Colette Gaiter Professor University of Delaware As the US cultural and demographic landscape changes, students of design will need advanced cultural competence skills in visual communication. The Cross Model of Cultural Competence, developed for health practitioners in 1988, describes a set of congruent behaviors, attitudes and policies that enable a professional to function effectively across … Continue reading “Cultural Competence for Designers”

Sherry Freyermuth Assistant Professor Lamar University Although Meggs’ History of Graphic Design is a well-regarded and extensive textbook on the topic of graphic design history, it has been criticized for its lack of diversity in the designers and artists featured in the textbook. This short form presentation will outline the results of a History of … Continue reading “Questioning the Canon: Discussing Diversity and Inclusion in the Classroom”

Jennifer Kowalski Professor of Instruction Graphic Arts & Interactive Design Temple University Tyler School of Art Today’s college students are under increasing pressure to have a side hustle—a part-time job that is often related to entrepreneurship. Over the course of the next decade, half of millennials intend to start a new business or be self-employed. … Continue reading “Pitch & Roll: Exploring Low-Risk Entrepreneurship for Student Designers”

Peter Lusch Professor of Practice Lehigh University, Bethlehem PA Befitting careers of the industrial era—in which graphic design was focused on the creation of static artifacts and one-direction communication streams—the traditional format used to demonstrate professional credentials of designers and students has been a physical or electronic portfolio, generally showcasing five to twenty discrete artifacts … Continue reading “Form, Focus and Impact: Pedagogy of a 21st-Century Design Portfolio”

Slavica Ceperkovic Professor Seneca College This artist presentation will present a case study on how different user models of interaction shape narrative experiences in virtual reality landscape environments. The three models that will be explored are guided experiences, embodied task interaction, and companion based virtual reality interactions.