COMD3504 Communication Design Theory Spring 2022

COMD3504 - D063

Author: Prof. Childers (Page 2 of 4)

How to share a Google Doc

April 5, 2022 / / 0 Comments

1. Go to docs.google.com and sign into your account.

2. Either create a new document by clicking the colorful plus sign +New in the top-left corner, or find an existing document from your Google Drive.

Google Drive homepage
Click “New” to create a new document or “My Drive” to select a document from your Drive. 
Grace Eliza Goodwin/Insider

 

3. Open your document and click the blue Share button in the top-right corner.

Google Doc document open
Click the “Share” button. 
Grace Eliza Goodwin/Insider

 

4. In the pop-up, under Share with people and groups, you can type in the email addresses of everyone you’d like to send your folder to. If someone is part of your organization, you can type in just their name and their email address will auto-populate.

Google Doc sharing pop-up
Type in the email addresses of your recipients. 
Grace Eliza Goodwin/Insider

 

Make sure to choose editing permissions — click the Editor drop-down and select Viewer, Commenter, or Editor. If you want each person to be individually notified, click the checkbox next to Notify people, type in a message if you want, and hit Send.

Google Doc Sharing pop-up editing permissions
Choose an editing permission in the drop-down, click “Notify people,” type a message, and hit “Send.” 
Grace Eliza Goodwin/Insider

If you don’t want to share the folder via email, you can also copy and paste a URL link. Click Get link in the box beneath Share with people and groups. The box will expand to show a link and editing permissions — make sure you grant access as necessary.

Google Doc sharing pop-up get link section
In the “Get link” section, choose users’ editing permissions. 
Grace Eliza Goodwin/Insider

Once you’ve changed your permissions, click Copy link to copy it to your clipboard. Then paste the link in a text, email, messaging app, or other platform to share your folder.

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Assignment Reading Response 8 for April 11

April 4, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Updated assignment details for this week

  1. This week, please proof in EasyBib before posting.
  2. You must have at least 200 words and at least 2 paragraphs
  3. You must include a Screenshot of your text in Easybib with any corrections that are suggested.
  4. Include your screenshot with your post
  5. See “Draft your Reading Response” below for details

Overview

Our next reading will be from the media theorist Marshall McLuhan. For this reading, you have two options. Please read one of the following:

The Introduction, Chapter 1 and Chapter 7 from McLuhan’s influential 1964 book Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man.
This is a fairly straightforward text. McLuhan_UnderstandingMedia_excDownload

-or-

Selected paged from The Medium is the Massage: An Inventory of Effect, co-created by McLuhan and Quentin Fiore in 1967. This is an experimental text that relies heavily on image-text interactions. Here is a PDF: McLuhan_Fiore_Medium IsTheMassage_1967Download

Please take a look at both, to get a sense of the material, then choose one or the other to really focus on.

Consider the following:
McLuhan describes technology and media as “extensions of man.”
How do media extend human beings, or humanity in general?
What hazards might technological progress bring for individuals and society?
If “the medium is the message,” what role can artists and designers play in creating new messages?
How is the work of a designer subordinate to the media they use to create or distribute information? 

You have two options for this response.

You can write 3-4 paragraphs.

Or you can respond in a “typophotographic” manner, combining images and text.
To understand what we mean by typographic, please look at McLuhan’s work

1. Open the readings

As before, after annotating the text, create a rough draft of your response in your Research Journal. Your response should be about 200 words and checked for spelling and grammar errors. Publish your finished response on the class site, using the guidelines provided.

2. Enable Hypothesis

Login to your account and select our group (IMPORTANT!) from the dropdown to make sure your annotations and highlights will be recorded in the group.

3. Read & Annotate

Consider the questions/prompts listed above.
Start to formulate the answers to these prompts while you practice close reading with annotations.
This will be part of your grade.
Make at least 3 annotations in Hypothesis, including your questions, definitions, and ideas
Add the tags: Medium and Reading Response 8 to your annotations.

4. Draft your Reading Response

  • In your Research Journal, write a draft of your 200-word response.
  • You must use at least 2 paragraphs and 200 words in your response
  • Use Easybib app to check for grammar and spelling errors. Use the word count tool.
  • Take a screenshot of your document in Easybib and add it to your post
    screenshot on a mac: hold shift and command while you press “4”
  • Use visual examples to supplement your reading response.
  • Consider looking back at the Learning Graphic Design History videos
    or the Course Resources to see if there are historical examples that will help support your ideas.

5. Post your Reading Response.

At the top of the post copy and paste the following: McLuhan

Paste your reading response from Easybib

Be sure to add your final copy to your Research Journal.

Add links to your Hypothesis annotations at the bottom of your post.

Always add links and attribution for any images that you use in your post.

Adjust any formatting issues that may have occurred while pasting.

Use the Reading Response Example (in resources) as a guide.

Add the following title, category, and tags to your posts.

For help with adding Categories and Tags, see OpenLab Help.

    • TITLE: Reading Response 8 – Your Initials
    • CATEGORY: Reading Responses
    • TAG: Reading Response #8, McLuhan
    • TAG: Your Name

 

In addition

Outline for Final Report

Post an outline of your final report

Please be sure to add the following title, category, and tags to your posts.
For help with adding Categories and Tags, see OpenLab Help.

    • TITLE: Final Report Outline– Your Initials
    • CATEGORY: Research Paper Assignment
    • TAG: Final Report Topic
    • TAG: Your Name

 

 

Due Date

The next session Monday, April 11th, at 6pm to allow time for review.

  1. Texts

    • Selected paged from The Medium is the Massage: An Inventory of Effect, co-created by McLuhan and Quentin Fiore in 1967. This is an experimental text that relies heavily on image-text interactions. Here is a PDF: McLuhan_Fiore_Medium IsTheMassage_1967Download

 

2.  Final Report Outline

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Assignment: Reading Response 7, due 4/4

March 29, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Topic for Final Report

Post topic for your final report

Please be sure to add the following title, category, and tags to your posts. For help with adding Categories and Tags, see OpenLab Help.

    • TITLE: Final Report Topic – Your Initials
    • CATEGORY: Final Report
    • TAG: Final Report Topic
    • TAG: Your Name

Next week: Post an outline for your final report

Reading Overview

You will be reading and annotating two texts: Paul Rand’s “Good Design Is Good Will” 1987 and Steven Heller’s “Underground Mainstream” 2008. In these texts, we will compare Paul Rand’s point of view as a corporate advertising designer and Steven Heller’s critique of the complex relationship between the underground and mainstream.

