In the Fall 2011 ENG 311SL Publishing course led by Dr. Pope- Ruark, a group of six students worked on a newsletter for Family Abuse Services of Alamance County (FAS). This community partner is a non-profit organization that helps individuals and families who are experience domestic violence. By attending events sponsored by FAS and interviewing program coordinators, students gained an understanding of how the organization supports the community and spent the semester focusing on ways to build awareness and increase participation with FAS.
Project Description
The newsletter, entitled Voices, was a four page document that featured articles and pictures. The group had been given previous versions and redesigned it for FAS based on guidance from their partners at the organization. Articles were intended to educate the audience on the programs and events of FAS as well as encouraging the reader to get involved. The group also produced a template complete with content for the next two issues and production guide to ensure the longevity of the project.
Rhetorical Strategies
Domestic and family violence can be a very difficult subject for many people, so the group worked to ensure the newsletter focused on hope and the importance of survivors having access to the assistance they require. By developing a thorough understanding of FAS through conversations with the executive director Lynn Rousseau and outreach director Pam Shoo the group understood the mission of the organization and was then able to make sound rhetorical decisions. The students kept in mind that FAS was striving for a positive tone to convey the theme of “hope” to the newsletter’s readers.
While thinking about the newsletter’s tone, the group also made rhetorical decisions to align layout and design to reflect this optimistic tone, as well as be readable and engaging for the intended audience. They used rhetorical decisions when considering such design factors as font choices and drop caps. Every choice regarding athletics was deliberate to further the tone of hope and survivor. For example, the group used a range of pastel purples and designed a header that incorporated the purple ribbon to evoke a sense of warmth and comfort.
CUPID Connections
When working on the newsletter, the group though carefully about information design and collaboration. When determining how to design the newsletter they ensured all the information was clear and easy to understand through logical placement in the document. Along with information design, collaboration was key. This project required different people’s strengths and to be highlighted and used, as is characteristic of many CUPID projects. The students working with the FAS newsletter learned important strategies to work together to achieve a common goal while working closely with a community partner they came to understand and respect, achieving CUPID’s goals of civic engagement and authentic collaboration.