Sexual Harassment Awareness Training Website and Certification Quiz

Client: Affirmative Programs Office

Background:The client wanted to redesign their sexual harassment awareness training material. The training material needed to be web based and include study material and a certification quiz. It needed to have information about different types of harassment, those being harassed, those accused of harassing, and how to help someone in such a predicament.

Solution: To start this project, we preformed a thorough audience analysis so that we could design the web site and quiz based on their needs. Our client provided us with their current content, and we narrowed it down to the important information, re-wording for clarity and updating for completeness. We also compiled additional pertinent information and training scenarios to assist with learning.

Sexual Harassment Awareness Brochure

Client: Affirmative Programs Office

Background: The client wanted a new brochure about sexual harassment awareness at Michigan Tech. The brochure needed to be more visually appealing than previous brochures they had. It also needed to have information for those being harassed, those accused of harassing, and those wanting to help someone in such a predicament.

Solution: To begin this project, we conducted a thorough audience analysis so that we could design the brochure based on their needs. Our client provided us with much of the content, but we narrowed it down to the essential information, re-wording some portions for clarity. We then came up with a few design ideas and conducted usability tests on them. Using that feedback, we finalized our design and included the detailed yet concise information for all the necessary audiences. To conclude the project, we worked closely with the Print Shop on campus to confirm that the finished product would look just how our client hoped it would.

Brian Parmeter Photography Portfolio Website

Client: Brian Parmeter

Background: Brian Parmeter contacted our team to design and build a professional online portfolio of his photographic work. He needed a location on the internet that he could point potential clients to that would represent his expertise in the field.

Solution: Our team developed this web site through a three step process. The first stage of the project involved the development of a series of mockups through interaction with our client. This was accomplished through weekly meetings and email communication. Once completed, the final design was moved into the second stage of the project; the content development. During this phase, photographs were selected from our clients work that would be a representative sample of his skill. These images were then integrated into the site template and prepared for publishing. The final step was the publishing and testing of the final site.

Software: Photoshop, Quanta

Undergraduate Student Government Budget Database

Client: Undergraduate Student Government at Michigan Tech

Background: The client needed a way to track and organize budget requests from student organizations and provide a visual representation of them. They also wanted a web tool for administering the information.

Solution: During the first, and time-sensitive portion of this project, our team developed a bare-bones web based data entry and retrieval system from a form we were provided. This system allowed simple input and access of the data but didn't have visual representation for the data, it was limited to text output only. The second phase of this project was development of the visual representation. The interface was enhanced and graphing functionality was added the the data display.

Software: Quanta

Senior Design Program Brochure

Client: Senior Design Program at Michigan Tech

Background: The client wanted a brochure to use at the MTU Career Fair to recruit students and potential clients and supporters for the Senior Design program. They asked for the brochure to give a description of the program, discuss the clients and sponsors, and give an overview of some of the projects that they have worked on.

Project: The first phase of the project was to design mockups for the client to choose a version for the MTU Career Fair. The next step was to refine the brochure's readability and make a final version, which is now distributed to clients and at talks, lectures, and conferences. See the finished brochure here (PDF 1.4MB)

Software: InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop

MTU Department of General Sciences and Arts Website

Client: College of Sciences and Arts, Michigan Tech

Background: Our client approached us to redesign the web page for General Sciences and Arts. They wanted something that better fit their target audience, incoming college students that didn't know what major to choose.

Solution: We worked with the university's web design team to come up with a look that fit the university's integrated identity program. The unique appearance was eye catching, and the client was thrilled with the new design.

Film Festival WWW Site: Prelaunch Editing & Proofreading

Client: Traverse City Film Festival

Client contacted our team before launching their redesigned, second-annual festival website, which they planned to launch at a televised press conference by filmmaker Michael Moore. We worked on site consistency, readability, and other aspects that would affect the site's reception by wide ranging regional, national, and international audiences.

Consulting: Distributed Workplaces & Adaptive Technologies

Client: MTU Distance Learning

Background: Client is considering redesigning an existing campus conference room for distance-teaching uses and for showcasing MTU's initiatives in developing adaptive technologies in academic and professional contexts; client asked for conceptual ideas for the redesign and innovative uses for the workspace.

