How short-term memories become long-term memories!

Updated: September 16, 2025
Authors: Julia Snidanko

I am creating this project because in my search for resources on comics I came across an inspiring video talking about the benefits of comics in the classroom. The speaker discussed how comics are beneficial because they have the past present and future all on one paper and can learners can move at their own pace. This got me thinking that what if I could create a comic on a university level topic and simplify it onto a comic. I chose the topic of encoding memories because I am a psychology student specifically in the mind and brain stream so I love discussing and sharing about different neuropsychology topics! My goal for this project is to make this seemingly complicated process of memory encoding into a digestible simple comic.

FINAL DESIGN COMING SOON

---

THE PROCESS

Understand (Discover, Interpret, Specify)

DESCRIBE THE CHALLENGE:

Many psychology students struggle to break down complex topics into understandable material. This topic simplifies the process of encoding so it is easier to understand.

CONTEXT AND AUDIENCE:

• Describe your audience (typical and extreme cases), their needs, goals, and motivations. Outline the applicable demographic, psychographic, and behavioral factors. Provide insights in approximately four paragraphs.

The target audience for this comic is undergraduate psychology students, particularly those interested in the mind and brain steam. Their main need is to better understand complex processes in the brain. By presenting the topic through a comic with visual aids, the goal is to make the concept of “encoding memory” more approachable and digestible. White the comic does not cover every detail, it provides a helpful baseline that can make learning more advanced material easier later on, as student will have a clear reference example in mind. The motivation for using this graphic could be for two reasons: it can support students who are struggling to grasp the process of encoding memory, and it can also serve as a starting point for those who want an engaging example to build a solid of foundation of understanding on the topic.

*Add additional paragraphs discussing demographic, psychographic, and behavioural factors.

POV STATEMENT:

A person needs to remember their password for their email so that they can access their email in the future.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

Easy generator output: An Undergraduate psychology student specializing in brain processes will be able to identify and understand the process of encoding memories through using a comic

Plan (Ideate, Sketch, Elaborate)

IDEATION:

First, I decided what I wanted my topic to be on. I really enjoy my cognitive psychology classes, so I decided I wanted to pick a process in that domain that would be well supported by a series of visual aids. My most promising prototype topics were the steps in encoding memories, such as daily tasks like remembering a password or just general long-term memories. I decided that I could more clearly lay out a comic by encoding a daily task so that if the prototype I designed, as you will see when further scrolling down. The media that supported my brain storming in this process was actually my notes from past semesters. Through knowing the material well I was able to create a storyline.

STORYBOARD OR SCRIPT:

To create my prototype, I made a “game plan” to lay out the steps I wanted to highlight in the 12 comic squares. This type of brainstorming allowed me to keep my ideas organized and execute my mock-up sketch.

PRINCIPLES APPLIED:

One of the principles that guided my solution of presenting how memories are encoded through use of comics was the Dual Coding Theory as discussed in Educational Multimedia Design Principles. This theory suggests that we use two different parts of our brain when working with language and visual imagery. Through two separate processing channels there is more capacity for knowledge. In this comic language is provided by the small description at the bottom of each square and the imagery is provided from the comic sketches themselves.

Create and Share the Prototype