Curriculum Vitae
Education
MFA in Design–Innovation Studies
Thesis: Where’s the Design in Design Research?
Advisers: Michael Gibson and Keith Owens
BFA in Design Communication
BA in English–Creative Writing
Professional Experience
Associate Professor of Communication Design
Assistant Professor of Communication Design
Creative Director
Dennis Cheatham Design
Graphic Designer and Art Director
Irving Bible Church
Roles
Alumni Teaching Scholar
Center for Teaching Excellence
Research
Book Chapters
Rewarding Risk: Exploring How to Encourage Learning that Comes from Taking Risks.
In Re: Research, Volume 1: Teaching and Learning Design, edited by G. Muratovski & C. Vogel, Intellect Books & Journals, Bristol, United Kingdom publisher.
Journal Publications
Cheatham, D. M. (2018). A Necessary Shift: Embracing Research and Front-End Coding for Experience-Focused Graphic Design. Graphic Design Journal, 7, 62-73.
Cheatham, D. M. (2017). A Multiple Intelligences Model for Design: Developing the Ways Designers Think as Design Disciplines Expand. Dialectic, 1(2), 75-100.
Cheatham, D. M. (2017). Experience Design: Embracing Transdisciplinarity. Iterations: Design Research and Practice Review, 1(5), 22-27.
Conference Proceedings
Cheatham, D. M. (2017, October 31-November 3). Rewarding Risk: Exploring How to Encourage Learning that Comes from Taking Risks. Proceedings from IASDR 2017: Re: Research, Cincinnati, Ohio.
Cheatham, D. M. (2015, November 19-22). Learning to Fail: How to Make Failing Part of Learning. Proceedings from Lilly Conference on College Teaching, Oxford, Ohio.
Conference Presentations
Beyond UX: Designing for Complete Experiences
Learning Ethics Firsthand Through Design Research Methods
SECAC 2019 Conference
Living Values: Researching and Designing End-of-Life Decision-Making with People who are Marginalized
Transdisciplinary, Translocation, Transmedia: Designing Graduate-Level Distance-Learning
in Experience Design
Breaking Down Barriers to End-of-Life Conversations and Planning in Greater
Cincinnati Appalachian Communities
with Living Values research team, Dr. Jennifer Heston and Dr. Catherine Sherron
Science Rules: Why Design Research Needs Scientific Research Classifications
Rewarding Risk: Exploring How to Encourage Learning that Comes from Risking Failure
Integrating Experience-Focused Design Education: Beyond DIV Tags, Dropdowns, and Devices
Research Your Way Into Users’ Hearts
HOW Interactive Design Conference
Designers as Users: Switching Roles to Teach Critical Thinking in Design Education
A Necessary Shift: Engaging Coding In Graphic Design Education
PICA Conference, Society of Graphic Designers of Canada, Alberta North Chapter
Invited Presentations & Workshops
Experience Design: A Primer – Workshop
Seton Hall University, Web Design II course
Invited by Assistant Professor Christine Lhowe
Design Incubation
Panelist. Online panel discussion for design educators
Event available on YouTube
Art Talk: Beyond UX: Designing Complete Experiences
Art Talk presenter at Chehalem Cultural Center
Beyond UX: Designing Complete Experiences
Designing Tools for Good (Research) Workshop
University of Dayton Graphic Design students
Invited by Assistant Professor Misty Thomas-Trout
What’s Trending in Design?
