This course explores creative visual communication through graphic design. Through type and graphics, students will explore the relationship of communication to multiple disciplines such as advertising, graphic design, web design, illustration, broadcast design production, and others.

The process of communicating concepts, from thumbnail to final presentation, will be explored through the experimentation of graphic elements and image-making techniques.

Instructional Objectives/Assessment

• Evaluate methods and criteria
• Compose form conceptually, as opposed to composing through collage
• Demonstrate competency through four projects with multiple parts
• Analyze, productively and diplomatically, during a presentation; give and receive constructive criticism during critiques

General Education Outcomes

General education outcome covered	How the outcome is assessed
Information Literacy: Demonstrate the ability to find information through proper resources.	Research, writing and presenting a design report.
Oral Communication and Listening: Demonstrate the ability to discern pertinent information from irrelevant information.	Critiques demonstrate the understanding of concepts.
Thinking Critically: Demonstrate the ability to evaluate strengths and relevance of arguments on a particular issue.	Through student’s ability to advance concepts

Focus

Graphic designers create visual forms to communicate specific messages to specific audiences. This class focuses on developing your ability to manipulate design elements to communicate compelling, meaningful ideas.

There are not always ‘correct’ solutions—but some are more appropriate and compelling than others. Appropriate solutions are hardly ever arrived at quickly but through a series of evolutionary steps. In this class, you will develop a process that will add lifelong rational consistency to your work. 

 

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Communication

Please consistently check your City Tech email (or the email you provide to me and OpenLab) for reminders or changes. Check mail at least 24 hrs before class. 

It is your responsibility to keep lines of communication open—make sure that your mailbox is not full. 

Class Blog Posts

Students must contribute to the blog. 
This gives professional experience using design vocabulary as it develops your “eye” through observation, documentation, presentation, and assessment. 

Google Drive

• Sign in with a Gmail account.

• The direct link is on the home page of the website, top of the right column.

• When needed, InDesign files will be available here.

• Final work will be uploaded to designated folders as jpg unless otherwise specified.

• Correctly name files: course and section_season year_project name_your last name_first name

  For example: comd1200_s21_letterform white_amy

Back-up Files

If you don’t have a Dropbox account open one. Dropbox.com There is no charge for a basic account. Losing work due to failed media or overwritten files is not an excuse for late work. Students are expected to have an effective backup strategy for all of their files. Duplicate all work. Questions? Please ask!

File Naming

All students are expected to label all files.
COMD convention is:
course _ season year _project name_last name_ first name.
 For example: comd1200_s21_letterform_smith_ amy