Course Design
Selected courses.
Please click through the “more information” buttons for each course to see examples of student design work.
Technical Design
Required course, 3 credit hours, one section with ~13 students
The objective of this junior-level course course is to teach students to develop technical packages for overseas garment production using Microsoft Excel, Adobe Illustrator, Optitex PDS, and 3D body scanning including virtual fit samples in 3D, markers, and physical prototypes. The coursework is implemented through a semester-long team project that follows the theoretical principles of problem-based learning that relates the course content directly to an applied project and sustain student interest and motivation. The students follow a user-centered design method and conduct first-person consumer research to identify a relevant design problem and develop an innovative apparel-based solution with a full complement of technical specifications.
Fashion Illustration
Required course, 3 credit hours, one section with ~15 students
Starting in Fall 2018, I have been teaching fashion illustration 100% digitally using Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator. Students no longer learn hand illustration, which I believe is a better reflection of the apparel industry. Students in this course learn to 1) create concept and inspiration boards; 2) create croquis figures with a unique aesthetic; 3) illustrate fashion figures with fabric textures and shading, and 4) develop detailed technical sketches in Adobe Illustrator communicate the technical details of the fashion illustrations. In this course I encourage students to develop illustrations and croquis figures that are diverse and representative of a variety of consumers. Students use these skills throughout the rest of their academic career.
Patternmaking
Required course, 3 credit hours, one section of ~17 students
In this sophomore-level course, I teach introductory pattern making using a flipped-classroom model. I flipped the course content in an effort to match the content delivery pace with a variety of student learning speeds. To do this, I developed demonstration videos that students watch to complete the patternmaking exercises. In doing so, students are able to pause, rewind, and replay my instruction. During class time, students watch the videos, work at their own pace, and have individual interactions with me. The first 8 weeks of instruction is delivered through videos and in-class sewing demonstrations and the last 8 weeks is to complete the final project. For the final project, students incorporate laser cutting into their designs. The objective of the final project is to develop four garments (two blouses, a skirt, and a pant) that make a thoughtful statement regarding the power of fashion to empower positive social change, reflecting MU’s commitment to developing a culture of diversity and inclusion.
Draping
Required course, 3 credit hours, one section of ~15 students
In this second-level pattern making course, students learn draping. The course covers block development, experimental draping techniques, and a dress and tailored jacket projects. From 2016 - 2017 I co-taught this course with Dr. Jean Parsons where I was responsible for the first 8-weeks of technical skill development. In this course, we used an experimental free drape project to transition from exercises to the final projects. We found this to be a fun way to prime students’ creativity for the rest of the semester final projects.
Digital Textile Design
Required course, 3 credit hours, one section of ~15 students
Students in this sophomore-level course learn to design original digital textile prints in Illustrator and Photoshop and have the option to print their original designs on fabric using the department’s digital textile printer. The course covers block, half-drop, tossed and engineered prints. Students create prints for multiple productions settings including rotary screen printing and digital textile printing. Also in this course, I introduce Optitex 3D to visualize print placement on avatars and existing garment patterns. In addition, students develop a professional website in this course. I help students plan a website that showcases their design philosophy and select content to expand on their strengths. Students are required to publish the projects they develop in this course and I strongly encourage them to include content from their other design courses. Students are encouraged to view their website as a dynamic document that will be the basis for their professional digital portfolio at graduation.
Introduction to fashion design
Required course, 4 credit hours, two sections of ~ 12 students
At Cornell, I taught two sections of FSAD1450 LAB, freshman-level beginning apparel construction course, under Dr. Anita Racine. As a means to give TA's experience in teaching, Dr. Racine gives her assistants nearly complete autonomy over the lab that supplemented her lectures. Through this course, students learn apparel construction and finishing techniques by means of a a sample notebook and final project which was a two-piece children's wear outfit.