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Syllabus

Principles of Design

“Introduction to composition, color, typography, and message in the digital environment.”

Vitals

When

Mondays and Wednesdays, 6:30 - 9:20 pm

Where

Art and Education Building, Room 0169

Who

James Khazar

Office Hours

Mondays and Wednesdays, 6:00 - 6:30 pm, Room 0169

Email

james (at) khazar (dot) com
It is important that you put the word “Student” in the subject of any email you send me, or else it will likely not get past my spam-catcher!

Objectives

  • Provide an introduction to the basic principles of graphic design, such as, but not limited to: image, typography, color theory, semiotics and composition
    • Example: How saturated is this color of red versus this red ?
  • Explore and enhance digital design technical skills using bitmap and vector-based software tools
    • Example: What is a Bèzier curve?
  • Provide familiarity with technical issues in both print and digital domains.
    • Example: Which is better to use on the web — a .png or a .jpg file?
  • Provide familiarity with the aesthetic issues in both print and digital domains, and examine the differences.
    • Example: How is color viewed differently on a computer screen versus a printed poster? How about versus a billboard?

Administration

Grading

Basic Grading Requirements

60%

Assignment Specific Criteria

20%

Articulate Presentation in Crit

10%

Quality of Preliminary Sketch

5%

Presentation Neatness

5%

Correctness of Submission
(based on submission requirments)

Each project (1-5) consists of 5 components of evaluation

50%

Projects 1-4 (12.5% each)

40%

Final Project (Project 5)

10%

Overal Class/Crit Participation

Grading is based on assignments and participation in class and crits. All assignments must be complete to receive a passing grade.

  • A minimum of 6-8 hours per week design time is expected outside of class time
  • All assignments are due at the beginning of class
  • Late assignments are lowered by one full grade
  • Assignments will not be accepted for grading at all after the beginning of the next class session after it's due
  • All work must be finished when turned in, which means:
    • It's mounted and flapped if the project calls for it
    • The preliminary design sketches are attached to the back of the board
    • I reserve the right to add to this list when I see things that I don't think are finished...
  • Plagiarized work will be immediately failed
  • Creativity counts!
  • Neatness counts!

Attendance

  • Three lates = one absence
    • Leaving early counts the same as arriving late
  • Two absences = 50% grade drop
    • So, a B becomes a B-
  • Three absences = one full grade drop
    • So, a B becomes a C
  • Each additional absence = one full grade drop
    • In other words, miss 2 then A=A-, miss three A=B, miss four A=C, miss five A=D. Not good.

Good Grade Guidelines

For a High Grade (B+ or higher)

  • Attend all classes and avoid being late or leaving early
  • Work in class, participate in critiques and volunteer constructive criticism to other student's work
  • Do your reading and research for your projects and explore more than one design solution
    • This should be especially clear in your preliminary design sketches
  • Successfully incorporate skills and disciplines acquired from earlier projects into future projects
  • Make sure that the development of your conceptual artwork is witnessed at least once by me before the deadline
    • I want to see your sketches!
  • Neatness counts! Turn in clean, well presented work
  • Be resourceful, be creative and when in doubt, ask

Required Equipment

  • Mechanical Pencil (.5mm lead)
  • Box of leads
    • HB or 2B
  • Adhesive spray or transfer paper
    • 3M Spraymount or equivalent
  • Protective dust mask
    • If you use Spraymount — it's toxic!
  • 24 inch (or longer) metal ruler
    • For cutting matboard and paper
  • 12 inch (or longer) clear plastic ruler
    • For marking up matboard for mounting
  • 12 x 18 (or larger) self healing cutting mat
  • X-Acto #1 Knife
  • X-Acto #11 Blades: Safety Dispenser, Package of 15 blades
    • Never use a dull blade on a new project
  • 11" x 14" 4 ply black matboard
  • 14" x 17" 25lb tracing paper pad
  • 3/4" drafting tape
  • Sketch Pad
    • Minimum size 9" x 12" . Un-ruled or ruled (but get a grid pad, not one ruled for writing). But a real sketch pad, not note paper

Classroom Rules

  • No food or drink (except bottled beverages set on the floor, lids kept on when not in use)
  • Cell phones off or non-ringing
  • No email or web interaction during lectures (unless I ask you to)
    • Email and web interaction should be kept to a minimum during lab periods

Credit where Credit is due

…To Prof. Janet Green

A special thanks to her for her syllabus and assignments, which I have pretty much lifted whole to create this course. I couldn't have put it together without her.