Master of Science (MS), Ohio University, 2021, Journalism (Communication)

In recent years, the positioning of streetwear in the fashion sector has changed. Therefore, it is of interest to understand how streetwear brands achieved this image transformation, specifically the role visual art plays in the image communication of streetwear brands that prefer to engage in a business to consumer relationship with their audience. This work is rooted in the field of strategic communication and aims to provide qualitative insights from an internal company perspective into the streetwear sector. Because this topic depends on internal information to reveal contexts as well as issues of purpose, this research utilizes qualitative expert interviews with streetwear brand owners and creative directors. Results include brand owners describing how art changed the perception of streetwear in the fashion industry, and findings indicate that brand positioning and branding can be identified as the branches with the most extensive application of visual art in the communication strategy. Furthermore, results reveal categories that illustrate how the integration of visual art serves the brand community.

Committee: Elizabeth Hendrickson Dr. (Committee Chair) Subjects: Communication; Fine Arts; Marketing

Master of Technical and Scientific Communication, Miami University, 2011, English

This report describes my internship with Chesapeake EcoCheck, a science communication program located in Maryland. Through discussions about EcoCheck, its parent organizations, my overall role as an intern, and a major internship project, I provide a context for EcoCheck's pursuit of science literacy. Generally understood as “any specialized knowledge with a claim on the public's attention and understanding,” science literacy is an objective feature of EcoCheck's products because it intends to enable the informed engagement of resource managers and the general public in scientific issues. (Paisley, 1998, p. 72) EcoCheck's use of visual communication displays (VCDs) provides the basis for a visual science literacy that not only reduces the scientific complexity of a message but also encourages civic responses to that message. In particular, I explore the revelatory function of conceptual diagrams—i.e., how they help interpret, complete, and broaden existing knowledge sets—in core products such as report cards.

Committee: Jean Lutz PhD (Committee Chair); Paul Anderson PhD (Committee Member); Mark Boardman PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Technical Communication

MFA, Kent State University, 2024, College of Communication and Information / School of Visual Communication Design

Conflict resolution is evolving as an academic field of study, with many new developing theories and practices. Interpersonal conflict comes from interactions between people with real or perceived opposing goals, resources, or viewpoints. From there, people naturally react somewhere on a spectrum of the five conflict styles: competing, collaborating, compromising, accommodating, or avoiding, depending on their level of concern for their needs vs their concern for others' needs. Misunderstanding or miscommunication of these needs and concerns creates significant barriers to conflict resolution. In doing so, individuals may not understand or address the roots of their conflict. For successful conflict resolution, those involved must clearly identify and communicate their issues, reach an understanding, and collaboratively develop solutions to address the sources of that specific conflict. This process relies on communication and collaborative problem-solving. Visual communication design is a valuable resource for problem-solving, sharing information, and providing perspective. There are significant components of conflict resolution based on communication and awareness of an individual's needs and concerns. Miscommunication is a significant barrier in conflict resolution when individuals believe they understand the other without having all the information or understanding concerns and needs from the other's perspectives. Design can play a crucial role in displaying clear communication while creating a user journey to guide through the numerous layers that factor into conflict. Design can create a visual impact to influence new understanding and awareness on both conscious and unconscious levels. This is done by creating new perspectives or motivations through organization and visual messaging to best impact a desired goal. Utilizing interaction design as a tool for communication, can design resolve issues with miscommunication or misinformation as it pertains to navi (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Jessica Barness (Committee Chair); Sara Koopman (Committee Member); Ken Visocky O'grady (Committee Member) Subjects: Communication; Multimedia Communications; Personal Relationships

