisely, I can concentrate on creating thoughtful, impactful designs while ensuring a smooth and efficient creative process.