Indiana University S250: Introduction to Design Practice

Indiana University S352: Production for the Graphic Designer

S250 Introduction to Design Practice

Drawing and perception in the history and practice of visual communication, including a basic introduction to the field and exercises with pencil, marker, computer, and other tools, to produce symbols, letter forms, and symbol-letter combinations.

COURSE DESCRIPTION

S250, Design I is structured around three main goals: developing the skills necessary to create visual communications, gaining a working knowledge of the major movements and people in the formation of the relatively new profession of graphic design, and gaining experience in problem solving processes through basic exercises.

Visual Skills
Communication exercises using color, form, and composition aid in developing message design strategies. For each lab project students develop a concept into a successful visual solution using notebook sketching and computer drawings.

History and Practice
The course provides an understanding of the profession through readings, writing, and an opportunity to explore the origins of visual form as message. The growth of printed communications is traced from early visual systems to the birth of a graphic design profession joining artistic expression and modern mass production.

Problem Solving
Experiences gained through solving fundamental communication challenges provide a sense of the process of design. A concept is determined to meet the needs of the given communication problem and is refined and modified through drawing, typographic composition, and use of color. The result is creation, arrangement, and combination of visual elements into a finalized design. A central focus of this process is the natural underlying visual systems that dominate successful design: typographic, symbolic, and illustrative.

REQUIRED TEXTS

Notes on Graphic Design and Communication. Gregg Berryman; Graphic Design: A Concise History. Richard Hollis; Illustrator 10 for the Macintosh: Quickstart Guide. Weinmann & Lourekas, Weekly Web site Units, Selected readings from Print and Communication Arts

 

ATTENDANCE, REGULATIONS AND POLICIES

Each lab or lecture session is considered a class. Involvement in the class is a part of the course along with web activities and lab projects. Class begins at 8:30 a.m. You will be counted late if you are not in the room at 8:45. If you are more than 30 minutes late, you will be counted absent. 3 lates/early departures = 1 absence. You get 3 unexcused absences. 4 unexcused absences = 1 letter grade off your final grade. Each additional absence (after 4) will deduct an additional third of a letter grade off your final grade. A course grade of incomplete (I) will be given if necessary in extreme circumstances (See Academic Handbook for guidelines.) Absences due to situations beyond your control are understandable, but please be responsible and DO NOT MISS CLASS!

I can summarize missed materials for you, but I cannot cover the entire two and a half hours. Exchange phone numbers and/or e-mail addresses with at least two other people in class who you can contact if you miss class.

No late work will be accepted. Period. Here are a few tips: Save your work often and always back up your projects on an extra disk. Expect technical problems with the computers and printers. Do not wait until the last minute to print your projects! Be prepared for technical difficulties, they occur in the professional world as well as the classroom. A deadline is a deadline. Stick to it.

GRADING

In order to grade and evaluate your projects, I will look at specific things: the quality and quantity of your effort (sketchbooks are a determining factor), how well your design communicates the objective of the assignment, and your participation in presenting and discussing your work during class discussions and critiques.

Class participation is crucial. Your participation will affect your final course grade. In the real world, a designer must be able to critically speak about their work and others. These critiques are a great place to brush up on your presentation skills.

200 point system of credit for student participation. The scale is straight (no curves). The value of each part of the course is listed below. Critical evaluation of lab projects will be explained in detail on the the grade sheet and tracing paper over the assignment.

Semester point total conversion scale:
AWESOME A+ = 194-200 A = 187-193 A- = 180-186
BETTER THAN AVERAGE. B+ = 173-179 B = 167-172 B- = 160-166
COULD USE IMPROVEMENT. C+ = 153-159 C = 147-152 C- = 140-146
FAILING D+ = 133-139 D = 127-132 D- = 120-126 F = 119 or below

SUGGESTED EXTRA ACTIVITIES

Students in Design (student organization) program activities, organize and sponsor local lectures, exhibits etc. AIGA, American Institute of Graphic Arts, the national professional organization with an Indianapolis chapter, provides activities, great student prices and publications.  

LAB PROJECT GRADE BREAKDOWN (60% of final grade)

Non-verbal Communication Studies 25 pts
sketchbook studies = 5 pts strip compositions = 20 pts

27th Character 25 pts
sketchbook studies = 5 pts final project = 20 pts

Bloomington Poster 25 pts
sketchbook studies = 5 pts final project = 20 pts

Zoo Symbol 25 pts
sketchbook studies = 5 pts final project = 20 pts

Visual System Presentation 20 pts
Final three weeks will focus on research presentations = 20 pts

WEB ACTIVITIES GRADE BREAKDOWN (40% of final grade)

Weekly Worksheets 40 pts
Intro and Type Variations Worksheets 5 pts each = 10 pts
Art Poster and War/Symbolism Worksheets 5 pts each = 10 pts
Post war and Late 60’s Worksheets 5 pts each = 10 pts
Unity and Diversity Worksheets 5 pts each = 10 pts

Monthly Quizzes 40 pts
Design & Type (what is design and type?) = 10 pts
Early 20th Century (basics of symbols) = 10 pts
Post war & Late 60’s (influential trends) = 10 pts
Globalization (world survey of tendencies and trends) = 10 pts

DESIGN PROGRAM PORTFOLIOS

S250, Design I serves a wide variety of students, from the School of Fine Arts and other schools and departments, who are interested in a Graphic Design minor, a BFA, or simply a graphic design survey course. A portfolio is required to study graphic design at the 300 level and above. Students who have completed S250 are eligible. A team of Graphic Design instructors review all the S250 portfolios, which are comprised of all the lab projects done throughout the semester. All portfolios are ranked, and a cut-off is established to select students for admission to S351 Typography, the next course in the graphic design sequence. Advanced portfolios also are reviewed for other opportunities in the graphic design program (ie., the BFA program).

