Meet the February 2018 Technical Communication Cover Artists

The topic of changing standards in grammar and punctuation inspired the winning artists in Technical Communication’s February 2018 cover competition.

Stacha Yundt (cover illustration)



Stacha Yundt was born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, but travels whenever possible.  She completed undergraduate studies in creative writing and is now pursuing a Master’s degree in professional writing and a graduate certificate in marketing.  She is a graduate assistant with the University of Cincinnati’s International Office and helps to manage its social media pages and promote all events sponsored by the office.  She hope to continue working in social media management and marketing after completing her degree.

Stacha just completed her first semester of her graduate programs, which included her introduction to design.  Her supervisor with the International Office specializes in design and has been an invaluable resource, always available to answer a question or explain how to achieve a particular effect or aesthetic.

Stacha explains how she created her winning illustration:

When I read the theme for the February 2018 cover, a map instantly came to mind.  I had never created one before and so I spent an entire day teaching myself how to create the scene with tutorials and with plenty of trial and error.  The map was created entirely in Adobe Photoshop and the points of interest were built in Illustrator, then transferred to the map.

Once I was satisfied with the map, I sat down and identified four symbols of the various points of evolution in writing and the way that we write.  It took another full day to create each of the four icons—another design type I had never attempted before this project.  Because my supervisor specializes in flat style design, she was a great resource in my creating the icons and getting them to look just right.

This entire experience has been thrilling and a wonderful introduction to the professional sector.  I look forward to growing my skills and knowledge in the future as I continue to learn and design.

Stacha’s hobbies include kayaking, hiking, and spending time with her husband and their four cats.  She is available at hofsm@mail.uc.edu.

 

Amra Mehanovic (honorable mention)

Amra Mehanovic is an avid reader, designer, and communicator. Her newfound interest in linguistics, combined with her love of technology and typography, inspired her to design this illustration for Technical Communication. Her favorite design tools include Adobe InDesign, Illustrator, and Photoshop, and her favorite typefaces are Tahoma and Georgia. Amra has a Bachelor of Science degree in Technical Communication from the Missouri University of Science and Technology and is currently pursuing a Master of Science degree.

Amra offers this explanation of her illustration:

For the February 2018 issue of Technical Communication, I wanted to visually depict how the evolution of technology has played a role in changing the standards of grammar and punctuation. The main components of the image are the numerous letters cascading across the image. The different typefaces represent the various dialects and flavors of the spoken language. Also across the image are several icons placed in a seemingly random order that is actually entirely deliberate. Starting from the bottom, the images depict the early writing tools used to instill grammar and punctuation: a chalkboard, a letter, a newspaper, a stamp, and a typewriter. The next step in writing is depicted using the various forms of paper and books which allowed for the distribution of writing and, in turn, the spread of grammar. The third stage introduces technology and computers, which changed how grammar played a role in the digital age. Lastly, the top of the image includes icons of several popular social media tools that have again revolutionized writing and show how grammar has changed to fit the new forums. With every new written and technological evolution, the standards of grammar and punctuation have changed to adapt to the times.

Amra is available at anmb8d@mst.edu.

 

To view the February 2018 issue, please visit  www.stc.org/techcomm .

And, as a reminder, the deadline for upcoming submissions to the cover competition is 1 June.

For the August 2018 issue, the subject is rethinking ideas of audiences and users in technical communication.

For the November 2018 issue (a special issue on election technologies), the subject is technical communication, elections, and the role of technologies.

Cover illustrations might be diagrams, drawings, photographs, collages, infographics, cartoons, comic strips, or brief graphic narratives.

For either issue, please submit your cover illustration (approximately 20×20 cm or 8×8 inches) as a high-resolution (300 dpi or better) jpg file by 1 June 2018 to tceditor@stc.org with a brief explanation (100-200 words) of how your illustration addresses the cover subject.  A five-member international jury of specialists will organize anonymous review of the submissions and choose each issue’s cover illustration.  Honorable mentions will be published inside the journal.

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