Graphic Communications Commons^™

Menstrual Muses: Art, Storytelling, And The Care-Based Communication Of Menstrual Justice, Burcu Koleli

Masters Theses

Menstrual Muses is an artistic research project comprising a written thesis and a body of work developed across soft sculpture, ceramics, illustration, graphic memoir, digital media, and participatory workshops. The written component operates alongside the studio practice, outlining the project’s theoretical framework, methodology, and context while engaging questions of communication, accessibility, embodiment, and stigma. It situates menstruation within feminist discourse, examining how it has been culturally silenced, regulated, and shaped through systems of power.

The artistic work functions as research materialized through practice, responding to the central question of how my art can facilitate conversations around menstrual justice. It explores …

Illustrated Children's Book: "The Adventures Of Mr. C", Anne-Marie Wadsworth, Joanne Whitcombe

Honors Capstones

"The Adventures of Mr. C" is a children's book written by Anne-Marie Wadsworth and her grandmother, Joanne Whitcombe. It was illustrated by Anne-Marie Wadsworth, 2026 NIU graduate, as her honor's capstone project. The book was presented at NIU's 2026 Visual Communication Senior Show on April 30th. It is a christian-inspired true story about an abandoned bird (Mr .C) that becomes part of Joanne's family. Mr C. flies away from his home and is lost for many months, until Joanne experiences a timely, unexpected miracle that only God and his angels can take credit for.

Feasibility Study Of Transitioning From Thick Plates (0.250”) Mounted On 30-Point Pvc Carriers To Thinner Plate Technologies Mounted On Recyclable Foam And Pet (0.155”) For Post-Print Corrugated, Nathaniel J. Poole

All Theses

In the United States, the most common press configuration for brown-box printing is a 0.280” undercut press. These press configurations have long relied on thick 0.250” plates mounted on 0.030” PVC sheets to print onto corrugated substrates. Each year, around twenty million pounds of waste are produced by the printing industry, through paper waste, plate waste, among other materials. One large factor of that waste is flexographic plate waste, which either ends its life in a landfill or is repurposed into other products. This study establishes a comparison between traditionally used 0.250” plates on 30pt PVC versus 0.155” plates mounted …

Digital Touchpoints: Investigating Contact Page Accessibility And Visual Authenticity Within Medical Tourism Health Websites, Alicia Mason, Elizabeth Spencer, Kristen Livingston, Treyton Meyers, Sakshi Bhati, Himika Akram

Faculty Submissions

This study examines two critical digital touchpoints on medical tourism provider (MTP) websites: (1) the accessibility of contact pages which often function as entry points for inquiries, scheduling, and pre-travel coordination, and (2) the authenticity of visual imagery used to shape expectations about care environments, personnel, and technological capacity. A sample of 105 MTPs across all six World Health Organization regions were analyzed using quantitative web accessibility testing and qualitative visual analysis. Results indicate pervasive accessibility errors on contact-page touchpoints and extensive reliance on inauthentic imagery to depict patients, providers, and medical technologies. Together, these practices may distort user expectations …

Digital Print Ordering System For Ugs, Han Nguyen

Graphic Communication

This project redesigns the UGS digital storefront to make ordering custom prints clearer and less confusing for students. Research showed that many delays happen because users submit incorrect files, such as wrong formats, low-resolution images, or missing fonts. To address this, I created an interactive prototype that guides users step-by-step through the ordering process and includes a built-in file checklist with simple export instructions. Instead of relying on a separate PDF guide, the new system supports users directly within the workflow, helping reduce errors and making the process smoother for both customers and UGS staffs.

Ari Still: Developing Packaging Design And Branding To Overcome Saturated Market, Andrea De La Vega

Graphic Communication

The alcoholic beverage market in the United States is facing a period of transformation, affecting the success and longevity of new launches and existing brands. Shifting consumer values and behaviors, generational changes, and an increasingly oversaturated landscape emerged after the immediate effects of the pandemic. Understanding these changes, especially as more members of Generation Z enter the legal drinking age, is imperative so retailers and spirit providers learn what the new generation expects and adapt in response. In a highly competitive market, my project aims to address how a brand can establish itself and be competitively unique, on-trend, and long-standing. …

Designing Visibility: Addressing The Hidden Curriculum For First-Generation Cal Poly Students Through Graphic Communication, Issac Enrique Cervantes

Graphic Communication

First-generation college students often encounter invisible barriers in higher education, including unspoken terminology, institutional practices, cultural norms, and academic expectations that are rarely made explicit but are essential for student success. While this information is frequently transmitted informally through family networks or prior exposure to higher education, first-generation students, particularly those from historically marginalized communities, often lack access to these channels. As a result, students may experience confusion, a reduced sense of belonging, and inequitable academic outcomes.

