Alumna Feature: Marilyn Cannell

“Where are they now?”

If they’re back teaching at the school they used to attend, it doesn’t get much better.

That's especially true for Marilyn Cannell. A 2016 graduate of LTU’s College of Architecture and Design with a BFA in Graphic Design, she now teaches at her alma mater, specifically, courses in UX/UI and Digital Product Design. But that’s just one component in the trajectory of her already impressive career.

Marilyn Cannell, BFA in Graphic Design '16

Cannell’s “day job” is as a Visual Designer for General Motors, focusing on in-vehicle infotainment systems. Her faculty bio points out that, for GM, she “works across a multi-disciplinary team to design and implement digital clusters and touchscreens across the entire cockpit experience. She has a passion for user-centered problem solving and visually telling a brand story.” She also leads this visual design process for all of GM’s Chevy products.

But whereas many students understandably see being an alumna as the equivalent of having attended an educational institution for a given period of time, Cannell, due to her association with LTU, sees it as more of a beneficial continuum.

And a lot of it has to do with the educational philosophy espoused by most of the LTU faculty that reflects the University’s mission of “Theory and Practice.” In other words, it’s about minimizing the barriers between learning about one’s eventual profession and actively engaging in it.

It’s also what attracted Cannell to LTU.

Silverado EV Reveal.

“For me,” she explained, ”the initial advantage was that it was close to home” (home being Farmington Hills). However, she quickly saw the additional benefits of attending LTU. Smaller class sizes, interdisciplinary collaboration, curriculum flexibility, and hands-on experience were among the most important of these. Cannell had initially enrolled in the Architecture program, but soon switched to Graphic Design.

“I felt like at LTU, I got to choose my own path,” said Cannell. “Even though I was officially in the Graphic Design program, I felt like I got to choose what I wanted to focus on. I was really interested in doing digital work—websites and mobile apps—and I was able to focus in any of my classes on what I wanted to do long term.”