By Olivia Gacka, PhD Student
At a recent workshop on building your online presence, I had the opportunity to learn more about a resource on our campus that all graduate students can stand to make use of. DesignLab is a UW-Madison consulting service that is free to all students and offers a wealth of knowledge in digital design. But until recently, I didn’t realize just how many areas DesignLab’s services apply to! Here are just a couple of things you can tap DesignLab’s experts for help with:
- For now: If you have a project or assignment that’s freaking you out because it involves video recording, audio production like podcasts or music editing, research posters that you have to figure out how to design AND print, or presentations with visual aids, DesignLab can help with all of that! They have tons of online resources to guide you in making the best design choices to share your ideas, or just to help you figure out where to go to get the materials you need like equipment.
- For later: DesignLab can also help you as you look to the future. They have resources to help you prepare materials for your job search or for things like fellowship applications so you’ll stand out from the crowd. DesignLab also offers consultation and insight into building a website to showcase your resume, how to establish a memorable brand, and even designing business cards!
- For others: If you’re teaching this or any semester and want to assign a video, audio, or otherwise digital project, DesignLab can help you with implementing that into your syllabus and they can provide support to your students when the time comes. There is an entire section in the DesignLab website on what they offer to UW instructors!
In addition to the online resources I’ve attached above, DesignLab also offers one-on-one consultations so you can get direct support and help for whatever it is you’re looking to accomplish. Whether it’s a presentation you really want to sell, a project in a new medium you’re unfamiliar with, or wanting to make sure you enter the workforce with your best foot forward, DesignLab is a campus resource all graduate students can make great use of!
Tips for Grads is a professional and academic advice column written by graduate students for graduate students at UW–Madison. It is published in the student newsletter, GradConnections Weekly.