Work of RIT Multimedia Students Trumps The Apprentice

Debates in the boardroom. Teams led by project managers. Constant deadlines. No, it’s not an episode of the hit reality television show The Apprentice, but the reality of five months of work for some seniors at Rochester Institute of Technology. Nearly 100 students in the new media publishing, design and information technology program in the College of Imaging Arts and Sciences have finished designing comprehensive multimedia packages for eight not-for-profit agencies. The students will present their final projects from 2 to 4 p.m. on Thursday, May 12 in the Golisano College atrium.

The collateral materials the students have created for their “clients” include interactive Web sites, kiosks, brochures, business cards, newspaper advertisements, and coffee books. The agencies are Diametric Ensemble, Garth Fagan Dance, George Eastman House, Lifeworks, Pirate Toy Fund, Strong Hospital HIV Vaccine Trials Unit, Women’s Rights National Park, and YWCA of Rochester and Monroe County.

The national chapter of the YWCA is unveiling a new logo this week and the students had to keep that in mind when designing the promotional materials for the Rochester chapter. “It was particularly important for the students to capture the new national brand requirements, while at the same time allowing for a more personalized look that would also communicate how our local programs and services benefit the community,” says Ellen DiSano, vice president of marketing and development, YWCA of Rochester and Monroe County. DiSano adds, “There have been a number of vendors that I have worked with over the years that have not possessed the level of professionalism and courtesy that these students displayed.”

Creating interactive media tools was a top priority for some of the clients. Students designed an interactive educational Web site that demonstrates how an HIV vaccine works. The Web site was utilized as an educational tool at a recent international conference attended by doctors and hospital administrators. Another team of students working with George Eastman House created a kiosk and Web site targeted for children. And as a result of this five-month project, people that visit Garth Fagan Dance’s Web site can now take a virtual tour.

“The students take this class very seriously and are completely engaged with the clients and their specific needs,” says Twyla Cummings, associate professor in RIT’s School of Print Media. “The students work will be seen over and over again throughout the community, so it’s important to them to deliver quality work.”

MEDIA NOTE: The media is welcome to attend Thursday’s student presentations. Students will be available for interviews. For further information about the individual projects, please call Twyla Cummings at 475-5567.