Read and annotate Paul Rand’s “Good Design Is Good Will” in  Graphic Design Theory: Readings From the Field page 64-69
Steven Heller’s “Underground Mainstream” in Design Observer using our Hypothesis group.

Your response to the prompt should be about 200 words and checked for spelling and grammar errors.

Key Themes and Takeaways

Paul Rand “Good Design Is Good Will” 1987

Paul Rand was one of the most influential American graphic designers of the 20th century, known for the clear aesthetics that he adopted from European Modernism. Rand was prompted to write this article in response to what he considered poor design decisions from major corporations.

    • The relationship between designer and client should be a reciprocal one, at the highest level of management.
    • Neither the field of design nor that of marketing require any accreditation, which can lead to the proliferation of poor design that does not work well
    • Design is “a calling” rooted in the “creative impulse of an individual” and “self-realization.” Thus designers must dedicate themselves to uncovering good ideas based on instinct, aesthetics and taste.
    • The contrast between the modern surroundings of an office and the traditional setting of most homes confuses notions of quality and good design
    • Contributions of good design build the reputation and integrity of a company, which in turn has a “cultural responsibility” to “help shape its environment” and to develop goodwill toward consumers.

Steven Heller, “Underground Mainstream,” 2008

Steven Heller takes a look at the advertising industry as he delves into the complex relationship between underground and mainstream design.

    • Mainstream, corporate culture steals ideas from underground counter-cultural movements
    • ‘The avant garde is usurped when its eccentricity is deemed acceptable.’
    • Psychedelia is one example of an ‘alternative code’ that spread through youth culture before it was commodified and diluted for the mass marketplace
    • Culture-jamming appropriates the visual language of the mainstream to critique or undermine mass culture
    • In contemporary advertising, underground and mainstream have been folded into one

Instructions

Following the instructions below, read and annotate the text with your classmates in our Hypothesis group.

After reading and annotating the text, create a rough draft of your response in your Research Journal. Your response should be about 200 words.

Check for spelling and grammar errors.

Create a new post and publish your response.

1. Open the readings

In a new tab open the text Armstrong, Helen. Graphic Design Theory: Readings From the Field, Princeton Architectural Press, 2009. 

Navigate to “Good Design Is Good Will” on pages 64-69. In another tab open “Underground Mainstream” in Design Observer.

2. Enable Hypothesis

The reading links above will automatically open Hypothesis.

Login to your account and select our group. (IMPORTANT!) from the dropdown to make sure your annotations and highlights will be recorded in the group. See Using Hypothesis for details.

3. Consider these questions.

Here are the questions to which you should respond in your reading response:

    • Is the concept of mainstream vs. underground relevant in advertising of 1950’s / 1960’s and is it relevant today?
    • What is “culture jamming”?
    • Provide a visual example and description of early avant-garde culture jamming.
    • Provide a visual example and description of culture jamming today.

4. Read & Annotate.

Consider the questions/prompts listed above. Start to formulate the answers to these prompts while you practice close reading with annotations. This will be part of your grade. Share at least 3 annotations in the Hypothesis group, including your questions, definitions, and ideas with your classmates. Add the tags: Mainstream Modernism and Reading Response 7 to your annotations.

5. Draft your Reading Response.

In your Research Journal, write a draft of your 200-word response. Check for grammar and spelling errors. Use the word count tool. Use the Grammarly app or something similar to improve the clarity of your writing. Use visual examples to supplement your reading response.

Consider looking back at the Learning Graphic Design History videos or the Course Resources to see if there are historical examples that will help support your ideas.

6. Post your Reading Response.

When ready, create a new post titled “Reading Response 7 – YourInitials.”

At the top of the post copy and paste the following: Paul Rand “Good Design Is Good Will” 1987 from  Graphic Design Theory: Readings From the Field page 64-69 and Steven Heller “Underground Mainstream” in Design Observer 2008.

Copy and paste the questions/prompts listed above. Paste your reading response from your Research Journal. Add links to your annotations in the Hypothesis group at the bottom of your post. Always add links and attribution for any images that you use in your post. Adjust any formatting issues that may have occurred while pasting. Use the Reading Response (Example) as a guide.

Please be sure to add the following title, category, and tags to your posts. For help with adding Categories and Tags, see OpenLab Help.

    • TITLE: Reading Response 7 – Your Initials
    • CATEGORY: Reading Responses
    • TAG: Reading Response #7
    • TAG: Your Name

Due Date(s)

Your reading response is due the day before the next session Monday, April 4th, at 6pm to allow time for review.

Texts

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Agenda Week 8; mainstream America

March 29, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Week 8 Agenda

This Week’s Topics

At the end of this session, students should have an understanding of the following:

    • How the Avant-Garde movements of rebellion and rejection of the past (Futurism, Construcivism, Desjil, etc), culminated in the Bauhaus and were further refined in Swiss Typography/International Style found the mainstream in the capitalist version of Modernism in the American corporate identity design.
    • How advertising has influenced society and culture.

Activities

Below find the information covered in this session. Complete all of the following activities, videos, and assignments.

1. Mainstream Modernism + American Corporate Identity (approx. 60 min)

Last class, we saw the evolution of influences from the Constructivists, De Stijl, New Typography, and the Bauhaus that led to the mainstream adoption of the modernist International Typographic Style/Swiss Style in the mid 20th Century. This week we look at the American version of Modernism as corporate identity design and advertising in the 1950s-1960s began to take shape.

Modernism in the United States showed a commitment to “less is more” and a strong reliance on images and geometric forms. The approach was impartial and direct. Corporate identity design came into being during this time and favored a simplification in visual approach. Simple, sharp, and clean, designers developed cohesive brand identities. Commonplace today, designers like Paul Rand, started to used acronyms for logos and corporate brand identity. The identity manuals used today for fully branded company identities came into being.

Below are a series of videos that take you through the history of advertising, corporate identity design, and mainstream designers that influenced the field.

The New York School

Watch the Graphic Design History section on The New York School on LinkedIn Learning (this is the best option to view the work clearly!).