This senior project investigates and addresses this gap using inclusive graphic communication and user experience (UX) design principles. Through semi-structured interviews with stakeholders …

Why We Must Commune: Rethinking The Role Of Marketing Communications In Turbulent Times, Javier Garcia

Publications and Research

“Communications” is often thought of as a noun, representing the messages we receive on a daily basis from people, brands, and institutions alike. 

"Communications" is also often associated with an industry that exists to produce such messaging in service of capitalism, with a commercial or otherwise actionable outcome desired from its receiving audience. 

This presentation, hosted by two-time CCNY graduate and senior marketing communications professional and Assistant Professor Javier Garcia, will examine the urgency and opportunity in rethinking the value and study of marketing and communications. 

In his presentation, Professor Garcia will offer suggestions on how to guide students towards …

Brute Force Branding: Variations & Repetitions Of The Almighty Dollar Banknote, Rui-Long Monico

Artl@s Bulletin

Abstract: This paper examines the U.S. dollar as a global brand and mythic icon, revealing how its stable aesthetic asserts dominance and infiltrates daily life. Through visual analysis and global comparison, it shows how banknotes are battlegrounds where art, identity, and geopolitics collide—currency as a weapon of soft power and cultural hegemony. The dollar’s visual inertia—ritualized, repeated, reappropriated—cements its supremacy as a symbolic force, where repetition enforces authority and variation sparks both resistance and conformity. Banknotes emerge as tools of statecraft and vessels of collective memory, as reflected in the author’s bespoke creation accompanying this study.

Résumé: Cet article analyse …

It Takes A Village: Residents’ Perceptions Of Mount Prospect’S Place Branding, Jenna Strauss

Masters Theses

The Village of Mount Prospect has heard a fair share of negative critiques about the village’s branding; however, officials have not yet taken the initiative to rebrand. As stated by a village official, the village needs to understand what residents think about the branding before considering a rebrand. This knowledge offers valuable insight into what branding elements are liked/valued by residents, but also whether a rebrand would cause resistance or a mini crisis. Place branding literature highlights that residents determine the authenticity of a place brand (Braun et al., 2013), so Mount Prospect officials seek to make future branding decisions …

Swimming In Uncertainty: Filling Data Gaps And Providing An Educational Platform For Beach Water Quality At Tybee Island, Georgia, Lukas Roberson

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

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Swimming in beaches water contaminated with high levels of bacteria can make you sick. Current monitoring at the public beaches on Tybee Island consists of weekly monitoring and enumeration of fecal indicator bacteria that takes 24 hours for results. If the number of bacteria exceed regulatory limits, a public health advisory is issued, and affected waters are retested until …

Data Storytelling For Reputation Management: A Multiple Case Study Of Formula 1, Patagonia & Spotify, Michael O. P. Lowsley-Williams

Student Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigates data storytelling as a reputation management strategy by examining how organizations leverage data narratives to enhance brand identity, build stakeholder trust, and reshape public perception. Through analysis and comparison of three qualitative case studies of Patagonia, Formula 1, and Spotify, this research explores how these companies construct and utilize data-driven narratives to address reputational challenges across distinct industry contexts. Drawing on elements of framing, situational crisis and stakeholder theories as well as the concepts of encoding and decoding, this study analyzes narrative structures, framing devices, and audience engagement tactics within reports, campaigns, and multimedia content from 2015-2025. …

The Graphic Shift: Leveraging Superhero Graphica To Un-Ban Critical Conversations In The Secondary English Language Arts Classroom, Avery Clason

Department of English: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This thesis investigates the challenges that books are receiving during an era of social and political turmoil based on their content. Understanding why these books are polarizing for most readers and the general public is in direct connection with finding different books that can harbor the same conversations about dense topics and cultivating connections between students, the text, the world, and themselves. While there has been a search to find alternate books that are not considered "political flashpoints,” there has been limited research into the use of superhero graphica in the ELA classroom, especially in connection to utilizing this genre …

Investigating The Relationship Between Noun Classes And Plant Folk Taxonomy In Chasu Language Of Kilimanjaro Region In Tanzania, Peter Rabson Mziray

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

The current study investigates the relationship between noun classes and plant folk taxonomy in Chasu (G 22). The study focuses on two objectives: the first objective is to describe the plant folk taxonomy in Chasu and the second objective is to determine the relationship between noun classes and plant folk taxonomy in Chasu. Data were collected from rural villages in Same and Mwanga districts by using free listing, field interviews (jungle-walk-and-identify), and written texts containing Chasu plant names. The findings reveal that Chasu folk taxonomy reflects different ethnobotanical categories; including a unique beginner which is mmea/mimea ‘plant(s)’, and three life …

