West Liberty graphic design students to assist non-profit groups

WHEELING, W.Va. — Senior graphic design students at West Liberty University are taking a class to offer their skills to local non-profit organizations and start-up companies.

“The purpose for it is to allow our senior graphic designers to kind of ‘bridge the gap’ between being in the classroom and working with clients in a professional level,” said Jim Haizlett, the professor who teaches the capstone course.

Haizlett said the university has offered the class for the past 17 years as a way to provide services to groups who lack the funds needed to pay for a professional design service.

“I see it as a win-win situation because the students are really looking for that experience and these groups that need services are needing to present themselves in a professional way,” he said.

During the course, students learn everything from print, page layout, photography, digital illustration, website design and how to produce a television commercial.

Ultimately, Haizlett said the students will learn how to work with a client by contacting them, setting a schedule, setting an agenda and meeting with the client.

“I treat this as if it’s an actual client, which they are. They present ideas to solve problems and then at the end, the client receives a professional design,” he said.

The students are then evaluated by the client, then graded for the class.

“We don’t have any intent to take away any kind of professional design work that professional companies are out there doing, but it’s a niche that they may not even be interested in because the individuals don’t have much of a budget to do this sort of thing.”

Haizlett said most of their projects will be free of charge for a client. Some will be at a very low cost, depending on the service.

Kevin Childers, a senior graphic design student, said he took the class to gain hands-on experience he can use after graduation.

“The ability to take that class will give us the real experience we need for the working world and what it’s going to be like when we get out on our own whether it’s going to be working in a design firm, working freelance or anything like that,” said Childers.

Childers said he wants to help others and a big way to do that is by offering these services.

“With a lot of these non-profits and charity organizations it’s a way for us as artists to mostly give back to our community using our skills,” he said. “It’s also working as a way for us to better our skills.”

As for life after graduation, Childers said he wants to find a design firm to work for or do some freelance work.

Organizations benefiting from the program in the past include historical societies, children programs, museums, churches, schools, libraries, restaurants, town councils, small businesses, musical groups, theaters, art organizations, athletic groups and regional festivals.

Haizlett asks that interested organizations contact him to receive an application via email at jhaizlett@westliberty.edu. Project applications must be received by Sept. 10.

Find out more about West Liberty’s graphic design program by visiting their website.





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