Course schedule — Spring 2026

Assignment due dates at a glance

Total points before final: 520 pts

Week-by-week schedule

Week 1: January 20-22 — Introduction & digital literacy

Class expectations, student interests, and the basics of working with a computer.

• Tue: Syllabus review, course expectations, student interest survey, introduction to the final project
• Thu: Digital literacy — keyboard shortcuts, browser extensions (uBlock Origin, OneTab, password managers), file types (.txt, .md, .html)
• Reading: “Your Media Business Will Not Be Saved” by Joshua Topolsky

Week 2: January 27-29 — Information needs & the Cluetrain Manifesto

Understanding media markets and why authentic communication matters.

• Tue: Information needs, the “shiny new thing,” and analyzing media ecosystems
• Thu: The 95 theses of the Cluetrain Manifesto — corporate communication, humor, and authenticity
• Due Thu, Jan 29: Academic engagement verification
• Due Thu, Jan 29: Read the Cluetrain Manifesto (25 pts)

Week 3: February 3-5 — AI tools & design principles

Assignment protocols, AI usage, and the fundamentals of visual communication.

• Tue: AI usage policy, assignment submission protocols, the “Schrödinger’s Document” strategy
• Thu: Design principles — contrast, hierarchy, alignment, balance, whitespace, rhythm
• Tools: Gemini (best value via Google One), Claude (technical tasks), Canva Pro (.edu signup)
• Due Tue, Feb 3: Cluetrain Manifesto media analysis (35 pts)

Week 4: February 10-12 — Poster critique & slide deck design

Applying design theory in practice.

• Tue: Alien propaganda poster presentations and live critique — hierarchy, borders, rule of thirds
• Thu: Slide deck design, the 6x6 rule, final project overview
• Due Tue, Feb 10: Alien propaganda poster (50 pts)
• Due Thu, Feb 12: Design a slide deck that doesn’t suck (50 pts)

Week 5: February 17-19 — Final project kickoff

Introducing the capstone and starting research.

• Tue: Final project overview — multimedia campaign for a real or fictional organization
• Thu: Project selection strategy — SMBs over large brands, shared Google Drive setup
• Focus: Research dossier structure — competitor analysis, SWOT analysis, audience mapping

Week 6: February 24-26 — Personas & campaign strategy

From research to strategic planning.

• Tue: Customer/user personas working session — demographics, pain points, daily routines, media habits
• Thu: Campaign strategy — goals, strategies, tactics, KPIs, messaging/CTAs, content calendars, “tombstoning” risk
• Due Tue, Feb 24: Research dossier (35 pts)

Week 7: March 3-5 — Copywriting foundations

Writing with clarity and authority.

• Topic: The “solutions lens” — critiquing industry problems without being toxic
• Reading: Selections from On Writing Well by William Zinsser (Simplicity and Clutter)
• Due Thu, Mar 5: Campaign strategy (75 pts)

Week 8: March 7-15 — SPRING BREAK

NO CLASS

Week 9: March 17-19 — Copywriting workshop

Practicing persuasive and clear writing.

• Topic: Voice, tone, and adapting to different platforms
• Workshop: Drafting and peer review of copywriting assignments
• Due Thu, Mar 19: User/customer persona (75 pts)

Week 10: March 24-26 — Visuals for the web

Designing for the feed and the article.

• Topic: Blog posts, featured images, and aspect ratios
• Workshop: Canva best practices for high-resolution assets
• Due Thu, Mar 26: Critical copywriting (100 pts)

Week 11: March 31 - April 2 — Social graphics & accessibility

Creating standalone assets that convert.

• Topic: Social cards, call-to-actions (CTAs), and the necessity of alt text
• Focus: Designing for accessibility and mobile screens

Week 12: April 7-9 — Branding & consistency

Ensuring your organization looks the same everywhere.

• Topic: Style guides, branding kits, and defining visual rules
• Activity: Building the “instruction manual” for your brand
• Due Thu, Apr 9: Featured images + social graphics (75 pts)

Week 13: April 14-16 — Final project workshop

Bringing it all together.

• Topic: Integrating all your assets into a cohesive package
• Workshop: Peer review and troubleshooting

Week 14: April 21-23 — Final project polish

Refining deliverables and preparing to present.

• Topic: Final refinements and presentation prep
• Focus: Ensuring all links work and assets are polished

Week 15: April 28-30 — Final presentations

Course wrap-up.

• Activity: Final project presentations

Week 16: Finals period

• Due Mon, May 4: Final project: Multimedia asset package (~40% of grade)

Check the registrar for your assigned final exam time slot.

Class meeting dates

January: Tue 1/20, Thu 1/22, Tue 1/27, Thu 1/29

February: Tue 2/3, Thu 2/5, Tue 2/10, Thu 2/12, Tue 2/17, Thu 2/19, Tue 2/24, Thu 2/26

March: Tue 3/3, Thu 3/5, Tue 3/10, Thu 3/12 (Spring Break), Tue 3/17, Thu 3/19, Tue 3/24, Thu 3/26, Tue 3/31

April: Thu 4/2, Tue 4/7, Thu 4/9, Tue 4/14, Thu 4/16, Tue 4/21, Thu 4/23, Tue 4/28, Thu 4/30

Total: 28 class sessions