Strategic Branding: The Critical Role Of Brand Strategy For Successful Branding Initiatives, Sara Virginia Abell

Senior Honors Theses

In the increasingly saturated world of branding, the ability to rise above the noise and establish meaningful connections with an audience is essential. This thesis explores the relationship between brand strategy development and successful branding outcomes. An initial review of relevant literature is conducted, focusing on the importance and creation of strategy. Further consideration is given to the unique challenges associated with rebranding efforts. The practical impact of brand and rebrand strategies is underscored through case studies across varying contexts. Following this, the implementation of strategy is discussed, with an emphasis on the role of design elements and principles in …

A New Era Of Zines: Taking Lessons From The Past To Combat Intellectual And Political Fascism, Catherine Kane

Book Publishing Final Research Papers

Zines have long functioned as a way to circumvent the traditional gatekeepers of news, art, mainstream narratives, and publishing. They are largely non-commercial, and their emphasis is to put the means of production and distribution directly into the hands of the individual. Although their roots are in DIY, proletariat culture, they are now the subject of study in museums, libraries, and higher education, and have been co-opted by big brands, media outlets, and publishing houses—the institutions they originally sought to undermine.

In their most authentic form, zines have represented free thinking and speech, while giving individuals and communities a rallying …

Generative Ai (Genai) For Co-Creating User Personas, Douglas Strahler

Proceedings of the New York State Communication Association

Integrating Generative AI into communication courses can really enhance the development of user personas, making the process smoother and encouraging critical insights into audience analysis. This G.I.F.T.S. presentation shows how tools like ChatGPT can support students in developing user personas while encouraging creativity and efficiency for the students. Students will be creating two personas, one human-created and one that is AI-generated, followed by conducting a comparative analysis of similarities, differences, and any potential biases. The activity underlines basic competencies in the development of user personas and ethical considerations that prepare students for the responsible use of AI with a full …

Visual Narrative Through The Wimba Approach In Tahilalats Comic With Campaign Theme Bersama Stop Judi Online, Rangga Pangkuluhur Gumelar, Basnendar Herry Prilosadoso

Bahasa dan Seni: Jurnal Bahasa, Sastra, Seni, dan Pengajarannya

Comics, as a medium for conveying ideas and concepts through imagery, integrate textual and visual elements to construct meaning and communicate messages effectively. Their distinctive visual communication enables the delivery of complex social issues in an accessible manner through characters, panels, layouts, and visual representations of sound and dialogue. This study analyzes the Tahilalats comic (2024 edition), which incorporates the hashtag #bersamastopjudol as part of a visual campaign against online gambling addiction. The narrative is presented entirely through images without verbal language. The research applies Primadi Tabrani’s Wimba theory to decode visual language and Roland Barthes’ semiotics to interpret symbolic …

Ddx219.2 Social Media Content Creation Example 6, Sae University College

Exemplars

This project involved creating a cohesive suite of social media content tailored to the student’s chosen creative project. The work is exemplary for its consistent visual style, platform-specific content design, and alignment with the strategic goals defined earlier. Additionally, the student demonstrated strong collaborative skills by providing thoughtful, constructive feedback to peers, reflecting both creative and professional growth.

Ddx219.2 Social Media Content Creation Example 7, Sae University College

Exemplars

This project involved creating a suite of social media content tailored to the student’s chosen creative project. The work is exemplary for its consistent visual style, platform-specific content design, and alignment with the strategic goals defined on Project 1.

Ddx219.2 Social Media Content Creation Example 4, Sae University College

Exemplars

This project involved creating a cohesive suite of social media content tailored to the student’s chosen creative project. The work is exemplary for its consistent visual style, platform-specific content design, and alignment with the strategic goals defined earlier. Additionally, the student demonstrated strong collaborative skills by providing thoughtful, constructive feedback to peers, reflecting both creative and professional growth.

Ddx219.2 Social Media Content Creation Example 5, Sae University College

Exemplars

This project involved creating a cohesive suite of social media content tailored to the student’s chosen creative project. The work is exemplary for its consistent visual style, platform-specific content design, and alignment with the strategic goals defined earlier. Additionally, the student demonstrated strong collaborative skills by providing thoughtful, constructive feedback to peers, reflecting both creative and professional growth.

