College of Communication and Information
Read about the innovative programs, faculty expertise, and career opportunities at Kent State’s College of Communication and Information. Discover insights into fields like user experience design, library science, and health informatics. Learn how these interdisciplinary programs prepare students for dynamic, impactful careers in technology, communication, and beyond.
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In today’s fast-evolving media landscape, journalism educators play a pivotal role in shaping future journalists, helping them develop the critical thinking, writing, and ethical skills needed to succeed. Whether you’re a journalism teacher, aspiring educator, or working journalist looking to transition into education, Kent State University’s 100% online Master of Arts in Journalism Education offers a unique opportunity to deepen your expertise and make a lasting impact in the classroom.
In an era where digital content reigns supreme, the ability to produce, manage, and strategize media is more important than ever. Whether you’re interested in filmmaking, multimedia design, or media management, Kent State University’s 100% Online Bachelor of Arts in Applied Media offers a cutting-edge online program designed to equip you with the skills to thrive in today’s fast-paced media landscape.
Felesia McDonald, ’14 is an adjunct instructor in the iSchool, teaching courses in the 100% Online Master of Science in User Experience. McDonald is also the Sr Manager UX Design at Optum, a branch of UnitedHealth Group.
As one of the newest faculty members in the iSchool, Professor Dong Whi Yoo is encouraging students to see the potential of interdisciplinary research.
Kelsey Pytlik serves as an adjunct professor for the Kent State University School of Information, teaching courses in UX, UX principles and concepts, principles of interaction, and more.
Health informatics is a vast and rapidly growing field that encompasses many areas of the healthcare industry.
UX designer jobs are part of the fastest-growing career fields in the United States for reasons that should come as little surprise. Quality user experience design (UXD) can lead to an increase in site conversions of up to 400 percent,1 which can greatly impact brand loyalty and sales, and most web users say they won’t recommend a business with a poor mobile experience.
Knowing how to write a design brief can help drive an overall understanding of a project’s needs. A truly excellent design brief, however, bridges the terrain between a good idea and making it into reality. By effectively communicating all the essential environmental factors, requirements, constraints and needs of a design project, a brilliant design brief can energize all parties involved.
The term “telemedicine” describes the provision of remote medical assistance via telephone or video in times when a doctor cannot meet with a patient in person. Historically, with medical care commonly regarded as a practice that benefits most from in-person treatment for full efficacy, telemedicine has generally been considered a last resort. While industries outside of medicine enthusiastically embraced remote technologies throughout the 21st century, the adoption of telemedicine has been hindered by technological challenges, privacy concerns, high costs and a lack of perceived usefulness.1
Kent State University’s online Master’s in UXD program is proud to be accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD). The only accreditation agency covering the entire field of art and design that the United States Department of Education recognizes, NASAD has approximately 360 member institutions.1
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment in media and communication occupations to grow 14% through 2030, fast than the average for all occupations, and result in about 151,500 new jobs.1
Millions of people apply for a master’s degree program in the hopes of getting advanced education to improve their careers. In some career fields, a master’s degree is required for certain positions. In others, it’s good to have but not essential.
When people interact with computers they do so through interfaces. These interfaces are designed by humans, and in the optimal situation, they are user-friendly and easy to navigate. As more of us use computers and machines daily for everything from work to shopping and social interactions, user experience (UX) is more critical than ever before.
It used to be that computer programmers learned how to design a robust user experience on the fly, sometimes with minimum computer science training. Those days are long gone. Roles for self-taught Renaissance experts have largely given way to a number of specialized careers in programming and web design. One such career is the lucrative, in-demand field of user experience (UX) design.
Page layout design, also called page composition, combines eye-pleasing aesthetics with compelling text to communicate a message. However, perfecting the on-page user experience (UX) isn’t as easy as it sounds. Instead, human-centered UX designers rely on fundamental design principles to achieve their goals. Learn how the following design elements help create an effective page layout and why it matters to your users.
