{"id":1692,"date":"2026-04-16T13:46:58","date_gmt":"2026-04-16T13:46:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/graduate-studies\/?p=1692"},"modified":"2026-04-23T14:24:13","modified_gmt":"2026-04-23T14:24:13","slug":"the-portfolio-difference-how-furmans-masd-program-prepares-designers-to-stand-out","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/graduate-studies\/the-portfolio-difference-how-furmans-masd-program-prepares-designers-to-stand-out\/","title":{"rendered":"The Portfolio Difference: How Furman’s MASD Program Prepares Designers to Stand Out"},"content":{"rendered":"

Grace Van\u00a0Rij\u00a0remembers\u00a0the moment she\u00a0first heard about the\u00a0<\/span>Master of Arts in Strategic Design<\/span><\/a>\u00a0(MASD).\u00a0The program first caught her eye during her undergraduate years at Furman.\u00a0Even\u00a0without\u00a0an art background, she\u00a0immediately\u00a0knew\u00a0it\u00a0was the right fit.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Anne Heaton Sanders\u00a0knew\u00a0from an early age that she\u00a0loved\u00a0art and wanted to pursue it. During her undergraduate years at Furman, she worked in the art department.\u00a0Anne Heaton\u00a0created\u00a0marketing\u00a0materials\u00a0for both the department\u00a0and the MASD program, an experience\u00a0that sparked\u00a0her\u00a0passion\u00a0for graphic design.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Today, the\u00a0two are\u00a0working together at\u00a0<\/span>Stache Cups<\/span><\/a>, a Greenville-based company that designs and makes personalized cups. Grace serves as creative director and Anne Heaton recently joined as senior graphic designer. Both graduated from Furman\u2019s MASD program in 2024.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Their paths to Stache Cups reflect the kind of connections the program cultivates.\u00a0Grace credits Emily Price, lecturer in the MASD program, with helping her\u00a0land her role.\u00a0Though the two never discussed Grace’s career goals directly,\u00a0Emily knew\u00a0her\u00a0well enough to\u00a0recognize\u00a0a good fit\u00a0when she saw one.\u00a0When an opening arose at\u00a0Stache Cups, Emily made the introduction. Grace, in turn,\u00a0knew\u00a0exactly who to call when a senior graphic designer position opened. She recommended\u00a0her fellow MASD\u00a0graduate,\u00a0Anne Heaton.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A Program Built on Passion<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Headshot

Grace Van\u00a0Rij<\/p><\/div>\n

Several aspects of the MASD program set it apart. Professors and mentors brought genuine enthusiasm to the coursework, and students were encouraged to pursue projects rooted in their own interests. Tiffany Williams, lecturer in the MASD program, gave students the freedom to dive deep into what they cared about. MASD Director Marta Lanier went a step further, helping Anne Heaton find a graduate assistantship to help fund her degree.\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

That student-centered approach shaped the kind of work Grace and Anne Heaton produced. Favorite projects included branding concepts for a family reunion and a project focused on the Olympics. Anne Heaton also created a promotional video for the Swamp Rabbit Trail, while Grace developed graphics for the Furman Innovation Lab at Flywheel coworking space. These weren’t just class assignments. They were opportunities to tell meaningful, research-driven stories that became the foundation of their own narratives. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Portfolio Difference<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When it came time to enter the job market, both women had something that set them apart: a portfolio built from two years of passion projects.\u00a0Those portfolios\u00a0didn’t\u00a0just\u00a0showcase\u00a0technical skills.\u00a0They told a story about who they\u00a0were as\u00a0designers and\u00a0their ability to\u00a0think creatively.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Headshot

Anne Heaton Sanders<\/p><\/div>\n

Anne Heaton still\u00a0considers\u00a0how to keep her portfolio\u00a0fresh and\u00a0updated.\u00a0The guidance she and Grace received from Marta and their mentors on what to include and how to present it is a skill they continue to rely on today.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>There is an art to putting together the portfolio that I think is ingrained within us in the way that you tell the story,\u201d Anne Heaton said.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For Grace, the portfolio represented something more personal. Coming into the program without a graphic design background, she could look at her finished work and see exactly how far she had come. When she\u00a0interviewed at\u00a0Stache Cups, her boss told her he had never seen a portfolio like hers.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The difference became even clearer once Grace found herself on the other side of the hiring process.\u00a0Reviewing candidates’ materials, she noticed that some arrived without a portfolio while others brought only limited examples of their work. The contrast made the value of the MASD program’s mentorship and its emphasis on building a thoughtful, complete portfolio impossible to miss.<\/span><\/p>\n

Skills That Transferred<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Beyond the portfolio, both women came away from the program with skills they use every day. For Anne Heaton, one unexpected discovery was a love of research and strategy. Since she came from an art background, she never considered herself a copywriter until a project on verbal branding changed her perspective. Learning to develop the words and concepts that define a brand before ever choosing a color or shape ignited something new in her. She also came to understand the lasting value of networking and building genuine professional relationships. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Grace found that the program refined her time management skills in ways that translate directly to her current role. Working through semester-long projects with structured milestones taught her how to pace herself and meet deadlines, which are essential in a product-driven industry. She also developed a stronger ability to communicate effectively with clients and collaborators during the design process.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>I learned so much in the master’s program because I didn’t have a background in any of that,\u201d\u00a0Grace said.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Those skills prepared both women for the variety of work that comes with being part of a small team. At Stache Cups, Anne Heaton and Grace handle everything from artwork requests and email marketing to project management and design. The MASD program gave them both the range and the confidence to move seamlessly across all of it.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

More Than a Career Path<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The MASD program didn’t just shape what they could do. It helped them determine what they wanted to do. Grace appreciated that professors offered candid, real-world guidance on salaries, job markets and what different career paths truly look like day to day.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

“I just really appreciate that because it really opened my eyes to what I actually\u00a0want,” Grace said.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Anne Heaton echoes that sense of being well-prepared. The program’s interdisciplinary\u00a0approach\u00a0and Furman’s liberal arts foundation gave her a breadth of perspective that has\u00a0prepared her to grow\u00a0within any role she takes on.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

“Our grad degrees really do put us a big step ahead,” she said.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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