Opportunity
Two separate classes gave similar assignments. However, the intents of each assignment were completely different. The Persuasive Speech (PS) assignment was to visually persuade the audience to take action while the purpose of the Foundation of UX (UX) poster was to understand visual design and usability. Each project had its own challenges and results.
My Role
Since neither of these assignments were team projects, my role to ideate and generate each poster on my own was the same. The professors provided examples, and guidance when needed, of course.
The Process
For my PS poster, two of my classmates chose to create posters to inspire people to learn to read. One was for older adults to help them get employment and the other was for children to learn and grow intellectually. Based on their idea, I chose a different approach to inspire parents to teach their children to read. I chose to use fear as a persuading factor in my poster.
Coming up with an idea is usually the hardest part for me. I work much better in a group where I get inspiration from my teammates’ ideas. For this poster, I combined my classmates’ literacy idea with my niece’s love of giving her dogs treats. One day I noticed how similar the treats she gave her dogs looked like rat poison, and I thought that the boxes could easily be confused by someone who couldn’t read.
For my UX poster, the deliverables were done in stages. First I had to create a poster of my choosing for any topic I desired, within reason of course. Then I learned basic CRAP (Contrast, Repetition, Alignment, and Proximity) design principles in class, and made changes to my poster based on these principles. The next step was to submit my poster to a review by two of my classmates who were randomly selected. The final step was to accept or reject the recommendations made my classmate and make further changes to my poster and submit the final result.
For my UX class, I used an event at MSOE for inspiration. MSOE has a family skate night event in late winter where I have volunteered my services as a face painter for the past two years. I used the skate night idea to create a poster that would be sponsored by my face painting business.
Challenges
Other than generating a usable idea, taking the photo of my niece and her dog were the biggest challenge in creating this poster. The pup, a one-year old husky named Duke, thought it was playtime and wanted belly rubs and puppy kisses. My niece, who was nine at the time, kept breaking out in giggles. I took more than three dozen photos to get one that was usable. Scheduling was also an issue, because my niece was going to be the flower girl in a wedding, but then the couple eloped. I was also mindful to throw out the poison at the store where I bought it, so that it never came in contact with my family or their pets.
It was challenging to decide which peer review comments fit with my vision of the poster. For example, one person suggested that I change some of the text alignment. Of course, they did not see the first version to know that I changed that element in the version they reviewed after learning about CRAP. Another challenge was making the text easier for those with low vision to read without drastically changing the colors.
The Result
Although the subject was darker than most of the other posters, I believe I achieved the result I was aiming for in my PS poster. No animals, or humans, were harmed in the making of this poster.
Applying CRAP principles and having peer reviews really helped elevate the work I did on my UX poster. Knowing what I know now, I see many elements that I could improve upon in my PS poster. I can also see a how a few more tweaks would improve my UX poster.
Barbara's Digital Portfolio 