A Study On Student Experience In Graphic Communications 1040/1 Summer Accelerated Course, Wren A. Dudley

All Theses

The Department of Graphic Communications at Clemson University offered a 10-day accelerated summer course for students enrolled in Graphic Communications I. This study involved a small sample size, with only four students enrolled in the course, limiting the distribution of data. To evaluate its effectiveness and help determine whether the course should be offered in the future, the researcher asked students to complete a course experience survey. Based on student feedback and survey results, the researcher concluded that the department should continue offering this course. Students identified the flexible class schedule and small class size as key factors contributing to …

Evaluating Gamified Website Designs: An Analysis Using The Octalysis Framework, Menna Mohamed Zakaria, Reem Alasfoury, Nesrin Ezzat Gamal, Maryet Youssef Bekhit

Journal of Art, Design and Music

In today's fast-changing digital landscape, websites must stand out to gain and retain user attention. Gamification techniques, which use game-design concepts to improve user engagement and satisfaction, are a method to achieve this uniqueness. This research investigates the significant role of purposeful design in the effective application of gamification on websites, emphasising the importance of deliberate and balanced context-specific implementation of gamification By examining industry-leading websites that employ gamification using the Octalysis framework and related theoretical frameworks The findings highlight that, while gamification has the potential to dramatically distinguish the website and boost user interaction and loyalty, its performance and …

Aurela App Mockup – Discreet Drug Detection Wearable, Piper Ferch

Graphic Communication

Aurela is a discreet drug detection technology jewelry brand, and the wearable will connect to the app to tell users if their drink is safe when they test it with the jewelry. Drug-facilitated sexual assault is a deep rooted societal issue, and Aurela works to empower customer’s control of their safety. The brand was created by my beach volleyball teammate Addie Bounds, and my project aims to show how the app would provide fast, accessible information to users, in an easy-to-read and streamlined format. It will include a map feature, that displays ratings of local businesses, likely bars, given by …

New Tsg Processes: Improving Workflow Efficiency Through Desktop Ux/Ui Design, Evelyn Guzman Ramos

Graphic Communication

This senior project is focused on improving the equipment handling processes for the Technical Service Group (TSG) in the Electrical Engineering Department at Cal Poly through the design and development of a user-friendly desktop application. The goal is to create an intuitive and efficient interface tailored to the needs of student staff and faculty, reducing the time and complexity associated with current manual and outdated systems. The design will prioritize usability, accessibility, and task efficiency, key pillars in User Experience (UX) and User Interface (UI) design for desktop environments (Nielsen & Budiu, 2012). This user-centered approach emphasizes desktop-specific interaction patterns …

Srh Lab Case Study: Ia, Mental Models, And Website Labels, Trista Wang

Graphic Communication

This paper discusses the results of a research study investigating Cal Poly students’ mental models regarding the Sexual and Reproductive Health Lab’s (SRH Lab) website. Mental models are beliefs that the user has about a website and how it functions, which affects how users interact with the website (Chan 2024). By tailoring its website to students’ mental models through appropriate nomenclature, the SRH Lab will be able to better engage and disseminate information to students.

52 students participated in a card sorting study, in which they were asked to intuitively sort cards labeled with SRH Lab website labels into different …

The Kinship Of Creatives, Saba Saif Ur Rehman

MFA in Illustration & Visual Culture

This research essay contends that artists and creative individuals must recognize their agency in shaping societal narratives, particularly during times of technological and political upheaval. The essay draws on the insights and contributions of visionaries like Walter Benjamin, Ursula K. Le Guin, and Tomm Moore to emphasize the power of imagination and creativity in addressing real-world issues. It argues that previous technological advances have often reinforced hierarchical and oppressive systems, benefitting a select few while neglecting the masses. As we enter the fourth Industrial Revolution, this essay calls the artists to reclaim their tools from being co-opted for exclusionary and …

Illustrating Identity: Ethel Reed’S Art Posters And Women's Claims To Public Space In Fin-De-Siècle Boston, Miranda R. Knofczynski

School of Art, Art History, and Design: Theses and Student Creative Work

Much scholarship has uncovered the history of women illustrators during the late nineteenth century. The rebuilding of these lost histories calls for research which theorizes women’s contributions to the burgeoning arts scene of the fin-de-siècle. This thesis will examine the posters Ethel Reed created for different companies during the height of the 1890s poster craze and discuss how she articulated women in public space in them. Reed’s art offers an aestheticized yet feminist visualization of women engaging in leisure activities such as exploring the city, reading, or attending the theatre. Many have described the women in her posters as merely …

Quick Response Codes In Extension Outreach Communications: Insights From A Visual Content Analysis And Educators’ Perceptions, Kobina Danful Fanyinkah

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Increased smartphone use presents an opportunity to enhance the creative inclusion of Quick Response (QR) codes in extension outreach efforts. Tailoring extension programs to communicate with specific audiences has been identified as essential, highlighting the need for targeted and context-specific strategies. The development of QR code technology has provided a unique approach that allows extension professionals to target clientele with specific extension messages and programs. While extension has a commendable record in educational delivery through traditional forms of outreach, research on how best to employ digital tools with extension audiences is thin at best. Though the rising popularity of QR …