Online tutorials, alumni interaction engage students

Creatively adapting to remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Pennsylvania College of Technology graphic design student chapter of AIGA has launched tutorials on YouTube and are hosting graphic design alumni Zoom talks.

Although initially intended as student-to-student sharing of various design tips and tricks, the short tutorials are also available for public viewing on the AIGA Penn College YouTube channel.

“Skillshares are essential in majors like graphic design, where the field is always evolving and technology is advancing,” said Alexandra “Ali” D. Petrizzi, president of AIGA Penn College and a senior graphic design student from Langhorne. “This event is meant to educate peers and enhance student engagement. Even as a graduating senior, I’ve learned something from all of the tutorials posted that will help me as a student and in my future career path.”

Initiating the event, Petrizzi asked AIGA Penn College executive board members to create and post tutorials first, and then encouraged graphic design seniors to follow suit. The activity is ongoing. So far, the short video lessons have covered skills using Procreate and Adobe XD, InDesign, Illustrator and Photoshop, and received over 300 views.

The initiative was honored as New Program of the Year by Penn College’s Student Engagement office as part of its 2020 Student Leadership and Involvement Awards.

On April 24, about 40 graphic design students attended a Zoom talk with Ainsley R. Bennett, ’17. Bennett is a senior designer and illustrator at Equator Design, in Cincinnati. On May 1, Zachary G. Bird, ’16, will be the featured alumnus. Bird is a designer/art director at Two by Four, in Chicago.

The alumni discuss how their agencies are working and creating content during the COVID-19 crisis.

AIGA is the oldest and largest professional membership organization for design with over 70 chapters and more than 18,000 members. Founded in 1914 as the American Institute of Graphic Arts, the organization is now known simply as AIGA and strives to advance design as a professional craft.

With Petrizzi spearheading the logistics, Penn College’s AIGA chapter became officially recognized this semester. She will begin work as a user interaction designer at Vera Bradley.

Content from PCToday https://pctoday.pct.edu/ April 29, 2020.