Graphic design is a creative profession with many facets. It has emerged historically from art, advertising, graphic arts, and photography. Graphic designers are committed to professionalism, ethics, quality, function and the ways their creative output solves client problems.

In my classes, I approach teaching from a problem-based learning standpoint. I believe problem-based learning is a comprehensive approach to education. The approach consists of carefully selected and designed problems that demand from the learner acquisition of critical knowledge, problem solving proficiency, self-directed learning strategies, and team participation skills. At the beginning of each semester I supply my students with essential information on the course material. As we move further into the semester I ask them to assume increasing responsibility for their learning, which gives them more motivation and more feelings of accomplishment. This approach sets the pattern for students to be more successful in the course.  My role in the class is essentially to be a resource and evaluator, guiding the students in their problem solving efforts. 

The assignments that I give to my students involve communicating visually about an important aspect of a product or service, or developing a graphic identity for an existing or fictional client/corporation. After giving an assignment I instruct students to then analyze and research their project objectives to be certain that they understand the problem. Starting with thumbnail sketches, students create a range of possibilities from which to choose. At this stage students have identified the problem and began selecting strategies to solve it. Before they go on to the final comprehensive I conduct a critique in order to give students a chance to share their solutions with each other and myself. After the critique students would begin converting their sketch information into layouts on the computer. While students are working on the computer, I help them with any technical or layout questions that may arise. During this stage, students are asked once again to update each other on their progress in an informal presentation. When the projects are due students present their final solutions in a formal critique presentation. In this final critique I comment on and evaluate the student’s work based on their understanding of individual project objectives, design, creativity, acquisition and use of critical computer skills, craftsmanship, presentation and effort.

Overall, my hope is to empower my students to think independently and analytically and enhance their growth as effective and creative problem solvers. Ultimately, it is my goal to educate students to be responsible communicators and contribute positively to their community and society.