Master of Arts in Rhetoric and Writing​, University of Findlay, 2019, English

The disconnect between computer-mediated communication (CMC) and face-to-face (F2F) communication has been blamed on the absence of visual and physical nonverbal cues. As a result of the heavy lack of visual and physical interaction, previous research has deemed that F2F provides a richer environment for communication overall (Carter, 2003; Byron & Baldridge, 2005; Kruger J, Epley, Parker, & Ng, 2005; Kalman, Scissors, Gill, & Gergle, 2013). Despite some claims suggesting CMC will never be as fluid nor as rich as F2F (Carter, 2003; Byron & Baldridge, 2005; Kruger J, Epley, Parker, & Ng, 2005), communicating online through the use of various modes such as emoticons, nonverbal vocalizations, memes, stickers, kaomoji, color, and video are here to stay and only enrich CMC. Using a combination of the aforementioned modes, Internet users converse online using textual and visual means which resemble F2F nonverbal cues. Emoticons, nonverbal vocalization, and memes serve as substitutes for F2F nonverbal communication in CMC contexts. This body of work aims to analyze digital nonverbal cue use on Twitter by users of different languages.

Committee: Christine Tulley PhD (Committee Chair); Harley Ferris PhD (Committee Member); Christopher Medjesky PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Communication; Foreign Language; Mass Communications; Mass Media; Modern Language; Multimedia Communications; Rhetoric; Sociolinguistics; Web Studies

Master of Science (MS), Ohio University, 2013, Journalism (Communication)

This thesis examines persuasive differences between the same fictional narrative, presented as a comic book or as text-only short story. In an experiment, the two conditions delivered a series of persuasive messages embedded within the fictional narrative. Participants were tested on strength of belief for the persuasive messages and several indicators of narrative transportation including character identification, personal relevance, perceived vividness, and counter-arguing. Results indicated character identification was most pronounced in the text-only condition. Differences within gender and age groups were identified in character identification, experience taking, and counter-arguing. The relevance of digital design principles in the creation of persuasive communication for electronic devices is also discussed.

Committee: Jatin Srivastava (Committee Chair); Craig Davis (Committee Member); Keith Markman (Committee Member) Subjects: Experimental Psychology; Mass Communications; Multimedia Communications; Social Psychology

MDes, University of Cincinnati, 2008, Design, Architecture, Art and Planning : Design

Design research is defined more by qualitative than quantitative methodology. A design research literature review reveals a dearth of examples related to the use of the scientific method and quantitative methodology. Qualitative and quantitative studies are complementary and necessary to the growth and validation of a field of study. Over-reliance on qualitative research approaches to the exclusion of quantitative approaches undermines the importance and legitimacy of the design profession. The purpose of my thesis is to explore the use of quantitative methodology in the design process by conducting an experimental research study. The pilot study employs a quantitative approach to evaluating the effectiveness of a graphic design process as applied to a computer-based, interactive program for the communication and understanding of medication risk information by patients and the effects of health literacy and numeracy. The results of the study illustrate that the application of quantitative methodology to testing visual and information design formats shows promise in contributing useful information to the design decision-making process. The primary implication of incorporating quantitative methodologies into design research and practice is an educational one. My research shows quantitative methodology has an important and appropriate place in design research, education and practice though it is currently underutilized.

Committee: Peter Embi MD (Committee Chair); Mike Zender MFA (Committee Member); Mark Eckman MD (Committee Member) Subjects: Design

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2012, Communication Studies

Microlending through online venues has introduced a new model of lending through web 2.0 communication technologies. I examined micro lending through online venues – such as kiva.org, MicroPlace.com, and ACCION.org. The theoretical framework is based in Critical Cyberculture Studies and Critical Development Communication using visual analysis (Brummet, 2010; 2011; Mirzoeff, 2009; Nakamura, 2008; Olsen, 2007; Sosale, 2007) as my method, which is supplemented with interviews. I draw in part from visual rhetoric to inform my critique of the interplay of visual images, symbols, texts, and other elements in the microfinance web sites. On the home pages of Kiva.org, ACCION.org and MicroPlace.com, I analyzed the layout, including visuals and texts on their respective homepages. I examined the communication processes in these web 2.0 portals, because while some sites may indeed empower the poor, other sites may be disempowering to the poor. Kiva, ACCION, and MicroPlace thus reproduce issues of race, identity, and representation online, becoming discursive and rhetorical spaces where race and identity are produced and reproduced in various forms (Nakamura, 2002). Understanding the representations of third-world identities/bodies on micro lending sites is important. Also, global development initiatives such as kiva.org, MicroPlace.com, and ACCION.org have wide reaching ramifications; thus, the notion of empowerment of the poor, as reflected on the web portals of kiva.org, MicroPlace.com, and ACCION.org, bears scrutiny.

