Online Course Schedule for Fall 2023

Business Communications

Successful communication skills have become a critical management tool to thrive and survive in today's increasingly complex and fast-moving business climate. This hands-on, practical course teaches students to analyze, develop, and effectively communicate via all forms of business writing, presenting, visual storytelling, leadership, client management, and negotiating. This course covers the challenges of communicating across global organizations as well as the role that listening and emotional intelligence play in creating effective communication strategies.

Content Strategy

In response to changing consumer expectations, marketing has become less about paid advertising and more about providing value-added content to attract and retain customers. It is no longer acceptable to speak at customers; rather, they expect to be engaged in conversation around topics that they are interested in. Moreover, the addition of new web-based and social channels has created demand for large amounts of new content. Students in this course will work with clients to develop content tailored to a specific target audience. They will learn how to create a cross-channel content plan and build a portfolio of content samples for web stories, social media, email newsletters, and other channels.

Design Leadership

Design, as both a concept and a practice, has the ability to affect change within business and throughout society. Design Leadership focuses on approaches to problem-solving that are human-centered and guided by the underlying principles of design–a solution that is built within a given set of parameters–and of leadership–the stake one puts in the ground for a design solution. In this course, students will learn to build a design leadership practice by digging into the multiple dimensions of design leadership including empathy mapping, ethnographic research, and case studies of applied solutions to a set of “wicked design problems”. Upon completion, students will be able to lead cross-functional teams working on solutions for the wicked problems faced by brands, businesses, and social issues. This is a foundation course.

Note: Foundation course requirement for the DMC program. Design, as both a concept and a practice, has the ability to affect change within business and throughout society. Design Leadership focuses on approaches to problem-solving that are human-centered and guided by the underlying principles of design–a solution that is built within a given set of parameters–and of leadership–the stake one puts in the ground for a design solution. In this course, students will learn to build a design leadership practice by digging into the multiple dimensions of design leadership including empathy mapping, ethnographic research, and case studies of applied solutions to a set of “wicked design problems”. Upon completion, students will be able to lead cross-functional teams working on solutions for the wicked problems faced by brands, businesses, and social issues.

Design Management & Strategy

This course introduces students to design management concepts. Students learn to work at the intersection between visual design and business strategy. The course covers an overview of business fundamentals; students learn how to successfully manage a team and visual projects within visual communications and design industry, advertising and marketing, creative processes and business models, client relations and management, and business development and evaluation.

Note: Requires a 'B' or better as foundation course requirement for the DMC program.

Design Thinking

Design thinking is a creative way to problem solve. Through a series of design challenges, this course prepares students to lead teams in envisioning new ideas by using both creative and strategic skills and developing innovative solutions to real-world design issues.

Note: Requires a 'B' or better as foundation course requirement for the DMC program.

Dig. Analytics & Measurement

This course examines the processes for gathering, interpreting, and presenting compelling digital data. Students will learn to use digital public opinion polling, specialized reports, social media platforms, digital analysis tools, and news aggregators to explain market research, audience trends, and social conversations. Students will also create data visualization tools to streamline data presentation into succinct, engaging formats.

eCommerce Marketing/Management

Note: As more and more of the global economy has moved online, so too have consumers – leading to the steady rise of eCommerce and the gradual decline of traditional retail. As of Q2 2020, eCommerce represents about 20% of total addressable retail – and with thousands of Direct-To-Consumer (DTC) brands starting up as legacy brands invest in ever-more-complex eCommerce operations, there is little doubt that eCommerce as a share of retail will continue to grow. This course provides a comprehensive overview of the strategic and tactical considerations of eCommerce today – from platform selection and financial implications to customer acquisition, order fulfillment, customer re-engagement (including e-mail, texting), and data-driven product development. Both DTC (Shopify, WooCommerce) + and eCommerce via 3rd Party (i.e. Amazon, Kroger, Etsy) platforms are reviewed in-depth, along with considerations, strategies, and tactics for each. Case studies are used to illustrate how each approach to eCommerce succeeds or fails – as well as what steps can be taken by eCommerce managers, marketers, or other owners to minimize the risk of negative outcomes. The course will focus heavily on the interplay between financial metrics and marketing platforms, including leveraging data passback to support full-lifecycle campaign optimization and sustainable, scalable growth across core channels, including Google, Amazon, Facebook/Instagram, and Snap. Best practices for customer journey mapping, UI/UX considerations, and optimization will be covered, along with testing strategies. Learning Objectives Understand the most common eCommerce business model types, along with the strengths and drawbacks of each. Develop a comprehensive eCommerce strategic plan – including customer acquisition strategy, customer retention strategy, data-driven product development, and sustainable growth targets. Connect financial information to marketing systems, allowing for smarter and more profitable growth. Create, deploy + optimize marketing campaigns on core platforms, including Facebook/Instagram, Google, Amazon, and Snap.

Ethical Design

Visual communications and design professionals face ethical challenges that impact both personal and organizational integrity. In recognition of the overarching importance of sound ethical judgment in these fields, Georgetown MPS students start their program with a required core course in applied ethics. Students will gain a solid foundation in ethics and relate what they learn to their own professional situation through class discussions, case studies, and guest lectures conducted by industry experts. Looking at ethics through a professional lens, students are asked to explore their own values and are challenged to codify and commit to their own code of ethics in relation to a broad range of professional codes of conduct and best practices. Foundational concepts in ethics are woven throughout the program’s other courses and revisited throughout a student’s tenure in the program.

Note: This course requires a 'B' or better and is a core requirement of the DMC program.

In Search of the Big Idea

Note: The search for the "Big Idea" is part of the advertising legend. But how relevant is this quest in a time of data-driven decision-making? And how does this play out across today’s noisy media landscape? In this course, students will learn the communication building blocks of strategy, insights, and ideas. Starting with research-based insights that lead to a strategy, students will have the opportunity to flex their creative muscles to generate "big ideas.” At the end of the class, students will gain experience in balancing creativity with strategy in ways that will move audiences.

Psychology of Design

The Brand Concept

What is a brand? What is the definition of a great brand? Why do some brands survive generation after generation while others fail after a short shelf life? This course will explore the core principles of branding. You will learn how brands compete in an environment full of choices for consumers, and the tactics they employ to be best in class. Using a consumer-centric approach, you will learn how to think critically and creatively about measuring, sustaining, building, and defending brands in today’s competitive environment.

User Experience

Today, visuals need to engage customers by offering an exceptional experience that people can identify with, purchase, and enjoy. This course provides an overview of user experience (UX) design, the role of research in a design process, and UX design approaches, including archetypes, storyboards, customer journey maps, and empathy maps.

Visual Communications

In today’s digital world, it has become necessary for communicators to use visual tools to communicate ideas effectively. In this course, students learn how to research, apply and critique typography, color strategies, digital imaging, design principles, and visual trends. Students should have working knowledge of Adobe Creative Suites and other relevant computer programs prior to taking this course.

Note: Foundation course requirement for the DMC program.

Visual Persuasion & Promotion

Visuals can be a persuasive and powerful tool in communications. This course discusses effective strategies, tactics, and tools that are used to create persuasive and compelling visual content, messages, and products.