Visual Communication Design Graduate Turns Creativity Into Real-World Experience

Michael Bushyeager built career-ready skills through hands-on learning while creating meaningful work for the campus community.

Michael Bushyeager recently graduated with a Bachelor of Design in Visual Communication Design. He believes design is for everyone, describing the discipline as “a mix of everything.”

During his time at EWU, Bushyeager strengthened his creative and professional skills through applied learning, completing multiple internships where he collaborated with clients, met project deadlines, and transformed ideas into effective visual solutions.

A highlight of his experience at Eastern was designing the official shirt for the Student Research and Creative Works Symposium. This project showcased his illustration skills and allowed him to see his work proudly worn and celebrated by students and faculty.

Bushyeager also developed an editorial magazine exploring the relationship between artificial intelligence and design, emphasizing the importance of thoughtfully incorporating emerging technologies into our daily lives and creative processes.

“[The design program] is pretty much all applied learning, from doing internships to actually working with real clients within your class. That’s the cool part about it.”

Thanks to these experiences, Bushyeager built a strong portfolio and made a tangible impact by using design to communicate ideas clearly, foster connections, and engage others in the creative process. He believes design can shape how we learn, interact, and navigate the world.