Hailing from the land of the Three Rivers,
Sara is a graphic design superhero who uses knowledge to thwart typographic tyranny and catch color-space criminals. By day she is a mild-mannered college instructor, trading in her cape for business casual at the Bradford School. She believes a solid foundation in graphic design history and theory, combined with sound technical skills, will help students fight graphic design misdeeds. Sara began her graphic design crime-fighting career in 2003 at Seton Hill University.
In June, 2016, Sara obtained her Master of Fine Arts in Media Design from Full Sail University.
Sara graduated as Valedictorian of her class with a 4.0 and several Course Director Awards.
She was also featured as Full Sail University's Student to Watch in January 2016's edition of GD USA.
She is currently working towards a Master of Science in Information Architecture and Knowledge Management with a concentration in User Experience at Kent State University.
After graduation, she worked as a design professional in Pittsburgh before returning to the classroom as an educator. As the primary instructor for her college level program, she has been responsible for program content, technical advancement, and student development. Sara hopes to continue to fight the good fight by remaining an educator and focusing on curriculum development that combines graphic design, integrated multimedia, and user experience design.
Philosophy
Technical
Prowess
Research
Recognition
Typographic
Intelligence
Teaching correct
file structure,
file organization, and correct naming convention.
Fostering an understanding of communication theory, font history, and proper usage.
Implementing proper research techniques and integration of fact finding exercises
Reliable &
Resourceful
Usability &
Functionality
Rationale &
Justification
Encouraging students to find viable information sources for solid research
Instilling efficient usability theories to create
user-friendly environments
Reinforcement of communication theory over frivolous decoration
User Experience
Lesson 1: User experience overview
Lesson 2: Sitemapping
Lesson 3: Prototyping
Deliverables: Three lesson plans, vocabulary worksheet, sitemap worksheet, mind map worksheet,
Adobe XD prototype, prototype walkthrough, and essential screenshots.
Adobe Photoshop
Creating a composition from stock imagery. Focus: Layer organization, paint techniques, blending modes, color manipulation, and photo compositing.
Color Theory
Psychology of color, scientific research behind color, and exploration of color relationships .
Deliverables:
PDF lectures
Adobe Animate
Creation of animated kinetic typography. Deliverables: wav file, Illustrator layout, Animate file.
Critique Technique
Guidelines and rules for critiquing peer projects to produce meaningful feedback.
Deliverables: PDF lecture
The Vegas House - Thesis project. Branding, logo design, audio assets, video assets, marketing mix, and merchandising. Created in Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign. 2016.
Penn Station - Classroom project, included in lesson plan section. Use of layers, brush techniques, paths, photo compositing methods, and proper stock photography usage. 2013-16.
The Vegas House - Thesis project. In-program advertisement for game time hockey program. Complete branding and advertising campaign created based on extensive research of the T-Mobile Arena and it's in-house promotions for fictional Vegas Hockey club. 2016.
Photoshop Lesson - Modified tutorial for instruction on layer styles, blending modes, and custom typography. 2013-2016.
The Bridge - Brand Brief - branding exercise. Research, logo development, and implementation of a non-profit, music museum and live music venue in Station Square, Pittsburgh. 2015.
Help Meowt Tee-Shirt - Logo design and campaign development for Best Friends Animal Shelter. Research and logo development.
Modeled by Henry Cat. 2015.
The Vegas House - House Rules layout - In-program layout for game program for the Vegas House, a fictional hockey team. Thesis project completed in Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign. 2016.
Snow Queen Order Menu- Branding exercise: creation of logos, narratives, unique promotion items, static and dynamic mood boards, merchandise, and radio spot. Created in Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop, Animate (Flash), and Audition. 2015-2016.
The Bridge- Research and branding project. Brand presentation for proposed music museum based off of the National Music Center in Calgary. Board, CD, CD card, and CD tray were laid out and photographed, along with vinyl records, drumsticks, 3D glasses. 2015.
Romeo & Juliet - Theater posters created in Photoshop and InDesign. 2016.
Snow Queen Logo - Logo development as part of total brand package. Created with extensive peer feedback. 3D prints created by Shapeways. 2015-2016.
Hell is a Lonely Place - Creation of three movie posters in three separate movie genres with a complete plot synopsis and explanation of imagery. This poster is a comedy based on the misfortunes of the devil and dating in a modern world. 2015.
Hell is a Lonely Place - Creation of three movie posters in three separate movie genres with a complete plot synopsis and explanation of imagery. This poster is a documentary investigating drug usage in the music industry. 2015.
Hell is a Lonely Place - Creation of three movie posters in three separate movie genres with a complete plot synopsis and explanation of imagery. This poster illustrates film noir. 2015.
Questions and Comments
If you have any questions, comments, or would like to reach me, please fill out the form below or email me directly.
I am typically in class or at school from 7am - 4pm.
I will do my best to return your call or reply to any communication as quickly as possible.
CONTACT INFO
Pittsburgh, PA
stinnick@gmail.com