 

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S352 Production for the Graphic Designer

A thorough set of practical exercises that combine design projects with related information about both presentation of ideas and printing of finished designs.

STUDIO 352 : GRAPHIC DESIGN FIRM

CONGRATULATIONS! You have been hired as a graphic design intern at STUDIO 352. This is a semester-long internship. You will receive no monetary payment; however, you will receive 3 credit hours towards your undergraduate degree at Indiana University. You will be responsible for concepting, creating, presenting, and producing three major studio projects along with weekly ‘in-house’ duties (these will be explained on a need-to-know basis).

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Designers must be able to concept, create, and communicate effectively and efficiently to survive in the professional world today. Understanding the basic methods and techniques of production will make you a better designer. Designers must consider the elements of production even before putting an idea on paper. And if a designer knows production, they can create projects that suit the process. Production is an essential part of graphic design.

Each realm of design: print, web, interactive media, etc has it’s own production methods. This course will focus on the vast world of print production. Printing methods range from building-size billboards to business cards to T-shirts and packaging. STUDIO 352 projects will give you a broader understanding of print production and working world relationships.

TEXTS

Production for Graphic Designers. Alan Pipes; Forms, Folds, Sizes. Poppy Evans (ISBN: 1592530540); Adobe Classroom in a Book: InDesign CS, Illustrator CS, and Photoshop CS; Selected readings from educational paper samples (provided)

ATTENDANCE, REGULATIONS AND POLICIES

Each session is considered a workday. Work begins at 11:15 a.m. You will be counted late if you are not in the room at 11:30. If you are more than 30 minutes late, you will be counted absent. 3 lates/early departures = 1 absence. You get 3 unexcused absences. 4 unexcused absences = 1 letter grade off your final grade. Each additional absence (after 4) will deduct an additional third of a letter grade off your final grade. A course grade of incomplete (I) will be given if necessary in extreme circumstances (See Academic Handbook for guidelines.) Absences due to situations beyond your control are understandable, but please be responsible and DO NOT MISS WORK!

I can summarize missed materials for you, but I cannot cover the entire two and a half hours. Exchange phone numbers and/or e-mail addresses with at least two other people in class who you can contact if you miss class.

No late work will be accepted. Period. Here are a few tips: Save your work often and always back up your projects on an extra disk. Expect technical problems with the computers and printers. Do not wait until the last minute to print your projects! Be prepared for technical difficulties, they occur in the professional world. A deadline is a deadline. Stick to it.

GRADING

In order to grade and evaluate your projects, I will look at specific things: the quality and quantity of your effort (sketchbooks are a determining factor), how well your design communicates the objective of the project, and your participation in presenting and discussing work during meetings and critiques.

Class participation is crucial. Your participation will affect your final course grade. In the real world, a designer must be able to critically speak about their work and others. These critiques are a great place to brush up on your presentation skills. The semester is based on a 200 point system of credit. The scale is straight (no curves). The value of each part of the course is listed below. Critical evaluation of studio projects will be explained in detail on the grade sheet returned with the final composite.

Semester point total conversion scale:
AWESOME A+ = 194-200 A = 187-193 A- = 180-186
BETTER THAN AVERAGE B+ = 173-179 B = 167-172 B- = 160-166
COULD USE IMPROVEMENT C+ = 153-159 C = 147-152 C- = 140-146
FAILING D+ = 133-139 D = 127-132 D- = 120-126 F = 119 or below

STUDIO PROJECT GRADE BREAKDOWN (60% of final grade)

Design Production Flash Cards 40 pts
Concept & Effectiveness = 25 pts Craftsmanship (RFQ, mock-ups & final) = 5 pts Presentation & Critique = 5 pts Development (sketches to final) = 5 pts

Printing Process Poster 40 pts
Concept & Effectiveness = 25 pts Craftsmanship (RFQ, mock-ups & final) = 5 pts Presentation & Critique = 5 pts Development (sketches to final) = 5 pts

Professionally Printed Client Piece 30 pts
Concept & Effectiveness = 15 pts Craftsmanship (RFQ, mock-ups & final) = 5 pts Presentation & Critique = 5 pts Development (sketches to final) = 5 pts

Design Trailblazers Presentation 10 pts
Visuals & Information = 5 pts Presentation Skills = 5 pts

‘IN-HOUSE’ GRADE BREAKDOWN (40% of final grade)

Duties 20 pts
RFQ (request for quote) = 2 pts Paper sampling = 2 pts Typography & mark-ups = 2 pts Scanning = 2 pts Spot color (monotones, duotones, etc) = 2 pts Four color process (CMYK) = 2 pts Stylesheets = 2 pts Mock-ups = 2 pts Direct mail = 2 pts Checking proofs = 2 pts

Quizzes 60 pts
Chapter 2 & 5: Typography & Computers = 20 pts
Chapter 3 & 4: Illustration & Prepress = 20 pts
Chapter 6 & 7: On Press & Internet = 20 pts

 

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