Or, if you must, watch the YouTube video below. NOTE: In the following video, watch from 1:18:14 to 1:18:55

The New York School – Graphic Design History (Watch from 1:18:14 to 1:18:55 )

American Corporate Identity

Watch the Graphic Design History section on American Corporate Identity on LinkedIn Learning (this is the best option to view the work clearly!).

Or, if you must, watch the YouTube video below. NOTE: In the following video, watch from 1:25:45 to 1:30:32

American Corporate Identity – Graphic Design History (Watch from 1:25:45 to 1:30:32 )

Paul Rand

Paul Rand – The Futur Academy

Branding and Belonging

Debbie Millman | The Complete History of Branding in 20 Minutes

2. Discussion: Week 8

Watch Debbie Millman’s AIGA Lecture “The Complete History of Branding in 20 Minutes” about the history of branding and respond to the prompt below.

    • If branding is how we designate meaning through language, symbols, and words, how do the brands (in the broadest sense) that you affiliate with connect you others and what is the meaning behind them?

 

3. Assignment: Reading Response 7 (2+ Hours)

Follow the assignment guidelines and prompts for Reading Response 7 – DUE Monday, April 4th, at 6pm

You will be reading and annotating essays written by Paul Rand “Good Design Is Good Will” 1987 in our main text Graphic Design Theory: Readings From the Field by Helen Armstrong and “Underground Mainstream” by Steven Heller, Design Observer, 2008.

Refer to Assignment: Reading Response 7 for prompts.

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Agenda week 8, 3/29

March 29, 2022 / / 0 Comments

This Week’s Topics

Research Project

  • Initial topic ideas are due next week
  • Project outline and proposal are due in 2 weeks

https://openlab.citytech.cuny.edu/childers-comd3504-d063-sp2022/2022/03/15/research-project-presentation/ ‎

Consider these questions.

    • How do we change the commercial design field to include a diversity of voices and visions?
    • What will the commercial design field and the study of design history look like in 20 years?

Idea: We need the best possible designers, and won’t get them if they only come from selected areas of society.

Definition: Stultify

Idea: In that sense, Vocal Type’s fonts and platform are a radical act—not just because they’re different, but because their excellence transcends their historical minority voice.

Activities

Silas Munro https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGqfvb1iTs0

Living on the Grid

Tre Seals

Introduction: Next Week’s Topics

Discussion: Mainstream America

At the end of this session, students should have an understanding of the following:

    • How the Avant-Garde movements of rebellion and rejection of the past (Futurism, Construcivism, Desjil, etc), culminated in the Bauhaus and were further refined in Swiss Typography/International Style found the mainstream in the capitalist version of Modernism in the American corporate identity design.
    • How advertising has influenced society and culture.

At the end of this session, students should have an understanding of the following:

    • How the Avant-Garde movements of rebellion and rejection of the past (Futurism, Construcivism, Desjil, etc), culminated in the Bauhaus and were further refined in Swiss Typography/International Style found the mainstream in the capitalist version of Modernism in the American corporate identity design.
    • How advertising has influenced society and culture.

1. Mainstream Modernism + American Corporate Identity

Last class, we saw the evolution of influences from the Constructivists, De Stijl, New Typography, and the Bauhaus that led to the mainstream adoption of the modernist International Typographic Style/Swiss Style in the mid 20th Century. This week we look at the American version of Modernism as corporate identity design and advertising in the 1950s-1960s began to take shape.

Modernism in the United States showed a commitment to “less is more” and a strong reliance on images and geometric forms. The approach was impartial and direct. Corporate identity design came into being during this time and favored a simplification in visual approach. Simple, sharp, and clean, designers developed cohesive brand identities. Commonplace today, designers like Paul Rand, started to used acronyms for logos and corporate brand identity. The identity manuals used today for fully branded company identities came into being.

Below are a series of videos that take you through the history of advertising, corporate identity design, and mainstream designers that influenced the field.

The New York School

Watch the Graphic Design History section on The New York School on LinkedIn Learning (this is the best option to view the work clearly!).

Or, if you must, watch the YouTube video below. NOTE: In the following video, watch from 1:18:14 to 1:18:55

The New York School – Graphic Design History (Watch from 1:18:14 to 1:18:55 )

American Corporate Identity

Watch the Graphic Design History section on American Corporate Identity on LinkedIn Learning (this is the best option to view the work clearly!).

Or, if you must, watch the YouTube video below. NOTE: In the following video, watch from 1:25:45 to 1:30:32

American Corporate Identity – Graphic Design History (Watch from 1:25:45 to 1:30:32 )

Paul Rand

Paul Rand – The Futur Academy

Branding and Belonging 

Debbie Millman | The Complete History of Branding in 20 Minutes

Discussion

Review Debbie Millman’s AIGA Lecture about the history of branding and respond to the prompt

Watch Debbie Millman’s AIGA Lecture “The Complete History of Branding in 20 Minutes” about the history of branding and respond to the prompt below.

      • If branding is how we designate meaning through language, symbols, and words, how do the brands (in the broadest sense) that you affiliate with connect you others and what is the meaning behind them?

Branding turned into belonging: belonging to a tribe, to a religion, to a family. Branding demonstrated that sense of belonging both for people that were part of the same group and also for those who did not belong.”

“The most powerful brands we are creating today are not created by corporations, they are movements created by people for people.”

for 2 weeks:

Discussion 8a: Media as Message

1. Watch the presentation for Week 8: Media as Message
2. Leave at least one question or comment on that post. You are also encouraged to respond to your peers’ comments
3. Watch the Final Presentation Guidelines Video
4. Comment on that Post with any questions or concerns that you may have.

Assignment / Homework
5. Read the PDF attached in this week’s Assignment
6. Respond with a new Post, following the instructions on that assignment
7. Comment with any questions you may have, and feel free to comment on your peers responses

Our next reading will be from the media theorist Marshall McLuhan. For this reading, you have two options. Please read one of the following:

Chapters 1 and 7 from McLuhan’s influential 1964 book Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man. This is a fairly straightforward text. Here is a PDF:

McLuhan_UnderstandingMedia_excDownload

-or-

Selected paged from The Medium is the Massage: An Inventory of Effect, co-created by McLuhan and Quentin Fiore in 1967. This is an experimental text that relies heavily on image-text interactions. Here is a PDF:

McLuhan_Fiore_MediumIsTheMassage_1967Download

Please take a look at both, to get a sense of the material, then choose one or the other to really focus on.