Learning In Retirement Program
Most Likely to Succeed: Project-Based Learning Film and Panel
Miami University College of Education, Health & Society with McGuffey Montessori School
Facing the Blank Canvas: How to Start Designing
AIGA Cincinnati Student Engagement Design Forum
Discovery Cafe: Decisions, Decisions, Decisions
Miami University Office for the Advancement of Research and Scholarship (OARS)
King Library, Miami University
Design is Not About Design, It’s About People
Contemporary Art Forum
Fellowships
Learning to Fail: How to Make Failing Part of Learning
35th Annual Lilly Conference on College Teaching
Plenary Speaker
Selected Research Projects
Researching and Designing Meaningful End-of-Life Decisions
with Jennifer Heston (Miami University), Cate Sherron (Thomas More University), Kim Ogle (Miami University)
Rewarding Risk: Exploring How to Encourage Learning that Comes from Risking Failure
Researching the Barriers Between Men and Mental Health Care
Water Conservation Can Be Fashionable: An Attitudinal Approach to Reducing Water Overuse in the United States
with Rebeca Carranza, Holly Cole, John Hicks, Jeff Joiner, Michelle Keefer, Tim Woodring, XuHao Yang
The City of Owasso Character Initiative
with John Hicks, Michelle Keefer and XuHao Yang
Evaluating the Dynamics, Processes, and Culture of the Cook Children’s Medical Center Pediatric Intensive Care Unit
supporting Professors Michael Gibson and Keith Owens
Extending Family Education via Electronic Media
supporting Professors Michael Gibson and Keith Owens
Improving Student Success: Researching How Students Use Electronic Library Resources
with University of North Texas Anthropology Masters’ Candidates and Dr. Lisa Henry
Small Business Behaviors and Attitudes
with University of North Texas Anthropology Masters’ Candidates and Dr. Susan Squires
Awards
2nd Place Award in Social and Behavioral Sciences Category
University of North Texas Graduate Exhibition
Water Conservation Can Be Fashionable: An Attitudinal Approach to Reducing Water Overuse in the United States
Bronze Medal
Dallas Society of Visual Communications Dallas Show
The Great Map of Christmas Songs for Chatter Magazine
American Graphic Design Award
Graphic Design USA
Innovate Magazine, Fall/Winter 2007, HKS Architects
American Graphic Design Award
Graphic Design USA
Mexico 5 Invitation, HKS Architects
Professional Membership
The Design Society
Design Research Society
AIGA, the professional association for design
Interaction Design Association (IxDA)
Dallas Society of Visual Communications
Teaching
Graduate Courses
ART 627
Design Research Methods
Study of primary and secondary research methods including interviews, observations, and focus groups. Research ethics, data analysis, and evidence-based design are covered.
ART 650
Experience Design Studio (Setting)
Explores ways aspects of environment and things out of a designer’s control can affect peoples’ experiences when they use products, services, and systems. Outcomes integrate media and include products, services, and systems. Includes four travel days to different U.S. locations for on-site learning.
ART 623
Writing for Design Audiences
Develops writing skills for academic publishing, grant writing, UX writing, virtual assistants, and popular media outlets.
ART 650
Experience Design Studio (Meaning-Making)
Explores ways aspects of a person’s relationships and attitudes affect their experience when using products, services, and systems. Outcomes integrate media and include products, services, and systems. Includes four travel days to different U.S. locations for on-site learning.
ART 650
Experience Design Studio (Storytelling)
Explores ways aspects of a person’s mental and physical makeup affect their experience when using products, services, and systems. Outcomes integrate media and include products, services, and systems. Includes four travel days to different U.S. locations for on-site learning.
ART 650
Experience Design Studio (Interaction)
Explores ways aspects products, services, and systems—the ways they are designed—affect peoples’ expereince when using design. Outcomes integrate media and include products, services, and systems. Includes four travel days to different U.S. locations for on-site learning.
ART 626
Designing for Access
Approaches goal formulation and problem definition for experience-centered design with usability and access as primary drivers. Projects develop sensitivity to different needs, cultural and lifestyle diversity, socioeconomic status, literacy, globalization, sustainability, and other aspects of design when it impacts people of diverse needs. Particularly focuses on developing innovative interventions that enable access for marginalized people groups who have not been equitably served by design.
ART 700
Experience Design Thesis
Cohort-based course that covers development of research topics, research design, human subjects research review (IRB), intervention design, testing, and dissemination. Students develop their own year-long projects and take this course at least twice.
ART 626
Methods of Dissemination
Develops skills for visualizing and communicating complex information to initiated and uninitiated audiences. Message framing, publication design, diagramming, and presentation skills are addressed.
ART 640
Experience Design Internship
Students secure and complete an internship. Employers complete two evaluations of student performance and the coordinator evaluates this feedback to determine if students earn credit.
