• Minding the Gap: Amplifying Community Voices and Justice through Human-centered Design (5.1)

  Macy 106B

  • Rhonda Wolverton, Assistant Professor, Texas Christian University

  This presentation explores how human-centered design research and practices can transform design education. Through a course where students partnered with two non-profits, they practiced empathy and co-design to create meaningful, community-centered solutions. The experience fostered personal growth, emphasized design’s role in social justice, and prepared students as mindful, collaborative, purpose-driven professionals.

• Mindful Innovation and Experimentation: Collaborative Teaching as a Tool to Fuel Program Change (5.2)

  Macy 107

  • Cam Davis, Associate Professor, Cedarville University

  • Holly Hoover, Instructor of Interactive Web Design, Cedarville University

  • Aaron Huffman, Associate Professor of Graphic Design, Cedarville University

  Faculty developed the structure for a team-teaching approach to its capstone courses. Challenges were substantial but, benefits to students, faculty and the program emerged. Outcomes of this structure have fostered faculty dialog and program re-evaluations. It has become a program tool for collaborative, formative assessment.

• Designing for the Brew Lab: A University Partnership in Branding and Identity (5.3)

  Winningham 205

  • Patrick Finley, Assistant Professor of Graphic Design, Iowa State University

  This presentation explores a class project in partnership with the Iowa State University Brew Lab. Students created a comprehensive brand identity while adhering to university brand guidelines and addressing stakeholder challenges. The session highlights project goals, stakeholder collaboration, and key takeaways for students, showcasing experiential learning in real-world branding.

• Black Maximalism as Resistance and Self-Care (5.4)

  Winningham 214

  • Kaleena Sales, Department Chair and Associate Professor, Tennessee State University

   Black maximalism, whether expressed in elaborate braided hairstyles, richly patterned textiles, or hip-hop’s highly stylized visual language, rejects the pressure to conform and asserts an unapologetic presence. These visual choices are acts of self-care, cultural continuity, and reclamation of space.