Tag Archives: PW@MSU

Design Inspiration, Lisa Shaw – Part 2

beyondwords would like to welcome back guest blogger, Lisa Shaw. Lisa earned a degree in Professional Writing from Michigan State University and a certificate in book publishing from the University of Denver.  Lisa is currently teaching English to students in Busan, South Korea. This guest post is the second in a two-part series of design inspiration.

Be sure to check out Part 1 of Lisa’s guest post!

Simple and colorful — if there was a theme to the bulk of my pictures from South Korea so far, that would probably be it. Design inspiration can come from anywhere, and I’ve found that lately, mine has been coming from shapes, colors, and more natural elements.  So, here are some of my top picks! Topping my list is definitely the snapshot of the lotus flowers in the doorway to a historic temple. The contrast of pink and green against the shadowed room, the curve of petals, and the aged detail designs on the door itself…

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1). ocean wake after our ferry pulled out of the terminal on its way to Geoje Island;

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2). lotus flowers in the doorway of one of the halls at Bulguksa (historic Buddhist temple) ;

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3). on a walking tour of Busan, we passed through the Daeti Tunnel;
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Design Inspiration, Lisa Shaw

beyondwords would like to welcome our newest guest blogger, Lisa Shaw. Lisa earned a degree in Professional Writing from Michigan State University and a certificate in book publishing from the University of Denver.  Lisa is currently teaching English to students in Busan, South Korea. This guest post is the first in a two-part series of design inspiration.

Be sure to also check out our In the Workplace interview with Lisa!

On my first full day in Korea, I set out on a mission for apartment essentials. For anyone who’s done their fair share of traveling, you can probably guess my methods for acquiring said items — deducing all I could from the pictures on the packaging and hoping for the best.  Soap and laundry detergent were easy enough (women smelling clothes, women smelling their hands), and really any hollow cylindrical item can be used as a trash can.

Upon the realization that we needed bleach, however… well, I was anticipating a headache and wishing I had brought my “Say it Right in Korean!” translator book to Family Mart. But then, just as the clouds parted and the angels sang, I saw — Clorox! Absolutely none of the packaging was in English, but there was no doubt in my mind that the white bottle with the simple blue and red label contained one of the most powerful cleaning agents known to man. After adding the bottle to my cart, I silently praised Clorox for their brilliant branding that I had never consciously noticed before.

That said … this  set of photos is comprised of a few examples of the typography, logos, and branding that I’ve noticed while walking and shopping around the streets of Busan.

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1) matching bag & box, perfect packaging for sweet barley bread (a delicacy of Gyeoungju).. you can’t see the details, but the beige background is also textured with flecks of light brown, the same color as the barley image;

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2) signage that works in all languages… particularly effective is the PB (Paris Baguette) + Eiffel Tower — whenever you see the Tower, you know tasty pastries are nearby;

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3) a bar that uses great fonts;

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4) I have no idea what this logo is for, but I love the shapes and colors;

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5) all neighborhoods in Busan have uniquely designed manhole coverings — this is one of my favs, in Nampodong;

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6) Clorox bleach, SoKo-style.

Caught on tape: PW @ MSU

The Viva PW website recently published video interviews with Dànielle DeVoss, Director of Michigan State University’s Professional Writing (PW) program.

The videos cover:

  • skills developed in core PW classes
  • types of careers available to PW students
  • types of media a PW student will use
  • what distinguishes PW from other writing-based majors
  • how PW alums have found their training useful

Check out the videos to see not only what MSU’s PW program offers students, but also to get some excellent language on what professional writing is and why professional writers are essential.

For example, one of the videos includes a great quote from Marissa Hayes, MSU PW alum, about what professional writers do:

“Professional writers can efficiently communicate both onscreen and in print through writing, design, and style. Professional writers have the ability to thoughtfully support their decisions and methods through clear and concise interpretations and explanations. Our experience with visual and document design, rhetorical principles, web authoring, and a range of writing in different contexts makes us more cultivated professionals.”

Head over to the student-produced Viva PW site for more information about professional writing skills and careers.

Write Here, Write Now Recap

So last night was the MSU Professional Writing Program Town Hall meeting on finding communication job opportunities in Michigan. All in all it went well – there was a good crowd attending, there were knowledgeable professionals on the panels, and the students asked smart and important questions. Public speaking is not my forte (I prefer to write!) and I left feeling like there was a lot more I wanted to say – more practical tips and advice for finding writing jobs in Michigan.

So here it goes – These are questions that were on the panelist preview [opens as pdf in new window], but not directly asked at the town hall.  The answers are expanded versions of my notes that didn’t make it into the discussion:

Q: How are professional writers playing a part in revitalizing the Michigan economy?

Take a look at what the city of Detroit is doing. The Metro Detroit Convention and Visitors Bureau’s Tourism Economic Development Council has spent the last couple years working on the relaunch of the ”D-Brand” – or embracing Detroit for what it is and selling it as hip, edgy, and cool in the hopes to attract tourists and in turn investors who can create jobs. It’s people with PW skills who are helping to shape this re-branding effort – and in turn helping to bring in new business and create other jobs for the rising creative class.

