Publication design remains an important foundation of contemporary graphic design because it teaches designers how to organize information, construct visual hierarchy, and guide a reader through content across space and time. While technologies and delivery methods of content continue to evolve, the fundamental principles learned through publication design, i.e. typography, sequencing, pacing, composition, rhythm, grid […]
In my undergraduate graphic design classes, I often ask students not to design. It is a strange and unexpected request in a design classroom, and it immediately unsettles some of them. After all, students typically enter a graphic design course with a familiar set of expectations: combine personal experience, visual references, technical skills, and imagination […]
Shannen Sun, University of the District of Columbia, Spring 2025
Mya Cotrell, University of the District of Columbia, Spring 2025
Students at the University of the District of Columbia were asked to compose poems, lyrics, or self-authored passages using typography and minimal imagery. The objective of the assignment was to encourage students to think about typography beyond words merely occupying a fixed or leftover space on a page. Typography moves through time. It carries emotional […]
This independent piece was created while introducing the drawing capabilities of Adobe Illustrator to a Graphic Design class at the University of the District of Columbia. Students were assigned the task of designing a mask poster using entirely original artwork while maintaining a fully vector-based final composition. All visual elements were required to be created […]
“You mean you’ll put down your rock and I’ll put down my sword and we’ll kill each other like civilized people?” – The Princess Bride One evening during a college semester, I sat in an auditorium listening to a lecture by a seasoned graphic designer. The speaker reflected on their education, professional work, and […]
University of the District of Columbia (UDC), Fall 2025
Students from the Graphic Design program at the University of the District of Columbia explored a series of projects centered on image-making and photographic montage. The primary objective of these assignments was to combine multiple photographic images into a single, cohesive visual composition. The architectural studies encouraged students to closely observe form, structure, and shape, […]
This poster was created to promote the Default Settings photography exhibition hosted by the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of the District of Columbia. The design’s goal was to capture the reflective and personal tone of the exhibit while presenting a unified visual system for institutional use. The central silhouetted artwork was […]
Peter Kery, Assistant Professor
“That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,” said the Cat. “I don’t much care where-” said Alice. “Then it doesn’t matter which way you go,” said the Cat. – Lewis Carroll, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland “Will my kid get a job?” In all my years in higher education, this is […]
This animated short presents information off the NASA website about the four major moons of Jupiter. Those moons are Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto. This 4‑minute video represents a short demonstration of the more explicit information found on the NASA website. Jupiter has 95 moons (and counting) that orbit itself. There are many more objects […]
This animated visual gives a sense of the vast difference in sizes between our planets in the solar system. Every one of the eight planets is introduced and shown how long a commercial airline flight could circle each of their equators. The length of time is also given if one could walk around each planet […]