Committee: Radhika Gajjala PhD (Committee Chair); Lynda Dixon PhD (Committee Member); Ellen Gorsevski PhD (Committee Member); Shannon Orr PhD (Other) Subjects: African Studies; Banking; Black Studies; Business Education; Communication; Economics; Entrepreneurship; Ethnic Studies; Gender; Gender Studies; Health; Labor Economics; Mass Communications; Mass Media; Sub Saharan Africa Studies

Master of Fine Arts, The Ohio State University, 2007, Graduate School

Committee: Not Provided (Other) Subjects:

Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 2007, Graduate School

Committee: Not Provided (Other) Subjects:

MDES, University of Cincinnati, 2024, Design, Architecture, Art and Planning: Design

Legally blind individuals who can still use their smartphones need a better designed weather alert system because weather emergencies are becoming more common. Using a trend analysis relevant data was pulled from the space before analyzing the current system in place for Wireless Emergency Alerts. From there a survey was compiled to find the best practices for designing an alert for Visually Impaired individuals of which seven responses were received. Currently, in regards to those with visual impairment, the system of notifications in place is not an effective system for emergency alerts. Alerts for people with visual impairments should be high-contrast alerts with a capitalized message in a san-serif typeface. Implementing the use of a full-screen alert should also be carefully considered as well as the current source of this research is directional and needs further results to be collected.

Committee: Brigid O'Kane MFA (Committee Member); Todd Timney M.F.A. (Committee Chair) Subjects: Design

MFA, Kent State University, 2023, College of Communication and Information / School of Visual Communication Design

This thesis explores the relationship between design thinking methodologies and corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives. The work includes a case study of a national advertising campaign conducted by the author, a designer for Bellwether Enterprise (BWE), examining the transformative and adaptable nature of design thinking in shaping marketing projects. It emphasizes its influence on the perception and strategic direction of CSR efforts within the company. The research comprises two main themes: the examination of design thinking methods and their impact, and the exploration of CSR in terms of internal employee engagement and external effects on client relationships and business growth. The paper highlights how CSR enhances brand development with design thinking as a guiding framework, focusing on audience understanding, value proposition definition, and the creation of a visually and verbally coherent brand identity. The second section of the thesis centers on BWE's "Working Together" advertising campaign, celebrating a decade-long partnership with Enterprise Community Partners. The campaign involved in-person interviews with residents in affordable housing communities across the United States, emphasizing visual storytelling through documentary-style short films, portrait photography, written content, a microsite, and a 3D online exhibition. The paper evaluates the campaign's effectiveness, discussing outcomes, addressing challenges, and offering recommendations for future content creation using design thinking principles. The project aimed to authentically depict the experiences of affordable housing residents, contributing to BWE's CSR initiatives. The author's application of design thinking principles facilitated creative and innovative engagement strategies, aligning the campaign with the needs of both the organization and its audience. This thesis serves as a comprehensive exploration of the transformative potential of design thinking wh (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Jessica Barness MFA (Advisor); Ken Visocky-O'Grady MFA (Committee Member); Sanda Katila MFA (Committee Member) Subjects: Communication; Design; Marketing

MFA, Kent State University, 0, College of Communication and Information / School of Visual Communication Design

This thesis investigates the practices of female designers affected by Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The inadequacy of research on female designers with ADHD in academia propels the study. Women with ADHD are often left undiagnosed until later in life due to their distinct presentation, while men tend to be diagnosed during childhood. Significant life events, such as pursuing higher education or conducting thesis research, may lead a woman to pursue a diagnosis. This thesis seeks to employ design research methodologies to examine the intersection between female designers and the late diagnosis of ADHD. Historically, ADHD research has been largely focused on hyperactive boys, leading to gender inequality in the discourse on ADHD. However, women and girls tend to exhibit different ADHD symptoms. This research aims to foster dialogue on the combination of female designers and ADHD, with a view to appreciating their unique perspectives and impact on design and, at the same time, advocating for their recognition as an asset to any team. Additionally, this research contributes to developing AI and virtual assistants that provide essential external structures for female designers with ADHD by proposing a conceptual application that utilizes research results and AI to create a virtual assistant to aid female designers with ADHD in reaching their full potential.

