Teaching for Creative Authenticity
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Troy University
Courses taught: Experiential Design · UX Design · Typography · UI Design · Graphic Design Principles & Practices · Color & Technology · (Online) Typography & Digital Tools
Troy University — College of Arts and Humanities | Troy, AL, USA
User Interface Design (ART 3315)
In-Person · Taught: Fall 2024, Spring 2025, Fall 2025
User Interface Design explores how visual design, personal branding, and digital storytelling intersect in shaping a creative professional’s online presence. Students define their unique creative voice through self-assessment tools and online presence audits while researching industry portfolios and CMS platforms. They write original mission, vision, and values statements, develop cohesive brand systems, and build a fully functional CMS-based portfolio site. Emphasizing clarity, hierarchy, accessibility, and digital identity, the course helps students design and present their work with authenticity and intent. Optional weekly HTML sessions provide guided, hands-on code learning.
Projects included: Visual Moodboard Collage, Online Presence Audit, Personal Branding & CMS Research, Logo and Tagline Development, Style Spec Sheet, CMS Portfolio Build, Usability Testing, and Final Portfolio Presentation.
Visual Moodboard Collage
Students create a visual moodboard that captures their creative identity, aesthetic preferences, and design sensibility. This introductory project emphasizes narrative, visual storytelling, and personal branding through curated imagery and positioning.
Online Presence Audit
Through a structured review of their existing digital footprint, students analyze how they currently appear online and develop strategies to align their personal and professional identities.
Personal Branding System
Students define their creative voice and design language through the development of a cohesive personal brand system. This includes writing mission, vision, and values statements, designing a logo or wordmark, crafting a tagline, and producing a detailed style spec sheet outlining typography, color palette, and interface elements.
CMS Research, Portfolio Build & Usability Testing
Students research and compare CMS platforms, select one that fits their goals, and design a fully functional live portfolio website. The project integrates layout planning, responsive design, accessibility, and user testing to refine navigation, flow, and overall user experience.
HTML Coding Lab (Optional)
In parallel with design work, students may participate in guided HTML sessions exploring W3C web standards, basic structure, and code logic. These hands-on labs help students connect design decisions to the underlying frameworks of web-based interfaces.
Final Portfolio Presentation & Launch
Students present their completed CMS-based portfolio site and process documentation, articulating their creative voice, brand strategy, and professional positioning with clarity and confidence.