No university or organization in Hampton Roads, Virginia offers a comprehensive digital design program. This makes it difficult for local designers to succeed in our region’s increasingly digital job market.
In Summer 2019, I partnered with AIGA Hampton Roads to launch On-Screen, a 12-week digital design program. The program exists to give emerging designers a leg up in their digital design careers through a project-based bootcamp and a complementary speaker series.
Contributions
Tools
On-Screen takes place from late May to early August. Over the 12 weeks, 10 bootcamp participants prototype a portfolio-worthy digital design product from end-to-end. Simultaneously, bootcamp participants engage with the local design community through a professional design speaker series.
Part 1
To get On-Screen off the ground, I created a simple brand and pitch deck that outlined the opportunity, the plan, and the ask. Here's a preview:
Cover Slide
Opportunity Slide
Audience Slide
Speaker Slide
Sponsorship Slide
Part 2
The marketing materials helped me find & connect with people who wanted to help make On-Screen happen. I had the privilege of partnering with the following...
Speaker: Brian Villalon
Speaker: Meg Linen
Speaker: Matt Singleton
Speaker: Ethel Delacruz
Speaker: Kim Coghill
Photographer: Mike Washington
Animator: Josh Newton
Connector: Jarrell Williams
Marketing Partner
Location Sponsor
Speaker Sponsor
Speaker Sponsor
Part 3
I structured the bootcamp on pedagogical principles I developed over my 4 years of teaching User Experience Design courses.
💡Project-based learning
I introduce interactive design concepts through definitions and critical analyses of examples. Participants then apply their learning to a digital design product they actively build, review, and refine.
✍️Writing-first design
I believe that clear writing is clear thinking. I structure the activities so that participants communicate the goals – and what content is needed to achieve those goals – in written form before diving into the nuances of visual design.
🤝Growth through feedback
I believe participants learn more from engaging with one another’s work than they do from an instructor’s alone. Each class includes a guided peer review assignment, in which participants share their processes & decisions with one another, and provide feedback.
I crafted the bootcamp curriculum based on the format & timeline that designers can expect to share & review work in a product cycle. The curriculum also includes lessons in using the latest industry tools.
Class
Concepting
Description
The class where we come up with ideas about what we’ll make; validate why it’s worth making; and explore how we’ll make it.
Tools
Class
Research
Description
The class where we learn about gathering information through qualitative research methods, including competitor analysis and user interviews.
Tools
Class
Wireframe
Description
The class where we learn how to turn research findings into tangible user flows, and define features with mobile design principles.
Tools
Class
Design
Description
The class where we learn how to create a cohesive brand through copy and visual design. This is what most participants consider the “fun” part.
Tools
Class
Prototype
Description
The class where we learn how to create interactive prototypes of our mobile products, and practice presenting through user flows.
Tools
Class
Presentation
Description
The class where we learn how to document our process and turn our work into shareable case studies.
Tools
Group Concepting Activity
Design Work Session
A Tasty Lunch
On the last day of the program, the 10 bootcamp participants presented mobile apps that they concepted, researched, wireframed, designed, and prototyped over 6 bootcamp classes. Here’s some of the amazing work!
If you’d like to learn more about this project, I’d love to hear from you. I’d be happy to share more detailed plans for On-Screen 2020, and chat about how we can work together to plan your next design workshop.
You can reach me by email at janice.jamye.pang@gmail.com 💌
The On-Screen program is dedicated to Brian Villalon.