Committee: Jessica Barness (Advisor); Aoife Mooney (Committee Member); Ken Visocky O'Grady (Committee Member) Subjects: Artificial Intelligence; Design; Higher Education; Psychology; Womens Studies

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2023, Agricultural Communication, Education and Leadership

Chipotle Mexican Grill is one of the top fast casual restaurant chains in the United States. The brand is popular among a growing base of Gen Z consumers. One of Chipotle's defining characteristics throughout its marketing materials is an emphasis on sustainable ingredients and responsibly-raised meat. However, Chipotle has also drawn criticism from the agricultural community for its depictions of conventional agriculture. As a result, it is of interest to understand how Chipotle's use of visual storytelling may shape its corporate reputation among a Gen Z audience with both agricultural and non-agricultural backgrounds. The study focused on two examples of Chipotle's visual storytelling: the 2011 short film A Future Begins and the 2021 short film Back to the Start. A conceptual lens was implemented to illustrate the effect of visual storytelling on the three facets of corporate reputation—personality, identity, and image. Gen Z college students at The Ohio State University were recruited to participate in focus groups where they watched both short films and discussed their perceptions of Chipotle as a corporation. A total of 13 students participated in the focus groups, with two focus groups comprising agricultural majors and two focus groups comprising non-agricultural majors. Focus group transcripts were analyzed with the assistance of MAXQDA 2022, and emergent themes about participants' perceptions of both short film and impacts and Chipotle's corporate reputation were recorded. The study found that neither agricultural iii nor non-agricultural participants were particularly moved by Chipotle's visual storytelling in either short film. However, non-agricultural participants had more positive views of Chipotle sustainability and animal welfare messaging, while agricultural participants had negative views of Chipotle's depiction of conventional agriculture. All participants felt that the short films could have been improved by the use of real visuals/stories, st (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Joy Rumble (Committee Member); Emily Buck (Advisor) Subjects: Agriculture; Communication

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2022, Political Science

My dissertation comprises (1) the development of a machine learning framework that combines verbal and visual features together, models the intricate web of relationships between them, and extracts visual semantics, and (2) the application of a deep learning and a transfer learning framework to extract emotions from social media posts. This dissertation consists of three papers as follows. The first paper introduces a machine-learning visual framing analysis to examine the visual and verbal patterns of online news reporting and explore image-text relations in news stories. The second paper presents a machine-learning multimodal framing analysis to integrate the various types of data (e.g., image, text, and metadata) simultaneously and extract the semantic meaning from them together. The third paper is an application of a deep learning and a transfer learning to show the power of Twitter in providing fine-grained measures of real-time emotions and thereby offer a comprehensive overview of the role of emotions in voting participation. My dissertation can take into account various types of data simultaneously and extract politically meaningful semantics using computer vision, NLP, graph theory, high-dimensional statistics, and transfer learning.

Committee: Skyler Cranmer (Committee Chair); Janet Box-Steffensmeier (Committee Member); Robert Bond (Committee Member) Subjects: Communication; Computer Science; Political Science

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2022, Agricultural and Extension Education

