How do you create content that gets noticed? How do you work with visuals, understand your audience, and ensure the university’s brand doesn’t get lost amid current trends? Participants in the media intensive for student government bodies, held on September 19 at Sumy National Agrarian University, sought answers to these and dozens of other practical questions.
On that day, the SNAU auditorium was transformed into a space for ideas, discussions, and hands-on practice. Instead of dry theory, there were real-world case studies, discussions, and exercises that could be immediately applied to the work of student pages.
The speaker for the workshop was Maria Petukhova — a designer, journalist, and editor of the SNAU Media Center website.
The participants explored the entire content creation process: from understanding who we’re speaking to and why, to the final visual and publication.
They discussed the target audience, types of content, how to build a working content plan, tone of voice, the specifics of the SNAU brand book, and the tools of a modern media professional.
Special attention was given to practical aspects that often determine the quality of a post: how to take photos and videos, what “blind spots” are on social media, what to avoid when creating content, how to use Figma for visual design, and how to work effectively with AI.
Trends were also covered. After all, content isn’t just about trends, but a trend can certainly become content if you understand it correctly and adapt it to your own audience.
The final part was a hands-on exercise: the participants directly created content for the social media accounts of student government bodies, applying the knowledge they had gained during the intensive workshop.
For Maria Petukhova, this event was the realization of an idea that had emerged early in her time at the Media Center:
“The idea for this event came about two years ago, when I started working at the Media Center. As someone who was once actively involved in student life at SNAU, I understand the desire and need to communicate about one’s work in a compelling and precise way. We organized this event to teach student government members how to frame a shot, create posts, and define their purpose. Today’s students are remarkable in that, even in difficult times—amid attacks on the city and their studies—they still invest their energy and time in learning new things. And that truly inspires me.”
And to ensure the workshop wasn’t all about work, between the theoretical and practical sessions, participants had the opportunity to socialize in an informal setting during a pizza break hosted by the Primary Trade Union Organization of Students and Graduate Students at SNAU.
Upon completion of the training, participants received certificates and special guides on working with the SNAU brand book.
For the university, developing the student media space is not just about creating visually appealing posts. High-quality content helps showcase the university’s work, highlight student initiatives, and build a recognizable image for SNAU. That’s why it’s important not only to provide students with information but also to teach them how to confidently transform it into meaningful, modern content that resonates with their audience.
