Week 1 – 4/1 – 4/4: STA Orientation

Day 1 – Introductions and STA Handbook

My first day as a Design STA consisted of learning about the day to day procedures and how to navigate the different websites and tools. I finished the day off with creating a few presentation slides documenting what I learned from the STA Handbook:

I came in with a nervous-excited energy that I always have when starting anything new. De’sha and Leilani made the experience feel very welcoming, and I know overtime I’ll grow comfortable and confident in this new position.

 

Day 2-4 – Orientation Projects

During the next few days of orientation I created an STA bio, a caricature of myself, and a banner for this blog:

So far, I’ve had fun getting to meet everyone and stretching my graphic design and illustration skills. I look forward to working on future projects on my STA journey!

 

UTFC – 12.3B Politics

Start: April 1, 2024

To be Completed by: April 17, 2024

Staff Guidance: Leilani & Yazz

Client: UTFC

Description: Image search for photos/images/illustration for the provided vocabulary list using the Pexels, Unsplash, and Pixabay. Fill our the Google sheet for approval and then image track all the approved images while dropping them into a UT Box folder which will be then be used to create a powerpoint.

GSD Course Promo Flyers – GER 382M

Start: March 26, 2024

To be Completed by: March 28, 2024

Staff Guidance: De’sha

Client: Germanic Studies

Description: The client requested for a batch of course posters with the current templates tailored to the specific course, GER 382M – Textual-Cultural Studies: Politics and Practices. They wanted the flyers to include relevant photos assets along with a brief description of the course’s topics/information.

 

Since there no assets included in the materials provided, I searched for images in Pexels, Unsplash, and Pixabay and found three images that were relevant to the course based in its description.

 

 

Afterwards I chose one image and finalized the poster and screen ad.

 

GSD Course Promo Flyers – GER 322D

Start: March 26, 2024

To be Completed by: March 28, 2024

Staff Guidance: De’sha

Client: Germanic Studies

Description: The client requested for a batch of course posters with the current templates tailored to the specific course, GER 322D – Conversation and Composition: Individuals and Society. They wanted the flyers to include relevant photos assets along with a brief description of the course’s topics/information.

 

I first looked at the courses description in the course schedule and used it to find images that were relevant to the class and found three images.

 

Then, I chose one image that better fit the description out of the three and created the flyer and screen ad.

 

GSD Course Promo Flyers – GER 392

Start: March 26, 2024

To be Completed by: March 28, 2024

Staff Guidance: De’sha

Client: Germanic Studies

Description: The client requested for a batch of course posters with the current templates tailored to the specific course, GER 392 – Literature and Ordinary Language. They wanted the flyers to include relevant photos assets along with a brief description of the course’s topics/information.

 

In the assets provided, there an image and description of the course, so I cropped the image from the rest of the description and used it to create the flyer and screen ad.

 

STA Orientation 4/1/24-4/5/24

Day 1: I began my orientation process! De’sha went over the STA Design handbook with me and after I began a walkthrough of the applications needed with Marissa.

Here are the slides for the STA Handbook Powerpoint that I made:

I also did my blog banner:

 

Day 2: Working on getting into the flow of things and I also did my STA questionnaire and Bio.

Day 3: I did my caricature- finishing off my orientation. I then began my training. Below is the caricature I made of myself!

Day 4: I continued my training where I’m learning the process of making style A and B course graphics.