Food security, also known as having proper access to food to live a healthy life, affects more than 10% of individuals in the United States (United States Department of Agriculture [USDA], 2021b). Other than government aid, to combat food insecurity, various food banks and charitable food organizations such as Feeding America, Why Hunger, and Share Our Strength, provide food and other resources (USDA, n.d.-b). Marketing and communications, as well as brand identity, plays a role in how these organizations operate and raise awareness (Carboni & Maxwell, 2015; Chapleo, 2015; Phethean et al., 2013). However, these organizations' communications are typically not as successful as for-profit corporations, and there is a gap in literature about the effectiveness of these charitable food organizations' marketing efforts (Quinton & Fennemore, 2013). There is a need to better understand these organizations' communications to inspire work with their organizations, which could also lead to a broader response to food insecurity in the U.S. The current study aims to better understand how to improve charitable food branding and communications, as well as how it can influence support for their work. For this study, Gen Z was chosen as the population since these individuals are known as being “digital natives,” leaning more progressive, and preferring online learning (Fontein, 2019; Parker & Igielnik, 2020, para. 4). The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of charitable food organization branding on college students' support of charitable food organizations—specifically through volunteering, donating behavior, and advocacy efforts. This study used the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), color theory, and semiotics to craft treatments similar to social media images from charitable food organizations (CFOs). There were four treatment groups, all with the same verbiage, but all using either color or no color or with an icon versus an image. Findings suggested Treatment 3 (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Joy Rumble Dr. (Advisor); Annie Specht Dr. (Committee Member) Subjects: Agricultural Education; Communication

MDES, University of Cincinnati, 2022, Design, Architecture, Art and Planning: Design

Visual communication designers use place branding to enhance the perception of and attachment to neighborhoods. While this can help neighborhoods grapple with obtaining external funding and attention, scholars across disciplines have scrutinized place branding, naming potentially harmful effects, including gentrification. These effects are partly due to visual communications designers being ill-equipped in these fluctuating and variable places. This exploratory study calls attention to the complexity inherent in branding a neighborhood and provides the beginnings of a neighborhood-centered design methodology for visual communication designers as they enter these spaces. This study uses five ethnographic methods: interviews, online survey, photovoice, visual ethnography, and mini-workshops. Together the methods collect 148 instances of participation within Cincinnati, Ohio's East, West, and Lower Price Hill neighborhoods to examine a neighborhood-centered design methodology. Additionally, the visual ethnography gathered 800+ traces of visual communication design across the neighborhoods. The analysis method utilizes eighteen quality of life themes derived from local responses to reveal patterns in qualitative data. Results showed idiosyncrasies across the methods, and demographic descriptors (neighborhood, age, race/ethnicity, and quality of life), which back up the study's proposition that branding a neighborhood is complex. One of the most critical insights is the need for multiple methods for inclusive representation and closer proximity to neighbors. Some methods are better at achieving this than others. The risks are high when branding a neighborhood, and the task is precarious and highly political. Instead of reducing the community to one concept, a neighborhood-centered design methodology—nine rules of thumb and eighteen cues—guides designers toward many projects that amplify existing needs, desires, and efforts from the bottom up. Doing (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Matthew Wizinsky M.F.A. (Committee Member); Stephanie Sadre-Orafai Ph.D. (Committee Member); Claudia Rebola Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Design

MFA, Kent State University, 2021, College of Communication and Information / School of Visual Communication Design

More than 800 golf courses in the United States have closed in the last ten years. That number is significantly larger than new courses opened. This thesis seeks to analyze how visual communication design helps to entice the millennial age group to participate in on-course golf play. The research focuses on millennial's feelings towards golf, what drives them to participate in new activities, and finally, how can visual communication design help to entice millennials to play golf. The secondary research focused on millennial habits, social media, content marketing, user-generated content, and other golf-specific statistics. To gather more of the needed data primary research was conducted through a series of surveys focusing on millennial participants. Through the use of secondary and primary research, this study aims to help not only the struggling golf courses but also to inform designers in what ways design can be used to get a millennial audience to try a new experience.

