Indiana State University Professor Nancy Nicols-Pethick joins the team to talk shop and how she uses her unique experiences to push students to find passion in their work, learn how to address failures, and recognize how to aim for higher personal standards rather than settling for their current skill level. We cover mastering creative foundations, work/life balance, and, of course, her thoughts on AI. Join us and our wonderful guest as we discuss art, passion, and finding creativity in the seemingly mundane.

Nancy's Website
Through the Eyes of an Artist - Nancy Nichols-Pethick

Host, Producer, & Editor - Mark Cela
Host, Director, & Script Writer - Kristen Pericleous
Host, Social Media Manager, Social Media Content Creator, & Editor - Dan Lawson

In this episode, the Team talks about accessibility and design. Guest host Lauren DeMarks talks about user experience (UX) design and the spectrum of use cases for ensuring equitable experiences regardless of temporary or long-term physical disabilities.

Show Notes:

Overall, what does it mean to have accessible design?

• Lauren, would you like to give us a definition or overview?
• OVERVIEW Accessibility is the practice of making sure a product, environment or service can be used by everyone—however they encounter it.
  • Including those with blindness/low vision, speech impairments, hearing impairments, cognitive & learning disabilities, motor/dexterity issues—accessible solutions make it so that these folks can actually meaningfully use the designs we create.
  • But accessible design is important in ALL elements and design disciplines.
• Accessible design can also help people with various kinds of impairments (because you probably first think of permanent ones).
  • Situational —walking in high heels, I’m at a loud concert.
  • Temporary— my leg is broken, I have an ear infection and cannot hear.
  • Permanent — I am paralyzed and cannot use my legs, I am blind.
• Accessible designs help EVERYONE
  • Accessible design helps ALL people—even those without disabilities (taking 14 bags of groceries to my 7th floor apartment makes elevators look real nice).

What’s the difference between Accessibility and usability?

Usability issues generally affect all users, both users with and without disabilities. All users have difficulty using a website. Accessibility issues occur solely for people with disabilities when they have difficulty using or accessing a website without problems.

• Accessible design makes spaces and designed products USABLE for EVERYONE, regardless of ability.

Accessibility is important in ALL silos of design

• Digital
• Print
• Physical
• Environmental
• Teaching
• Etc.

Digital

• Mainly consider solutions that benefit low-sight or low-hearing users.
• Cognitive impairments come into considerations too.
• Alt. text.
• Not just relying on color to communicate a message.
• Allowing for customization (text size, color-blind settings, etc) (we also see this in video games).
• Goes beyond just visual, and as a digital designer you need to have a tight partnership with your developers to make sure the code is accessible as well.

Print design?

• Oxo vegetable peeler maBuilt environments & environmental design.
• Take mobility into account more than digital products.
• What things are considered in this area of design?
  • Routes, signage, etc…

Curb cut - Physical products

• Design for folks with arthritis, but they’re just flat out more comfortable for everyone.

Teaching

• Providing multiple ways (within reason) for students to demonstrate mastery.

Host, Producer, & Editor - Mark Cela
Host, Director, & Script Writer - Kristen Pericleous
Host, Social Media Manager, Social Media Content Creator, & Editor - Dan Lawson

In this episode guest host Lauren DeMarks joins the Team as talks about ways to level up as a graphic designer.

Show Notes:

What does it mean to “level up?”

• More than just software skills, aesthetic, or even becoming more efficient
• Higher level of performance, thinking, innovating, systems thinking, etc…

Tangible markers of successful leveling up:

• Promotion
• Title change
• Raise
• Responsibilities change/increase
• On reflection, softer markers like just feeling more confident in doing something you weren’t doing a year ago

Anecdotes & Story Time!

• Lauren’s experience
• Lauren’s classmate’s experience: Basically everyone left and she just found herself the most senior one on the team after only 5 years.
• Dan: Constant growth mindset = new, unplanned opportunities!
• Mark: From a nobody to Kristen & Dan’s friend!!!

Advice:

If you feel stuck or like you don’t know what to DO to actively level up as a designer, here are some useful tips!

• Find a mentor (someone to constantly push you)
  • How to find one? Can it be a more experienced colleague? Past professor?
  • More senior members on your team (stress the value of NOT being the sole designer on a team right out of school)
• Attend events
  • Industry events, online, in-person, etc.
• Keep in touch!!!
  • Classmates and coworkers that move to other jobs
  • These people can spread far and wide and make even more connections. It’s worth your time to keep in touch! You never know the connections you can eventually make!
  • Kristen got her job at Miami bc she kept in touch with Erin who taught her letterpress at Miami, asked for help letterpressing her wedding invites, just happened to mention teaching at Miami was her dream job, and 4 YEARS later Erin remembered and asked her to apply to the opening at Miami!

Host, Producer, & Editor - Mark Cela
Host, Director, & Script Writer - Kristen Pericleous
Host, Social Media Manager, Social Media Content Creator, & Editor - Dan Lawson