Project: UT Instapoll

Started on: Mar 26, 2024

Staff Guidance: Chris Pittman

Description: 

• Task: Change ‘Normal’ grading explanation for non-MC polls #110: The explanation for ‘Normal’ grading reads “Students must select a correct answer”. This makes sense for MC polls, but not for text entry or attendance polls. Change the wording here when the poll type changes.
• Visual Description:

Breakdown of the task:

Update:

Phase 1: Operation Finding Where To Change

• Identify in the codebase the explanation of normal (resources/js/components/PageTeacherPollSetDefaults.vue) -> Actually, this vue file is for the poll defaults. Might need to consider: Should we also change the explanation in the poll defaults? ✅
• The actual location of the file is PageTeacherPollEdit instead of PageTeacherPollSetDefaults ✅
• After changing the file, need to do npm run build to update the vue file -> The PageTeacherPollEdit works ✅
• Change the explanation to some other text and test it out ✅

In this screenshot, the normal becomes crazy normal (works) ✅

Phase 2: Experiment with if/else statement

• Include if/else statement to change the explanation when the question type changes (include v-if for that label)
  Might do something like this so that whenever it detects the question type to “text entry”, the explanation changes to something else. ✅

• The third steps include the knowledge of how to retrieve the question type and when to trigger the change in the question type (only use if/else statement is sufficient) ✅
  Might look something like this:

– Test it fully with UT Instapoll

Some considerations:

• The text: What should the explanation for multiple choice be?
• Is this the optimal solutions
• Are there any cases where it breaks? (Think about edge cases?)

Something to take in mind when changing:

• Whenever the vue.js file gets updated, always npm run build
• Always use === instead of only == for stronger comparisons.

 

Project: STA Presentation

Started on: Mar 27, 2024

Staff Guidance: Mike, De’sha

Description: 

• Plan out the STA presentation outline

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1j4EJSDJxxyTbDPehnLjNEdy0JwYLmTp3yKytZXwnaOo/edit?usp=sharing

 

 

STA Presentation Poster

https://3.basecamp.com/4001554/buckets/13723406/todos/7117045933#__recording_7209950051
During the spring break, I took the initiative to guide Raaga through the process of creating a poster for our end-of-the-year STA presentation celebration. The project’s objective was not only to commemorate the year’s achievements but also to bring the team together visually and thematically. The idea was to reflect on what the STAs have accomplished through a design that was both meaningful and visually appealing, incorporating elements that make the STA program unique.
The poster’s design was centered around the theme “We experience or attend the theme,” with stacked polaroids serving as a template to showcase the team’s unity and diversity. The must-have details included the presentation date, time, and location, along with a list of all the groups within our STA program if space allowed.
Guiding Through the Process
My role involved guiding Raaga on how to approach this design task effectively. I recommended starting with a sketch to develop the template, emphasizing the importance of having fun with the creation process and including unique elements reflective of the STA program’s essence. I also pointed her to last year’s presentation poster for inspiration, helping her grasp the project’s scope and expectations.
Overcoming Challenges
One challenge we encountered was fitting all the necessary information and visual elements into the poster without making it look cluttered or overwhelming. This required careful planning and creative problem-solving. We discussed various layout options, experimenting with different arrangements of the polaroids and considering how to incorporate images of STAs into the design.
Collaboration and Feedback
Collaboration and open communication were key throughout this project. I regularly checked in with Raaga to review her progress, providing feedback and suggestions to refine the poster. This iterative process helped us to gradually improve the design, ensuring that it effectively represented the STA program and captured the celebratory spirit of the presentation.
Taking Charge
With the deadline approaching and understanding the importance of this poster in setting the tone for the rest of the presentation graphics, I decided to take charge during the spring break to help complete the project. This involved finalizing the design, selecting and editing images for better cohesion with the overall theme, and making adjustments based on feedback from De’sha and other team members.
Final Touches
In the final stages, we focused on adding decorations and fine-tuning the visual details, such as the background texture and the arrangement of the polaroids. The goal was to create a visually compelling poster that would be memorable and impactful for all attendees of the STA presentation.
Reflection
This project was a testament to the power of teamwork, creativity, and dedication. Guiding Raaga through this process was a rewarding experience, and it was gratifying to see the project come to fruition. The end-of-the-year presentation poster not only celebrated our accomplishments but also symbolized the unity and collaborative spirit of the STA program.