DATA SCIENCE CO-OP
STUDENT HANDOUT
tools & Skills
Skills: Design, Ideation, Marketing, Writing
Tools Used: Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign, Adobe Photoshop
overview
The objective of this project aims to increase student's understanding of the Co-op program specifically targeting those of the Data Science department. Additionally, this handout also aims to increase student's engagement to participate in the
Co-op program.
design rationale
Data Science department follows stricter guidelines than most of the other Co-op department. Therefore, the design associated with the program must be formal and the content must be kept succinct. However, the objective of this project is to increase student engagement. Therefore, I have decided to incorporate formal designs using images of students at SFU, but also present it in a way that is eye-catching to students while keeping the written content as precise as possible.
SAMPLE 1
FRONT PAGE
BACK PAGE
SAMPLE 2
FRONT PAGE
BACK PAGE
SAMPLE 3
FRONT PAGE
BACK PAGE
SAMPLE 4
FRONT PAGE
BACK PAGE
FINAL DESIGN
FRONT PAGE
challenges
overall experience
BACK PAGE
I faced a few challenges while creating the Data Science Student Handout for the Co-op program. However, the biggest challenge I faced was balancing the content with the design. I didn't want text to overwhelm the entire handout. However, I want the design to grab students' attention. Of the samples presented above, although the written content was presented in a clear manner, the design looks similar to the existing ones with the exception of different photos and layout. However, with so many handouts looking similar, it's hard to warrant attention from students.
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To overcome this challenge, I conduct research on previous handouts that were done for other faculties. Additionally, I experimented with different tools on Adobe Illustrator. I created shapes with different sizes as a way to frame the written content. I was instantly inspired by the use of shapes and overlay effects as ways to add some 'spunk' to the handout. As I was putting together the final product, I realize that not all the written content would be able to fit onto the shapes created. Therefore, I shortened some sections of the text and eliminate information that might not be of interest to students. In the end, I removed a paragraph introducing the Co-op program because that information is already available on the Co-op website.
This project has taught me a lot, not only in aspects of design, but to think outside the box. As you can see, the 4 samples above look strikingly similar to one another. However, by using different tools and techniques on Illustrator, I was able to creatively incorporate the use of shapes to make these handouts stand out! Additionally, by thinking outside the box, I was able to come up with a creative solution while adhering to the formal guidelines of the project.
Disclaimer: some images may be blurry due to conversion from PDF to images.
Please contact me directly if you'd like to view the master file.