Please consider the following:
McLuhan describes technology and media as “extensions of man.” How do media extend human beings, or humanity in general? What hazards might technological progress bring for individuals and society? If “the medium is the message,” what role can artists and designers play in creating new messages? How is the work of a designer subordinate to the media they use to create or distribute information?

You also have two options for this response. You can write 3-4 paragraphs. Or you can create another visual or “typophoto-graphic” response, combining images and text in the style of McLuhan and Fiore’s collaboration.

3 weeks

Our next reading is from a 1981 essay by the cultural theorist, Stuart Hall. In this article, entitled The Whites of Their Eyes, Hall examines the ways in which mass media have perpetuated racist ideologies. Here is a PDF:

Hall_Whites-of-Their-Eyes_1981Download
https://openlab.citytech.cuny.edu/comd3504-ol69-spring2022/files/2022/03/Hall_Whites-of-Their-Eyes_1981.pdf

Your post for this reading will be a little different. Instead of writing 3-4 paragraphs, please identify and document 3-4 advertisements in recent magazines, web pages, posters, billboards, etc. where race, ethnicity, gender or cultural identity play a role in shaping a brand’s message.

Note that race, gender and identity can be used in a positive, embracing way, or in a cynical, negative manner; or it may be difficult to tell. The most interesting ads are probably the most subtle.

Post ads that you encounter this week, after completing the reading. And please note that they do not need to be racist or sexist per se. We’ve all seen some of the widely publicized missteps from companies such as H&M, Dove, Sony, etc. …These are all very obvious. They really don’t require critical examination and we really don’t need to see them again. Do not post them.

Look for nuanced ads in which it is clear that the advertising is aware of identity and representation. Try to find ads that show diversity in a productive and celebratory light.

Post phone pics, scans or screenshots of your selected ads with short captions describing the image and the source from which the image was found.

Here are three examples of ads that I have found recently, which I think are very interesting…

The above image is a spread that I came across in The New Yorker. I believe Tiffany & Co. is embracing the idea of blackness, in a positive way, through this ad, and ultimately attempting to reach a broader audience.

This image is a screenshot from a promotional email that I received from REI Co-op. I believe the choice to use two women, a man, and a woman of color as models was a very deliberate one. As a company REI seems to be making efforts to be more inclusive.

This is a screenshot from Nike’s homepage, on Tuesday, March 22. Happy Air Max Day everyone…I had no idea it was today! The left panel was an interesting video that showed people of all ages, genders and ethnicities, engaged in a wide variety of activities. For a company that has largely built its identity on urban streetwear, this seems like a mostly positive series of images.

Assignment

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Course Resources

March 29, 2022 / / 1 Comment

Below please find links and support materials to help you succeed in this course and beyond. If you don’t find the resources you’re looking for, just ask!

Research Support

Design Archives & Collections & Inspiration

Essays & Theory Collections

The Communication Design Theory OER bibliography lists many of the readings and essays used in this course and more.

Diversity & Inclusion in Design

Designers You Should Know

Design History

Blogs, Interviews, Podcasts

Videos / Media

LICENSE

Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC)

Unless otherwise noted, this site has a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC) license. Learn more.

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Details Research Project and Presentation

March 27, 2022 / / 4 Comments

WHY

To facilitates independent research in contemporary design and design theory.

GOAL:
1. To consider the theories discussed in class, and the contexts in which they emerged
2. locate current design projects created within the framework established by these theories.

OBJECTIVE: To  draw connections between your idea and a specific design theory that has been covered in class
RESULT: The findings from this research will be shared with the class through a visual display and presentation.

TOPIC

Your research should explore the relationship between
1: specific theories
2: and the contemporary design that puts these theories into practice.

 

The design work that you address should be a project completed in the past 40 years, with a definite form and scope. You do not need to limit your research to a singular work, but it is not an examination of a designer’s full career.

For example, “the work of Paula Scher” is far too broad. “Paula Scher’s environmental design” is a better topic, but should still be more exact. “Paula Scher’s brand identity campaign for the Public Theatre, from 1993 to 2004” or “Paula Scher’s environmental design for NJPAC” are both excellent premises.

The theory that you apply can begin with one of our assigned readings, but should branch out to include related or derivative ideas and texts.

Keeping with the “environmental design for NJPAC” example, you might explore the influence of Rodchenko’s manifesto, “Who We Are…,” on Scher’s conceptual approach and formal aesthetics. This is a good starting point, which opens the discussion to a wide range of possibilities; Rodchenko was a prolific writer who wrote many more texts; designer-writers such as László Moholy-Nagy, Vladimir Tatlin or Sergei Eisenstein expanded Rodchenko’s ideas in new directions which are also relevant to Scher’s work; and Scher herself has written about and discussed the ways in which she applies Constructivist ideas to her own work. All of these should be considered. Or you might connect seemingly unrelated ideas; perhaps McLuhan’s media theory helps to identify ways in which Scher’s all-over graphics use Constructivist ideals to convey her message through the medium of architecture.

From here you might develop a new theory, such as “Paula Scher utilizes Neo-Constructivist design strategies to reinvent the expressive potential of existing media.” Using the example of NJPAC to demonstrate this theory would make for an excellent presentation.

RESEARCH

Conducted in a rigorous manner, as if completing a 10-12 page paper.

In addition to assigned readings, you must cite
• at least 10 sources, including proper citation information and a bibliography in MLA format.

You will submit your bibliography, along with a digital file containing your poster to our OpenLab site on May 9.

Poster / Slide Deck

Instead of typing a research paper, the results of your investigation will be presented as an academic Poster Session. This format is well-suited for our purposes in that it allows you to present ideas and findings in a visually stimulating manner, while also provoking new discussions.

Poster Sessions are commonly held in academic conferences, where recent research findings or studies-in-progress are presented, typically for a relatively small group of peers and colleagues. Information is generally presented as a network or web with different strains of thought branching out from one another, or in a linear progression from a starting point to a final outcome. The former often appears much like the outline for a paper, while the latter can be a sequence of presentation slides. Either of these approaches are fine for our purposes, as are combinations or derivations of the two.