Research & Report included governmental, industrial, and non-profit organizations' recent work in adaptive technologies, especially those technologies that are modified or customized, and used to increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities. The Concept Report also focuses on academic and professional workplaces that are increasingly distributed in nature and in need; they increasingly support virtual work practices; and they therefore require rethinking the nature of what a “room” and other physical workplaces can and cannot do.

University Communications: Envelope Redesign Project

Client: MTU University Communications

Background: The client was rethinking their print-based recruiting materials as an integrated component of their overall national and international marketing campaigns and visual-identity initiatives. Client asked for envelope redesign via several mock-ups.

Research on the production end included paper types and weights allowable in the US Mail and other printing constraints -- including the client's budget and ours, too; research on the user's end included the context of use: high school students who may receive hundreds of such envelopes; how a print document can catch and keep their attention; and how we can represent Michigan as the vibrant campus that it is.

Design-team members worked together to do several sketches and mock-ups; client then chose versions for further refinement before sending their final choices to printer.

Software: Illustrator, InDesign

BPLA Marketing Plan

Client: Big Powderhorn Lodging Association

Background: BPLA needed to increase their web presenece. They contacted us to develop an e-marketing strategy to aide in recruiting and retaining their customer base.

Solution: We developed an integrated e-marketing strategy that is dramatically increasing the clients web presence. We also implemented Search Engine Optimization techniques, a strategy to differentiate from their competitors, suggestions for customizing services, market research on their target markets, and worked through challenges with their website.

Dial Help Brochure

Client: Dial Help, Inc.

Background: The purpose of Dial Help is to promote the physical, emotional, and social well-being of our communities by providing problem assistance, crisis intervention, counseling, referrals, education and training. Their existing brochure needed an update and a redesign.

Solution: The team updated the information in the brochure and redesigned it to make it more visually appealing. Then we worked with the local printer on four-color printing and paper issues.

Software: Illustrator, Photoshop, Adobe Acrobat

Gridalogy.com Website Redesign

Client: Gridalogy.com

Background: Client requested a complete redesign of corporate website to include better opportunities for internal and external audience interactivity and a more readable interface.

Solution: Team designers developed an integrated identity strategy for the company, using the redesigned website as its public presentation; team added a blog, newsletter, and designed a new logo that can be integrated for both print & digital projects.

Software: Dreamweaver, Photoshop

Michigan Tech Presidential Committee to Enhance Campus and Community Website

Client: MTU Presidential Committee to Enhance Campus and Community

Background: Client requested a website where people could give feedback in order to write a recommendation report for the president of the university.

Solution: Team created and implimented a web-based forum using PHPbb and lead a tutorial on how to administer the forum and keep the posts "clean".

Information Technology Recommendation Report

Client: Information Technology Department @ Michigan Tech Univ

Background: Client requested a series of interviews, focus groups, and independent research into models of communication between information-technology departments, campus systems administrators, department heads, and student groups from MTU and from benchmark institutions around the U.S. The goal was to give the acting head of the information-technology department a range of attitudes, goals, assumptions, and problems from a wide spectrum of stakeholders.

Solution: Our project leader designed and facilitated a series of interviews, focus groups, and one-on-one meetings with campus technology stakeholders. We researched various models of communication and infrastructure at five benchmark universities and interviewed CIOs and other campus leaders at those schools. The team delivered a report to the client with a series of recommendations for increasing communication between the IT Department, students, faculty, and staff.

Campus Diversity Outreach

Client: Sherry Kauppi, Affirmative Programs Office MTU

Background: Based on campus surveys and research, the client wanted an eye-catching and compelling fliers to educate students, factually, and staff about a wide variety of diversity issues: gender, race, and sexual orientation.


Solution: Aware of stereotypes often associated with difference, we designed a series of fliers using familiar and unfamiliar visual representations to address the client’s goals. The content was designed to appeal to a wide audience of people with different predispositions and assumptions. Our ultimate rhetorical appeal was to challenge the reader’s perspectives.

Software: Illustrator, Photoshop