Creating and Selling Postcards: An Integrative Project Class

Abstract

Postcards was an innovate venture that brought together students and faculty from business and graphic arts to design, produce, and sell university postcards. In this experiential course, students learned and applied management skills and worked in cross-functionally integrated teams. More than 34,000 postcards were sold, resulting in a $1,700 profit. The students were overwhelmingly positive about the course and its learning opportunities. Suggestions for others who might teach a course like postcards include selecting a challenging project with clear-cut external validation of success or failure, designing early opportunities for team building and shared success, and providing sufficient instruction to allow students to succeed.