As design students, you will be expected to create visually appealing posters or slide shows. Information should be organized clearly and succinctly, in a style evocative of the designs and ideas under consideration. Though the visuals are ostensibly an aid to your presentation, they should be interesting and engaging in their own right.

The traditional format for a poster is exactly that – a large sheet of paper displaying information. Obviously the online learning environment has altered the conditions of these presentations, for both our class and for academia as a whole. Yet research has continued around the world, and we will continue to adapt to our current situation.

As designers, we must not only respond to this environment, but re-write some of the rules. This presentation should offer an opportunity to explore the limits of visual representation in the asynchronous online classroom. We will obviously all need to record our presentations to be shared with the class. For this video, you could do this with an interesting slide deck. Or you could hold printed graphics in front of the camera. You might experiment with a flow chart in Prezi, or create and walk us through a simple interactive website. These sorts of ambitious visual aids can be powerful tools for delivering your message.

Video Presentation


You will be responsible for assembling and recording a 10-15 minute presentation, during which you will present your topic, aided by your visual. You should consider the ways in which you will navigate information to outline your topic in a compelling, engaging manner.

You will be required to view, and comment on, all of your peers’ presentations. Your grade for the presentation will be determined by the quality of your own presentation as well as your contributions to every discussion.

Presentations will be shared during our final two weeks of class, beginning on May 9 and May 16. You are required to have your bibliography and visuals completed and posted by May 9. Half of the class will be required to post final videos on May 9, the remaining half will be required to post on May 16. We will determine a schedule for presentation uploads in the weeks leading up to the 9th.

You will be required to post versions of your presentation and bibliography to OpenLab in the weeks leading up to the final poster sessions.

Expectations

– Visuals should present clear, coherent information, in a logically organized manner.
– Viewers should be able to readily identify your research questions, your method of inquiry, the literature employed, and your overarching thesis.
– It should be clear that original research has led to a synthesis unique to your subject.
– Your visuals should be neat and professional, utilizing design standards consistent with the topic at hand.
– Relevant images should be carefully selected and placed within your presentation, with considerations made for reproduction quality.
– Organization and care in assembly will be taken into consideration.
– Presentations should be equally clear, with ideas confidently articulated.
– Presentations should be rehearsed, and should adhere to a planned narrative or script
– Pace and diction should be stimulating for your peers, offering information in a manner that can be grasped and processed in a thought-provoking manner.
– Presenters should pose questions intended to engage viewers with the ideas presented.
– Viewers should ask questions that challenge assertions in a productive manner, inviting the possibility for further research or for applying theories in additional contexts.

We should all begin to consider ideas that we might like to address in our presentations. Potential topics will begin to play a role in discussions and assignments in the coming weeks.

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Assignment: Reading Response 6, due March 28

March 22, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Overview

As we start to wrap up the “groundwork” of design theory (where revolutionary ideas evolved into mainstream modernism and corporate commercial design), let’s take moment to consider that in the history of design, not every story gets told. Why?

You will be reading and annotating three essays written by Madeleine Morley, Silas Munro, and Alice Rawsthorn looking at the lack of diversity in the design field and relatedly, design history.

Read and annotate

Celebrating the African-American Practitioners Absent From Way Too Many Classroom Lectures by Madeleine Morley, Eye on Design, 2018,

Typography as a Radical Act in an Industry Ever-dominated by White Men by Silas Munro, Eye on Design, 2019

https://eyeondesign.aiga.org/celebrating-the-african-american-practitioners-absent-from-way-too-many-classroom-lectures/

Design Gets More Diverse by Alice Rawsthorn, NYTimes, 2011

As you read, consider these questions

  • How do we change the commercial design field to include a diversity of voices and visions?
  • What will the commercial design field and the study of design history look like in 20 years?

 

If you want to watch Helvetica, see it here Helvetica

 

Assignment: Reading Response 6 (2+ Hours)

Follow the assignment guidelines and prompts: Reading Response 6

You will be reading and annotating three essays written by Madeleine Morley, Silas Munro, and Alice Rawsthorn looking at the lack of diversity in the design field and design history.

 

1. Open the readings

In new tabs, open the essays

Celebrating the African-American Practitioners Absent From Way Too Many Classroom Lectures by Madeleine Morley, Eye on Design, 2018,

Typography as a Radical Act in an Industry Ever-dominated by White Men by Silas Munro, Eye on Design, 2019

Design Gets More Diverse by Alice Rawsthorn, NYTimes, 2011

As before, after annotating the text, create a rough draft of your response in your Research Journal. Your response should be about 200 words and checked for spelling and grammar errors. Publish your finished response on the class site, using the guidelines provided.

2. Enable Hypothesis

The reading links above will automatically open Hypothesis.
Login to your account and select our group (IMPORTANT!) from the dropdown to make sure your annotations and highlights will be recorded in the group.

3. Consider these questions.

Here are the questions to which you should respond in your reading response. Be sure to reference and cite the three essays, but form and share your own opinions too.

    • How do we change the commercial design field to include a diversity of voices and visions?
    • What will the commercial design field and the study of design history look like in 20 years?

4. Read & Annotate.

Consider the questions/prompts listed above. Start to formulate the answers to these prompts while you practice close reading with annotations. This will be part of your grade. Share at least 3 annotations in the Hypothesis group, including your questions, definitions, and ideas with your classmates. Add the tags: Diversify Design and Reading Response 6 to your annotations.

5. Draft your Reading Response.

In your Research Journal, write a draft of your 200-word response.

Check for grammar and spelling errors. Use the word count tool.

Use the Grammarly app or something similar to improve the clarity of your writing.

Use visual examples to supplement your reading response.

Consider looking back at the Learning Graphic Design History videos
or the Course Resources to see if there are historical examples that will help support your ideas.

6. Post your Reading Response.

When ready, create a new post titled “Reading Response 6 – YourInitials.”

At the top of the post copy and paste the following:

Celebrating the African-American Practitioners Absent From Way Too Many Classroom Lectures by Madeleine Morley, Eye on Design, 2018,

Typography as a Radical Act in an Industry Ever-dominated by White Men by Silas Munro, Eye on Design, 2019

Design Gets More Diverse by Alice Rawsthorn, NYTimes, 2011

Paste your reading response from your Research Journal.

Add links to your annotations in the Hypothesis group at the bottom of your post.

