Summary
During my graduate study, I volunteered as the Social Media Coordinator for the Human Computer Interaction Organization (HCIO) at SUNY Oswego. The objective of the club is to foster networking opportunities with students in the Human Computer Interaction program. I produced a wide range of materials, such as posters, social media posts, and even stickers. It was a phenomenal experience where I learned how to quickly make flexible graphics to meet the fast-paced social media landscape.
Responsibility
My work began with researching other university club social media accounts and learning about campus outreach policies for SUNY Oswego. From there, I used Adobe Express to create templates that I quickly spun into graphics and retooled for different sizes and platforms. When ready, I presented the marketing materials to my colleagues for review before posting on Instagram or LinkedIn.
When distributing posters on campus, I went around and put them in areas where students could easily see them. The campus also provided TV screens in each building that I submitted digital posters to campus administrators for display. For some of our workshops, I produced informational flyers that provided notes on the presented materials.
Deliverables
Social Media Posts
I picked a loud style that used high contrasts to cut through the mold. These graphics presented the announcements in bold type and drew attention to the exciting events of the club.
Workshop Flyers
Some of the flyers I made were used in the club workshops, which became a big hit. These flyers served as dual purpose. They had information from the workshop so that patrons could take the notes with them. At the same time, the bottom of the flyer had advertisements for our future club events. Some patrons even took extra copies to give to others, spreading our word further.
Stickers
As part of brainstorming new methods of advertising, I created stickers for our members to stick on the back of their laptops. These stickers were based on humorous interpretations of usability theory concepts. Each sticker included the social media handle of the organization to promote the club and members loved them.
Reflection
Producing for the social media landscape is an entirely different animal from what I was taught during my study of interaction design. Content for social media needs to be rapid fire and attention grabbing enough to get viewers to act. With this in mind, I learned how to keep pace, stay organized, and developed solutions to stay on brand while maintaining the level of quality our club members expected of us.
On top of that, I learned that people love physical things. Even something as simple as a flyer is cherished and used a cornerstone for a workshop. The information provided on the flyers gave our members an excellent start on building website and preparing the resumes for the industry. The stickers I designed brought our members together to network and connect. Who doesn't like a free thing?