ART 625
Systemic Design
Explores design impacts at personal and societal levels through study of systems design, social networks, and object oriented ontology.
ART 436/536
Applied Experience Design: Walt Disney World
Online study introduces designing for multi-sensory experiences through a study of theme park design. Includes one week at the Walt Disney World Resort where students document products, services, and systems to learn design’s potential for facilitating usability, accessibility, and delight.
ART 455/555
A History of Design
A survey of design that emphasizes the interplay between designed outcomes and society.
ART 460/560
Special Topics Design Studio
Course topics change based on instructor’s research agenda. Reading and project work for this course emphasized the role of empathy in design.
ART 651
Systems Design
Explores design’s impact on experiences through a design studies lens. Topics include phenomenology, epistemology, rhetoric, as well as behavioral, communication, and
systems theories.
Undergraduate Courses
ART 248
Design Research Methods Basics
Introduction to primary and secondary research methods including interviews, observations, and focus groups. Research ethics, data analysis, and evidence-based design.
ART 354
Design for Use
Explores how design decisions impact access for people of diverse abilities and cultures. Applies people-driven design approaches for problem definition, outcome development, and design outcome production. Special attention paid to usability, access, and how design can delight audiences while meeting their unique needs. Involves collaborative and individual project work to simulate human-centered approaches within professional design practice.
ART 340
Communication Design Internship
Students secure and complete an internship. Employers complete two evaluations of student performance and the coordinator evaluates this feedback to determine if students earn credit.
ART 355
Applied Interaction Design
Introduces advanced human-centered design processes that emphasize usability. Covers UX wireframing, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and PHP for WordPress template development.
ART 452
Senior Degree Project
Students develop their own semester-long projects. Covers development of topics,
research design, human subjects research review (IRB), intervention design, testing,
and dissemination.
ART 254
Fundamentals of Interaction Design
An introduction to usability in screen-based design. Emphasizes fluency in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript for the production of responsive apps and websites.
ART 453/MKT 442
Highwire Brand Studio
A semester-long, group project that requires design and marketing students to research and design outcomes for a real client. Co-taught with marketing faculty.
ART 252
Image
Covers physical and digital techniques for producing images that communicate compelling concepts. Includes intense Adobe Photoshop training, visual concept exercises, and basic publication design.
Independent Studies, Directed Research
Immersive Design Technologies Toolkit Proposal Development
Jerry Belich, Experience Design Graduate Student
Dark Side of Balloon Multiplayer Video Game
Jerry Belich, Experience Design
Graduate Student
Channel Critical Design Piece
Jerry Belich, Experience Design Graduate Student
Augmented Reality Music Video App for Mad Anthony Independent Study
Ringo Jones, Experience Design Graduate Student
Utopia Room Escape the Room Project in Minneapolis, MN
Jerry Belich, Experience Design Graduate Student
U.S. Department Of Energy Race To Zero Student Design Competition
Supporting Faculty
Mentored two MFA Experience Design Students on the team
Thesis Chair
Major Curriculum Development
M.F.A. in Experience Design Degree
Director and Founder
Approved by the Ohio Chancellor’s Council on Graduate Studies (CCGS) and the Ohio Department of Higher Education (ODHE). This program is the only distance-learning M.F.A in Experience Design in the world.
M.F.A. in Experience Design NASAD Accreditation
Director and Founder
Secured accreditation from the National Association of Schools of Art and Design.
Miami Design Programs Restructuring and Renaming
Collaborator
Renamed the B.F.A. in Graphic Design to Communication Design, restructured all
courses in the major and the minor in Communication Design to improve learning and increase efficiency.
Service
Journal Reviewer
The Journal on Excellence in College Teaching
Journal Reviewer
Dialectic, the AIGA Journal on Education and Practice in Visual Communication Design
Presentation Abstract Reviewer
Design Incubation Colloquium 4.0
Promotion and Tenure Reviewer
Grant Review Board Member
AIGA Design Education Faculty Research Grants
Steering Committee Member
Connecting Dots AIGA Design Educators Conference
Board Member and Working Lunches Co-Chair
Dallas Society of Visual Communications