Always add links and attribution for any images that you use in your post.

Adjust any formatting issues that may have occurred while pasting.

Use the Reading Response (Example) as a guide.

Please be sure to add the following title, category, and tags to your posts. For help with adding Categories and Tags, see OpenLab Help.

    • TITLE: Reading Response 6 – Your Initials
    • CATEGORY: Reading Responses
    • TAG: Reading Response #6
    • TAG: Your Name
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Agenda Week 7, 3/22

March 22, 2022 / / 0 Comments

At the end of this session, students should have an understanding of the following:

  • Evolution and adoption of the International Style and influence on the current design field.
  • Guidelines and due date for the Week 7 Discussion
  • Expectations and due date for Research Project Outline
  • Prompt and due date for Reading Response 6

 

Activities

Below find the information covered in this session.

Consider

    • In 1930, Beatrice Warde, a publicist for the leading typeface corporation, Monotype, gave a lecture called The Crystal Goblet, or Why Printing Should Be Invisible.
    • In it, she uses a metaphor of optimal typography as a crystal goblet, beautifully built yet transparent, allowing for the clarity of words and ideas to be shared without distractions.After reading the writings from Jan Tschichold, “The Principles of the New Typography” pg35-38, Karl Gerstner, Designing Programmes pg55-61, Joseph Muller-Brockman, “Grid and Design Philosophy” pg62-63 in our main text Graphic Design Theory: Readings From the Field by Helen Armstrong. And watching the documentary “Helvetica” consider the following…Is Helvetica invisible?When answering this question, reference the theories presented by Tschichold, Gerstner, and Muller-Brockman and any of the opinions presented in the documentary that resonated with you.

1. Typography and International Style Evolution (1.5 hours)

The early European avant-garde designers like the Futurists, Dadaists, and Constructivists changed the way we use typography. Today we may use typography, not just to communicate information or data, but as a compositional element to communicate a tone, feeling, or idea.

In the readings this week we were introduced to the ideas of three designers who shared a passion for typography and layout that was clean, efficient, and structured. Influenced by the Dutch De Stijl and Bauhaus movements their work aimed to achieve a universal method for visual communication.

This evolution of influences from the Constructivists, De Stijl, New Typography, and the Bauhaus led to the mainstream adoption of the modernist International Typographic Style or Swiss Style in the mid 20th Century and beyond.

New Typography

Swiss designer, Jan Tschichold was influenced by the Dutch De Stijl movement and the Bauhaus. In his book “The Principles of the New Typography” in 1928 Tschichold promoted dynamic asymmetry, san serif fonts, and many of the tenets of the Bauhaus. He believed that typography should never distract from the goal of relaying information as efficiently as possible. Layout was based on mathematical calculations to promote visual hierarchy, but he also valued beauty and spirituality.

With the volume of information and data shared today, clarity in typography and layout is as important, if not more important as it was when Tschichold formulated his ideas.

Rewatch the Graphic Design History section on New Typography on LinkedIn Learning or in the YouTube video below to refresh your knowledge of this movement. NOTE: In the following video, watch from 44:02 to 48:09

New Typography – Graphic Design History (Watch from 44:02 to 48:09 )

Swiss Style / International Typographic Style

The next generation Swiss designers and pioneers of the Swiss Style, Karl Gerstner, and Joseph Muller-Brockman created and spread their systematic approach to design across Europe and America. The typographic tools for layout and typography that we use today in Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, etc. grow out of the structured grid and typographic methods of the Swiss Style. Web design also relies on the grid for clear communication.

Watch the Graphic Design History section on Swiss Typography on LinkedIn Learning or in the YouTube video below to refresh your knowledge of this movement. NOTE: In the following video, watch from 1:21:57 to 1:25:45

Swiss Style / International Typographic Style – Graphic Design History (Watch from 1:21:57 to 1:25:45)

Confoederatio Helvetica  = Switzerland (in Latin)

Originating from the early Avant-Garde, the Swiss Style / International Typographic Style (and the modernist aesthetic in general) reaches its height in the 1950s and 1960s. In America, it transforms corporate advertising.

In preparation for our look at corporate identity design and advertising next week, let’s look at the ultimate Swiss Style typeface “Helvetica.” Designed in 1957 it became a hallmark of the International Typographic Style and one of the most popular typefaces of the mid-20th century.

Watch this documentary “Helvetica” from 2007. Note the mention of MySpace and other dated references. Also note that the documentary, which focuses on a typeface that was intended to be a universal typeface, is lacking a diversity of voices.

You will need to Log into the Citytech Library

LINK: https://citytech.kanopy.com/video/helvetica-2

 

2. Research Project Outline (30 min)

Review the Research Project & Presentation guidelines again and create a formal outline of your research project due Sunday, October 17th, at 6pm

Create your Research Project Outline in Google Docs with the following content:

1. Introduction
Explain in detail the topic you are examining and why it is significant.

2. Background/Review of the Literature

Include a summary of the basic background information on the topic gleaned from your literature and sources review (you can include information from the readings and class, but the bulk should be outside sources).

3. Rationale

A description of the questions you are examining and why you are exploring this topic.

4. Method and Design

A description of how you will go about collecting resources/data and how you plan to present the information in your presentation.

5. References

List the resources and references you have found so far. Include all references in MLA style.

Create a new post following the guidelines below.

    • TITLE: Research Project Outline – Your Initials
    • CATEGORY: Research Project
    • TAG: Research Project Outline
    • TAG: Your Name

3. Assignment: Reading Response 6 (2+ Hours)

Follow the assignment guidelines and prompts: Reading Response 6 – DUE Sunday, October 17th, at 6pm

You will be reading and annotating three essays written by Madeleine Morley, Silas Munro, and Alice Rawsthorn looking at the lack of diversity in the design field and design history. Refer to Assignment: Reading Response 6 for prompts.

Read and annotate

Celebrating the African-American Practitioners Absent From Way Too Many Classroom Lectures by Madeleine Morley, Eye on Design, 2018,

Typography as a Radical Act in an Industry Ever-dominated by White Men by Silas Munro, Eye on Design, 2019

Design Gets More Diverse by Alice Rawsthorn, NYTimes, 2011

As before, after annotating the text, create a rough draft of your response in your Research Journal.
Your response should be about 200 words and checked for spelling and grammar errors.
Publish your finished response on the class site, using the guidelines provided.