Committee: Sanda Katila (Advisor); Jessica Barness (Committee Member); David Roll (Committee Member); Ken O'Grady Visocky (Other) Subjects: Communication; Design

MFA, Kent State University, 2019, College of Communication and Information / School of Visual Communication Design

The rapid growth of municipal solid waste (MSW) is considered one of the serious environmental issues that our planet Earth is facing, and packaging waste contributes to an extensive part of municipal solid waste. Our increasing level of concerns and awareness about environmental issues has influenced many industrial corporations to incorporate sustainability principles into their packaging designs. However, while these companies put much effort into developing innovative technologies and materials to manufacture their sustainable packaging, developing compelling visual communication methods is overlooked in order to effectively interact with consumers about their sustainability development. Corporations and designers need to acknowledge that implementing effective signs is as critical as developing methods or materials for sustainable packaging to resonate with many consumers since they are ultimately the end-users of the packaging. Visual and verbal signs on packaging have a major role in branding products and communicating with consumers. Therefore, signs such as logos and labels on packaging can be a tool to promote the value of sustainable packaging and educate consumers on the importance of sustainability. Educating consumers is essential in order to modify their purchasing and consuming behavior to be environmentally responsible, which consequently help reduce preventable waste. This thesis is an investigation into developing compelling visual and verbal signs on sustainable packaging to effectively communicate with consumers to enrich sustainability in our society. The findings of this thesis provide insights into consumer needs and difficulties toward sustainable packaging and sustainability signs. This study also broadens the knowledge base of designers and corporations creating a successful visual communication on sustainable packaging, and its significance in modifying consumer behavior.

Committee: Jessica Barness (Advisor); Aoife Mooney (Committee Member); David Middleton (Committee Member) Subjects: Communication; Design

Master of Arts (MA), Bowling Green State University, 2019, German

This thesis highlights the ways in which Bertolt Brecht's concept of epic theatre pertains to video games, more particularly, visual novels. Digital drama and romance genres (aka “dating simulators”) are known for their “realism” for their ability to make the player feel as if they are interacting with real people. Yet, the deceptiveness is their apparent inability to replicate fully the kinds of social interactions a person can have. The plot structure oftentimes is also rather simplistic: the goal of these games is that the player gets the girl of their dreams, despite any hardships. The horror game Doki Doki Literature Club (2017) by game developer Dan Salvato challenges these genre shortcomings and aspire to make productive, I will argue, a Brechtian notion of epic theatre. Salvato had a love-hate relationship with visual novels. To him, visual novels were nothing more than “cute girls doing cute things” where any tragic backstory or character arc is just another objective the player must overcome to make the girl of their dreams fall in love with them. Like Brecht, Salvato wants to destroy the illusions created by visual novels and shock people into reflecting about such illusions. He created Doki Doki Literature Club, a horror game disguised as a dating simulator, which takes a critical look at issues such a mental health that visual novels often gloss over and treat as plot points in the story.

Committee: Edgar Landgraf Ph.D. (Advisor); Kristie Foell Ph.D. (Committee Member); Clayton Rosati Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Germanic Literature; Mass Communications; Mass Media

Master of Fine Arts, The Ohio State University, 2018, Design

This research is an investigation of interactive data visualization systems, methods, and techniques, guided by a practice-led design research process, case study applications, and qualitative user research. The study specifically documents the design process of interactive data visualization applications developed to illuminate the environmental effects of the Syrian War, using interaction design techniques which are a powerful tool to map complex events and dynamic situations. Design, ethnic culture, and environmental issues have informed this thesis study, guided by design for social change. The preparatory work on dance and digital design contributed to the technical understanding needed for this project, which has become practicing Interactive Data Visualization: Applications Used to Illuminate the Environmental Effects of the Syrian War. As a designer from Turkey, I believe I have a responsibility to use creative means to facilitate social development and change. My aim was practicing methods of data visualization through case study applications to reveal long term impacts of urban destruction caused by the Syrian War. As a Turk who has closely observed the impact of wars in the Middle East region. Data visualization applications were created with a report from the PAX for Peace Organization. My first case study application was presented in a 3-dimensional construct, enabling viewers to interact with data through touch technologies. My second application was an interactive webpage designed with the same data set in a simpler layout. To assess the applications, usability testing was implemented to compare and analyze the possible improvements and future applications of the user interfaces. The intent of gathering feedback was to discover whether data visualization, interactive interfaces, and design-thinking methods have the potential to improve understanding, communication and innovative thinking by enhancing the effectiveness of the delivery of complex, (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Brian Stone (Advisor); Maria Palazzi (Committee Member); Yvette Shen (Committee Member) Subjects: Design