HEATHER PURDY // SPRING 2026
Heather Purdy, MFA | Professor, Graphic Desig
Leading students through design fundamentals while building the adaptability needed for professional practice.
With over 30 years of experience in graphic design, I bring a deeply rooted, real-world perspective into the classroom, shaped by work spanning Fortune 100 and 500 companies as well as small boutique agencies. I also hold an MFA in Graphic Design from Iowa State University’s College of Design, which informs my approach to teaching through both academic rigor and professional practice.
This combination allows me to create meaningful intersections for learning—where theory meets practice, and where students gain insight into the creative and strategic demands of the design industry. I approach teaching as a collaborative, evolving process, integrating professional standards, current tools, and critical thinking to prepare students for the realities of a constantly shifting visual landscape.
My goal as a graphic design professor is to ground students in the fundamentals of design while equipping them with the confidence and adaptability needed to become working designers. I emphasize core principles such as typography, composition, and visual communication, while also encouraging experimentation, problem-solving, and conceptual development.
Program Chair, Professor of Graphic Design
Des Moines Area Community College, Ankeny, Iowa
Jan 2020 – Present
Assistant Teaching Professor of Graphic Design
Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa
Aug 2018 – Jan 2020
Adjunct Instructor of Graphic Design
Des Moines Area Community College, Ankeny, Iowa
Sept 2007 – Dec 2017
Adjunct Instructor of Graphic Design
Tulane University, Biloxi Campus, Mississippi
Jan 2001 – May 2007
UX/UI Designer
Hy-Vee Innovation Center, Grimes, Iowa
[Contract under Source Allies]
Jan 2018 – Jul 2018
UX/UI Designer
Stine Seed Company, Adel, Iowa
[Contract under Source Allies]
Aug 2017 – Jan 2018
UX/UI Designer
Source Allies Inc. Urbandale, Iowa
Aug 2017 – Jul 2018
Teaching Assistant in Graphic Design
Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa
Aug 2014 – May 2017
Creative Marketing Strategist
OPN Architects, Des Moines, Iowa
Jan 2008 – Dec 2013
Art Director
Beau Rivage Casino, Biloxi, Mississippi
July 2006 – July 2007
Graphic Designer for National Accounts
Sun Herald, Gulfport, Mississippi
Aug 1998 – July 2006
Masters of Fine Arts in Graphic Design
Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa
Bachelors of Fine Arts
(Split concentrations in Graphic Design & Painting)
William Carey University, Gulfport, Mississippi
Associates of Applied Science in Graphic Design
Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College,
Perkinston, Mississippi