For help, look at the Reading Response example

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Agenda week 6; 3/15

March 15, 2022 / / 0 Comments
March 15, 2022

Tasks Due Today

  • Research Paper

This Week’s Topics

At the end of this session, students should have an understanding of the following:

  • How to define your Research Project Topic / Question
  • The Research Project & Presentation guidelines and due date

 

 

Begin class: What is your manifesto?

Write for 5 minutes in your research journal

Use bulleted points that you can share the class

Discussion

 What is design?

The objective for this discussion is to compose your Design Manifesto.

Use short declarative statements to define the philosophy, intentions and requirements for the designer of today.

State the social, political and ethical questions that are necessary for a designer to consider.

Identify the technological concerns that designers must embrace or reject. Don’t shy away from poetics or abstraction.

Feel free to re-write passages from the Futurist and Constructivist manifestos that we’ve read.

 

 Grades
It will take a bit of time for me to read the papers posted this week.
Grades for the first paper will be posted before next weeks class.

Activities

Below find the information covered in this session. Complete all of the following activities, videos, and assignments.

1. Finding Your Research Topic (30 min)

“Our identity is abstract and ever-changing. The ways in which we’re shaped by our world can evolve as the world around us changes and we encounter new experiences… With diverse representation comes a wealth of experiences and perspectives that elevate the design industry.” KALEENA SALES FROM EXTRA BOLD, PRINCETON ARCHITECTURAL PRESS, 2021.

Who are you? What do you care about?:

What is your manifesto?
 
This week we will take a look at the Research Project guidelines and begin in earnest to define our project topic and proposal.
Use your Research Project to bring awareness to the issues that matter to you as an individual, as a global citizen, as a designer.
 
Use your own manifesto to define what today’s designer should be thinking about, rebelling against, and acting on.
Take another look at what you wrote.
In your Research Journal, you should be collecting your influences, the “stuff” that informs your design aesthetic, and what you believe in. As communication designers, we are always collecting and sampling from the world in which we live.
Nothing is truly original. This video below uses music as its subject to show that we are constantly “sampling” from and influenced by past and present cultures. If you were to collect all your visual, musical, and cultural, “samples” what would your collection look like? Use your influences to help direct your research project topic ideas.

 
Kirby Ferguson – How Sampling Altered The Universe

If you haven’t seen it yet, watch Abstract: The Art of Design > Paula Scher to learn how a designer’s 40-year career was influenced by her life, her culture, her city, her passion.

Abstract: The Art of Design > Paula Scher

Defining Your Research Topic

Your research should explore the relationship between specific theories that we cover in class and a specific contemporary design project, aesthetic, or approach within the last 40 years that puts these theories into practice. Begin with a particular writing, concept, or design project that you find compelling and draw connections between it and the theories we’ve discussed.

Start broad and then focus in.

You might start broadly with a general area of interest.

    • Design + Gender
    • Design + Diversity
    • Design + Protest
    • Design + Gaming
    • Design + Health
    • Design + Politics
    • Design + Identity
    • Design + Technology
    • Design + Music
    • Design + Social Justice
    • Design + Film
    • Design + ?

Check out AIGA’s Eye On Design for numerous examples that would make interesting design theory research topics. You will need to define your own topic, but these should give you some ideas.

Embrace the past

It’s difficult to look at our current time to clearly see what will be influential to the next generation (which styles or trends or political or cultural influences will have a lasting impact), but we can look to the past to see what, how, and why those influences are visible today, whether as reaction/rebellion or as influence/nostalgia. We are always asking WHY? Here are two examples where a designer, design movement, or graphic style was influenced by the past (pop culture, politics, technologies, social conflicts). When exploring these types of topics, historical sources should play a big role.

Reject the past

We can also look at current social-political movements to look deeply at our design field and our culture to consider how these events are influencing the present design field. In these examples, current social-political changes are informing/changing our approach to language, communication, design, and how we relate to each other. When exploring these topics the theories of communication, meaning, psychology, signs & symbols, etc. play a big role. Again we are always asking WHY?

Defining Your Research Question

Once you have narrowed down your research topic. Start to ask some questions in order to define your research question or thesis statement. Here are some tips.

 
Developing a Research Question – City Tech Library

Choosing a Research Topic: Purdue Online Writing Lab

Writing Strong Thesis Statements: Purdue Online Writing Lab

 

2. Research Project & Presentation Guidelines 

Review the Research Project and Presentation guidelines and start to define your research topic following the suggestions.

 
The Research Project is designed to facilitate independent research in contemporary design and design theory.
 
Your goal will be to consider the ideas and theories we discuss in this course, and the contexts in which they emerged, and identify a design project, designer, or style that puts these ideas into practice.
 
Your findings from this research will be shared with the class through a 10-15 minute audio-visual presentation (ie: a video slideshow with narration) at the end of the semester.

Find detailed guidelines in Research Project & Presentation

 

 

3. Assignment: Reading Response 5 (2+ Hours)

DUE Monday, March 21, at 6pm

The prompt for this week is an overly simple one from 3 texts from designers who employed systematic approaches to their work.
 
How should one design?
 
For this one you can answer with 3-4 paragraphs, as usual, or you can create a visual response, incorporating text with design elements.
 
If you choose the visual response, use the systematic approach outlined in these texts to create your design, then upload a jpeg or pdf file.
 
Readings
Jan Tschichold, The New Typography (1928):

Tschichold_NewTypoDownload

Karl Gerstner, Designing Programmes (1964):

Gerstner_DesigningProgrammes Download

Josef Müller-Brockmann, Grid and Design Philosophy (1981):

MullerBrockmann_Grid_Des-PhilDownload
 
The focus of these texts is the evolution of the International Style from the New Typography movement and the Bauhaus of the 1920-1940s to Swiss Typography and the embrace of European modernism of the 1950’s. Read Jan Tschichold, “The Principles of the New Typography” pg35-38, Karl Gerstner, Designing Programmes pg55-61, Joseph Muller-Brockman, “Grid and Design Philosophy” pg62-63 in our Hypothesis group. 
 
These are found in our main text Graphic Design Theory: Readings From the Field by Helen Armstrong.
 
