Based on ideas, design and experiential learning, IdeaBase is celebrating 10 years of being powered by Â鶹´«Ã½ students.
IdeaBase is a student design agency, part of the College of Communication and Information, that provides hands-on learning opportunities for students and co-curricular partnerships with faculty in the Schools of Media and Journalism and Emerging Media and Technology.
"Our students are getting great experience working with clients, working with each other on interdisciplinary teams — students with different majors — working with real timelines and real deadlines," said Kristin Dowling, director of IdeaBase.
The agency is celebrating its 10-year anniversary with a showcase of student work from over the years in the gallery on the second floor of the DI Hub through Oct. 26. A kickoff party was held Friday, Oct. 20, with current IdeaBase students and several alumni with some light refreshments and plenty of memories, laughter and graditude.
"It’s been amazing to work with the students in the classroom setting now," Dowling said. "We have community partners who allow our students to experiment over a full semester, and it can be very rewarding to see our partners benefit from the creativity of our students and our students benefit in multiple ways from the project. From the professional development to the networking, it’s really a win-win."
Using its "Discover, Design and Refine" process, IdeaBase focuses on providing real experiences for students using real organizations from campus and within the community. Sometimes it's a job. Sometimes it's for class. Powered by students and led by Dowling, the agency provides advertising, branding, copywriting, identity design, marketing research, Web design, usability studies, environmental design services and more.
Client partners have included Ametek, Kent State, Summa Health System, Northeast Ohio Medical University, Sherwin-Williams, State Library of Ohio and more.
Photos by Ryan Moore