Lansing should be taking a close look at what Detroit is doing and trying to replicate the plan. Take a look at Old Town Lansing – this area has seen considerable growth and prosperity in the last few years. There are no less than 8-10 design/media/marketing firms right there within blocks of each other. Research these organizations. Old Town is also home to several non-profits. Visit their web sites and see who is hiring.

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Marketing Michigan

Tomorrow night I am going to be a panelist for the Michigan State University Professional Writing Program’s town hall meeting, Write Here, Write Now. In preparation,  this weekend I read over all of the student reports about the history of the program, the impact of the Cool Cities Initiative, and why many recent grads choose cities like New York and Chicago over Lansing or Detroit. The students certainly impressed me and they have all done a fantastic job researching and reporting the issues. 

As I read the conclusion of “Greener Grass: Why Graduates are Leaving Michigan to Seek Job Opportunities Elsewhere” I was struck by the authors’ notion that “[p]laying up the positive and progressive sides of Michigan’s hotspots has the potential to change the rhetoric of Michigan.”

This statement instantly reminded me of a presention I attended hosted by the Public Relations Society of America Central Michigan Chapter on the re-branding of the City of Detroit. A quick Google search brought up an article from Metro Mode about the re-branding efforts that are aiming to not only make Detroit a tourist destination, but also an attraction for investors looking to find an employable, up-and-coming “Creative Class”:

The idea is that what’s good for selling the region to tourists is good for selling the region to investors and talented people, which is good for business. Plus, if you’ve got a healthy economy and a region full of young, creative workers, then you’ve got a place that’s attractive to visitors.

So far, things seem to be looking up for Detroit. The DIA has seen an increase in attendance, major movies are being made in the city, and the Life Sciences just may become one of Michigan’s core industries. All in all not bad. So what does this mean for professional writers? My advice for recent grads is to look carefully – each of these organizations or industries needs communicators, whether in print or online, opportunity is growing in Michigan.

Editor’s Note: Check out Richard Florida’s book on the Creative Class for more information.

Write Here, Write Now

MichiganIs Michigan the right place to start a career in professional writing? Are there opportunities in Greater Lansing for you? Is the transformation of Michigan’s economy likely to help or hurt the prospects for professional writers?

To address these questions, students from Intro to Professional Writing classes in the PW program at MSU will be hosting Write Here, Write Now: A Town Hall Meeting on Tuesday, November 18 at 7:00 p.m. in 107 S. Kedzie Hall on the MSU campus.

This interactive and informative event will bring together Michigan policy makers, MSU faculty, and professional writers to discuss concerns facing the state of Michigan and jobs in the future for today’s professional writing students.

Two moderated panels, each with representatives from local government, the university, and the professional writing community will address questions posed by Professional Writing majors, as well as questions from the audience.

Courtney Chapin, Field Career Service Coordinator for College of Arts & Letters, MSU Career Services and Placement, will lead the first panel discussion about the current state of the job market for professional writers.

The second panel, “What does the future hold?”, will be led by our very own Lindsey Latour, MSU graduate, M.A. in Digital Rhetoric & Professional Writing, and beyondwords co-author; and John Monberg, MSU Professional Writing faculty and engaged scholar in Community Development and Urban Renewal.

This free event is a great chance to engage with other professional writers in Michigan and stay up to date with the field of professional writing, so be sure to mark your calendars!

Write Here, Write Now: A Town Hall Meeting
Tuesday, November 18
7:00 p.m.
107 S. Kedzie Hall
Michigan State University

Survey: Where are the MSU PW Alumni Now?

Are you a graduate of the Michigan State University Professional Writing Program? 

We encourage all MSU PW alumni to take a few minutes to help the program and complete a survey by giving future graduates ideas about career opportunities with their Professional Writing degrees.

The survey is called “Where are the MSU PW Alumni Now?” and will be used in a Town Hall meeting of professional writers and Michigan policy makers.

Your responses will remain anonymous. The final report, including the results of this survey, will be available after November 18.

¡Viva PW!

When we launched beyondwords and crafted our blog philosophy, we made sure to start off with the question professional writers are so often asked: What is professional writing?

This is a question we are constantly finding new ways to answer, and it turns out that we aren’t the only ones.

Students at Michigan State University recently tackled this question in Professor Suzanne Webb’s Introduction to Professional Writing class. The result? A fantastic website, Viva PW, that covers professional writing genres, skills, and jobs.

Viva PW

As an alumna of MSU’s Professional Writing program, the creative welcome spoke directly to me:

So you have decided that the Communications department is a bit too …um… verbal for your liking, and that English is just… unmarketable. There is always the prestigious Journalism department, but it just seems so… constricting. Fear not! We too were once rogue writers like yourself, until we joined forces and pens in the Professional Writing Revolution. ¡VIVA PW!

Check out the site to learn more about the Revolution and witness for yourself the amazing job done by these professional writing students.