1. Proposal Refinements →

    Some final tweaks to my thesis proposal I’ve been meaning to post are finally here! A thesis outline will be coming in the near future before I dive into some primary research.

  2. Two Thesis Ideas

    I just wanted to get these two ideas out quickly. They’re still in a “meta” stage, so there’s really not a specific research objective or deliverable yet.

    1. Media Ecology - This refers to the study of media environments. While this is a very broad definition, it can be narrowed to focus on how shifts in delivery methods effect the information that is conveyed. For example, if we put our college textbooks on the iPad, how will that affect college students? Will the information they obtain be the same as with a physical book, or, to paraphrase Marshall McLuhan, will the medium change the message?

    2. Healthy Living for Individuals with Random/Recurring Symptoms - For individuals who have diseases or disabilities with recurring symptoms that are unpredictable, fitness is very difficult…yet essential. Suppose you have a disease like Rheumatoid Arthritis, and you’re trying to follow a fitness routine. If you plan on exercising in the afternoon on weekdays, you might find that your RA spikes three afternoons out of the five thereby preventing you from following your workout plan. This would be extremely discouraging and might convince you to neglect exercising entirely. My question is: “How could we use technology to enable individuals in these situations to maintain a healthy lifestyle that takes into account the random nature of their illnesses?”

  3. Quick Introduction

    Hi. My name is Nate Mucha. The purpose of this blog is to document my MFA Thesis process. I’ll be posting anything and everything relevant to my thesis from proposal to completion.

    Here is a quick introduction to who I am and what I’m doing…

    I was born and raised in Northeast Ohio. My education includes studying at Grove City College in Grove City, PA where I received my B.A. in Philosophy with a Minor in Business, participating in the Undergraduate Program at the Kent State University School of Visual Communication Design for two years and now the Graduate Program at Kent State’s School of VCD. I am pursuing my Master of Fine Arts while teaching as an Adjunct Professor. I am currently teaching Intermediate Computer Graphic Design and Illustration which is a Sophomore-level class focusing on web design.

    I am also very involved in AIGA Kent — our school’s student chapter of AIGA: The Professional Association for Design. This year I am the Interactive Chairperson at Kent. For more information regarding AIGA Kent, visit www.aigakent.org.

    You can find an online selection of my work as well as my resume and digital portfolio by visiting www.natemucha.com.