Behance
In the fall of 2013 I created the (then) Department (now School) of Design’s Behance portfolio page to raise the visibility of our students and the Department.
As a regional university gaining recognition for design excellence, it was crucial to elevate our students' work and our overall profile. Behance, Adobe's free online portfolio platform, proved to be the ideal solution. Using the multiple owner feature, students retained control over their posts, and the department curated the content it showcased.
Since we began posting work in late 2013 the Department’s page has received views and student
Since our debut, the School’s Behance page has garnered 344,570 views, and student work has been featured on esteemed platforms such as Package Design Served, The Student Show, AIGA Member's Gallery, Advertising Today, Packaging of the World, Neenah the Beauty of Letterpress, What the Pack?, and Toy Design Served. Numerous students have secured internships solely based on their Behance accounts.
This online portfolio initiative, coupled with the ‘Winner, Winner’ program, has notably boosted student confidence, leading them to submit work to other online exhibition venues—a phenomenon unimaginable just a year prior.
While the image of the Dust Bowl’s Judd family has faded from popular culture the feeling that Oklahoma is somehow lesser persists. Our efforts have shattered this mindset. Students, once hesitant to leave the state, now embark on international internships and accept jobs in cities like New Zealand, Kansas City, and Chicago. This profound shift in thinking reflects increased confidence and a transformed attitude.
I enjoyed Oklahoma and wanted students to stay; it's essential that they choose to stay out of preference rather than feeling compelled to stay due to perceived inadequacies.
