Derrinita Walker

I'm a professional graphic designer and creative educator with nearly 20 years of experience helping organizations communicate through thoughtful, effective design. Since earning my degree in graphic design in 2007, I've worked in a variety of positions, including Junior Deisgner, Marketing Specialist, Instructional Designer and Communications Director. These experiences helped me hone the tools and techniques that create visually engaging designs that achieve real-world goals. I returned to school in 2020 to obtain a degree in Industrial and Organizational Psychology to further my learning and development knowledge and instructional skill. 

I enjoy helping students build practical, professional design skills they can use immediately. I teach Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign, Canva, Microsoft PowerPoint, and Microsoft Publisher, along with the design principles that make great work possible, including typography, layout, color theory, branding, visual hierarchy, print production, digital publishing, and long-document formatting. 

My goal is to provide a supportive, encouraging learning environment where students feel comfortable asking questions, experimenting with new ideas, and developing skills that will serve them long after our lessons are over.

My lessons are practical, interactive, and customized for each student. I begin by establishing a strong foundation in design principles before introducing software tools and techniques. Lessons typically include guided screen sharing, demonstrations, hands-on practice, and real-world projects that reinforce each concept.

I encourage students to work on projects that are meaningful to them, whether that's creating marketing materials for a business, designing a presentation, building a portfolio, formatting a publication, or completing a class assignment.