Experiential learning initiatives
Hayti Alumni: Digital Community Space
dec 2020 – aug 2021
students: Todjanae Jones (Business), Neha Singh (UX), Allyssa Harris (GRaphic Design)
Professional designer: natalie orcutt
Project manager: Rebecca Tegtmeyer
The Hayti Central School-Parent Chapter Alumni Association (HCHS) is the impetus for this project and serves as the community through which a team of students worked together to design a digital learning space for the community. The mission of HCHS is to preserve their historical roots, share their story, and withhold the legacy of their membership. This was an experiential learning project, the collaborative team utilized user-experience and graphic design methods to create a digital learning environment that informs and inspires the HCHS community. The collaborative team included students from the College of Arts and Letters, specifically Graphic Design and Experience Architecture and the Broad College of Business. Additionally, the students collaborated with a practicing UX designer working in industry.
The MI Homeless Voice Spoken Word Project
Aug 2018 – May 2019
Art Director: Rebecca Tegtmeyer
Designer: Matthew Gillespie
This project was a collaboration with the Michigan Homeless Speakers Bureau, formerly homeless individuals, and various MSU faculty and students to audio record spoken word stories and set them to original music. The project was facilitated and led by Associate Professor, Ben Lauren. The goals of the project were to:
Reduce social stigma about homelessness and housing instability;
Raise awareness about homelessness in our communities; and,
Create content that can be circulated across public and professional spheres to make goals 1 and 2 possible.
I worked with design student, Matthew Gillespie, in the creation of icons used to represent the individual voices of those sharing their stories. The design work for this project was done using participatory methods. Ideas and visual options were presented to the storytellers and they gave feedback on what was presented. The concepts were then reassessed and altered with the intent to make their unique vision a reality.
2019 Design in Chicago Study Away
March 2019
This study away program took place during spring break 2019 in Chicago, it involved 4 days of studio tours in the Chicago area for 10 students. Over the course of our visit we toured and met with 8 different studios. Students interested in pursuing a career in Graphic Design, Advertising, Photography, Publishing, Social Media, Marketing, Motion Design, and/or Film Studies were encouraged to apply. Students were connected to Chicago-based MSU alumni through a special on-site event and through several tours to studios, agencies, and firms in the city. The week ended with a discussion panel with recent alumni. This program was planned with the CAL Excel Network and MSU Alumnus, Sam Landers.
Studios visited included: Pivot Design, 50K Feet, Eight Bit Studios, Design Museum of Chicago, Maday Productions, Trope Films, Rhoner Press, Someoddpilot, VAS Partners, and Simple Truth.