Drew Shipka works for the Office of Continuing and Distance Education and has helped improve online classes at Kent State University for over a decade. He leads a team of instructional designers whose primary responsibilities are developing fully online graduate programs. He earned master’s degrees in Philosophy from the University of Western Ontario, and Library and Information Science, and Information Architecture Knowledge Management from Kent State University.
The School Library Media K-12 online program at Kent State University provides the focus and adherence to ALA, CAEP, and Ohio Department of Education standards for those interested in pursuing a career in K-12 School Librarianship.
Alison Hayne’s first app design project had 6,000 users.
At first glance, Chello Elmi might seem like an unusual fit for a UXD program. She studied psychology as an undergraduate, but when it came time to earn her master’s, all she knew was she didn’t want to continue in a therapeutic or mental health field.
User experience design (UXD) is a strategic undertaking. At minimum, it requires a fundamental understanding of digital sociology and the principles of storytelling and website design. While UX designers are often exceptionally intelligent people, there are always ways in which they can improve their overall output.
Responsive Web Design (RWD) is the approach that suggests that website design and development should enable each site to respond automatically to a user’s behavior and environment—that is, whether that person is using a laptop, iPad, Android phone or other device, viewing in portrait or landscape mode, and so on.1 In the case of public displays, recent work also considers the viewer’s distance from the screen within the context of RWD.2
User Experience (UX) designers are highly sought after in a wide array of industries, from computer and software companies such as Apple, Microsoft and Adobe to popular websites such as LinkedIn, Google and Amazon. You can enjoy a highly paid career with an investment company, major retailer or entertainment firm.
Technology has changed almost every aspect of the way we live and work, including our approach to healthcare. Medical providers, clinical facilities and payers are increasingly adopting technology that can help them achieve the goals of higher-quality care at lower cost. Health informatics is a rapidly growing field, fusing the knowledge of technology with the desire to improve patient care. As the field grows, a competitive health informatics salary can be part of a fulfilling career.
Kent State User Experience Design (UXD) Instructor Kelsey Pytlik has an undergraduate degree from Miami University of Ohio and a master’s degree in User Experience Design from Kent State University. After her early career with creative agencies and e-commerce retailers, she became the sole UX designer for luxury furniture retailer Frontgate. She is now the CEO of Gild Collective, which is dedicated to empowering women through inclusion and leadership.
User experience design (UXD) lets you use your creativity, research skills and technological expertise to shape how others view the world. If you want to excel at building your UX resume, be prepared to impress employers with new ways to solve problems. You also need a skill set that’s grounded in UX fundamentals, yet shows synergistic capability.
The definition of “product designer” as a professional role can be a bit ambiguous. Job titles naturally change over the years as technology and culture change, and because creative professionals such as designers typically want to stand from their peers.1 The title “product designer” is one that has risen in popularity in recent years. Because the job responsibilities of a product designer can overlap those of similar roles such as a user experience (UX) or user interface (UI) designer, even people who work alongside them may not be sure exactly what the job of product designer entails.
If you’re wondering how to become a UX designer after years working in another field, Kent State University alum Brian Parsons, MS ’18, has one piece of advice: “Take on any roles you can with a UX-related title in them, even if it’s volunteering.”
Kent State online Master of Science in User Experience Design (UXD) student Kendra Jobes, MS ’19 candidate, has always wanted her work to make an impact on people. When her undergraduate degree in design led to an initial user experience job after college, she quickly learned that she enjoyed developing and using the artistic and technical skill set required for a UX role.
With a projected 10-year job growth rate of over 20 percent,1 the field of user experience (UX) design is exploding right now, and a graduate-level UX degree can help you get into the fast lane of this ever-expanding career track. If you’re forward thinking, curious about UX design trends and someone who thrives in a fast-paced and dynamic environment, you just might have what it takes to be a successful UX designer—at least according to Ben Woods, a UXD professional with nearly two decades of experience and a faculty member at Kent State University.