Welcome to CGD Instructor Colette Marie McLaughlin's Page.

Students Make Being Part of Gavilan's CGD Program More than a Job

Computer Graphics & Design (CGD) courses support the gamut of Gavilan students' design careers and personal goals. Advanced classes are especially rewarding because these students develop and apply new skills using the knowledge they and their peers bring to the computer lab. CGD students are creative individuals with artistic sensibilities. Their passion for presenting their original ideas and knack for sharing knowledge and collaborating with their peers is apparent in effective visuals they create. While their career paths and transfer plans diverge toward seemingly dissimilar majors, such as industrial design, engineering, architecture and other design fields, their shared focus engenders a collaborative environment where this specialized expertise is used to fine tune products designed to satisfy and benefit probable clients.

Educational Philosophy: Active Learning Leads to Successful Lives

"Skill to do comes of doing." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Learning increases when students are actively engaged in relevant pursuits. Participation as part of an interdisciplinary design team in a collaborative environment helps students propose, design, refine, test, manufacture and market successful products. In addition to basic employability skills, successful designers are expected to: lead and support a team of other professionals, research then systematically solve problems using a creative approach, ensure solutions address myriad human factors issues, and use technology to produce professional presentations. Collaborative learning environments and "real world" projects help students develop these skills. CGD students learn to apply knowledge from a rigorous theoretical program. Applying theory helps students to integrate: technology, visuals and verbal communications, materials and processes, and career explorations. Resultant highly marketable skills prepare students for emerging careers and life..

Instructing Gavilan CGD Students is Suited to my Background

Using technology to develop and present products of design has been integral to my education and applied in each of the careers I've experienced. My dissertation research at UCI on sustainable planning practices helped develop a holistic approach to instruction. Architectural studies at SCI-Arc taught me design. Coursework at El Camino Community College prepared me with systematic analysis and drafting methods to design, engineer and produce plans for custom lighting fixtures I designed for Lightolear. Knowledge of design and numerous technologies were required to prepare presentations and develop construction documents for architectural firms and manage several hundred million dollars worth of construction projects. Technology skills were an essential component of my work for various planning positions that required ability to use computer aided drafting (CAD). Updating plans and preparing demographic analysis and land use reports required use of geographic information systems (GIS) that also enabled me to develop maps for the National Park Services. Finally, my many years as an educator for public schools, colleges and universities enabled me to help others develop and benefit from my diverse multidisciplinary knowledge and skills.