As before, after annotating the text, create a rough draft of your response in your Research Journal. Your response should be about 200 words and checked for spelling and grammar errors. Publish your finished response on the class site, using the guidelines provided.

Resources

Assignment: Reading Response 5

Discussion Week 6

Research Project & Presentation

Using Hypothesis

Research Journal

Grammarly

Reading Response (Example) post

Research Project Presentation

 

0

Assignment: Reading Response 5

March 15, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Overview

Our next reading assignment includes 3 texts from designers who employed systematic approaches to their work.
According to Jan Tschichold, Karl Gerstner, and Josef Müller-Brockmann, How should one design?
For this one you can answer with 3-4 paragraphs, as usual, or you can create a visual response, incorporating text with design elements.
If you choose the visual response, use the systematic approach outlined in these texts to create your design, then upload a jpeg or pdf file.

The focus of these texts is the evolution of the International Style from the New Typography movement and the Bauhaus of the 1920-1940s to Swiss Typography and the embrace of European modernism of the 1950’s.

 

 

They are as follows: Jan Tschichold, The New Typography (1928):

Tschichold_NewTypoDownload,

Karl Gerstner, Designing Programmes (1964):

Gerstner_DesigningProgrammes Download

Josef Müller-Brockmann, Grid and Design Philosophy (1981):

MullerBrockmann_Grid_Des-PhilDownload ”

Read Jan Tschichold, “The Principles of the New Typography” pg35-38,
Karl Gerstner, Designing Programmes pg55-61,
Joseph Muller-Brockman, “Grid and Design Philosophy” pg62-63

These are found in our main text Graphic Design Theory: Readings From the Field by Helen Armstrong.

Key Themes and Takeaways

Jan Tschichold, “The Principles of the New Typography” 1928

Tschichold possessed a deep knowledge of traditional graphics and type, but rejected virtually all pre-modern conventions after visiting the first Bauhaus exhibition in 1923. He published The New Typography three years later. In 1933 the ruling Nazi party imprisoned him for spreading Communist ideas. Shortly thereafter Tschichold fled to Switzerland, where he remained for the rest of his life, continuing to design, but rejecting the modern typographic principles of his early work.

    • The new typography is defined by clarity and economy of expression, as opposed to ideas of beauty and ornamentation
    • Typography must not arise out of preconceived ideas, but by developing form from the function of the text
    • Asymmetry is optically effective, as it establishes definite, logical relationships within the text
    • Standardization of type achieves clear and objective forms, as standardized building materials are necessary for architecture
    • For the typographer ‘the most important requirement is to be objective’

Karl Gerstner, “Designing Programmes” 1964

Karl Gerstner’s approach to design embodies the International Typographic Style, aka the Swiss Style, in its systematic methods and formal rigidity. In Designing Programmes, Gerstner describes the quasi-scientific technique of establishing a programme to address design problems.

    • There is no ‘absolute solution’ for design problems, only ‘programmes for solutions’
    • ‘The creative process is to be reduced to an act of selection.’
    • Systematic tools such as the ‘morphological box of the typogram’ provide the necessary components for the selection process
    • The grid can be a ‘proportional regulator’ but is not a programme onto itself

Joseph Muller-Brockman, “Grid and Design Philosophy” 1981

Grid Systems is a practical manual for grid-based design solutions, a theoretical treatise, and a brilliant example of the grid system at work. Müller-Brockmann’s strict rule-based methodology anticipates the digital workspaces that would come to dominate design in subsequent years. The short excerpt defines this philosophy.

    • The grid is ‘an expression of a certain mental attitude’
    • The designer’s work should be a ‘contribution to general culture’
    • Design should be ‘objective, committed to the common weal…the basis of democratic behavior’
    • The grid represents a ‘will to systematize, to clarify’

Consider these questions.

    • How do each of these designers/authors think you should approach design?
    • Include an example of contemporary typography/layout that embodies each of these three design systems or philosophies. And explain why!

 

Instructions

Read and annotate the text  in our Hypothesis group.

After reading and annotating the text, create a rough draft of your response in your Research Journal.

Your response should be about 200 words.

Check spelling and grammar.

Lastly, create a new post and publish your response.

1. Open the readings

In a new tab open the text Armstrong, Helen. Graphic Design Theory: Readings From the Field, Princeton Architectural Press, 2009. 

Navigate to pages 35-38 and 55-63.

2. Enable Hypothesis

The reading links above will automatically open Hypothesis.
Login to your account and select our group  (IMPORTANT!) from the dropdown to make sure your annotations and highlights will be recorded in the group.

3. Consider these questions.

Here are the questions to which you should respond in your reading response:

  • How do each of these designers/authors think you should approach design?
  • Include an example of contemporary typography/layout that embodies each of these three design systems or philosophies. And explain why!

4. Read & Annotate.

Consider the questions/prompts listed above. Start to formulate the answers to these prompts while you practice close reading with annotations. This will be part of your grade. Share at least 3 annotations in the Hypothesis group, including your questions, definitions, and ideas with your classmates. Add the tags: International Style and Reading Response 5 to your annotations.

5. Draft your Reading Response.

In your Research Journal, write a draft of your 200-word response.
Check for grammar and spelling errors. Use the word count tool.
Use the Pro Writing Aid or Grammarly app to improve the clarity of your writing.
Use visual examples to supplement your reading response.
Consider looking back at the Learning Graphic Design History videos or the Course Resources to see if there are historical examples that will help support your ideas.

6. Post your Reading Response.

When ready, create a new post titled “Reading Response 5 – Your Initials.”

At the top of the post copy and paste the following: Jan Tschichold, “The Principles of the New Typography” pg35-38, Karl Gerstner, Designing Programmes pg55-61, Joseph Muller-Brockman, “Grid and Design Philosophy” pg62-63 from Graphic Design Theory: Readings From the Field by Helen Armstrong.

Paste your reading response from your Research Journal.
Add links to your annotations in the Hypothesis group at the bottom of your post.
Always add links and attribution for any images that you use in your post.
Adjust any formatting issues that may have occurred while pasting.
Use the Reading Response (Example) as a guide.

Please be sure to add the following title, category, and tags to your posts. For help with adding Categories and Tags, see OpenLab Help.

    • TITLE: Reading Response 5 – Your Initials
    • CATEGORY: Reading Responses
    • TAG: Reading Response #5
    • TAG: Your Name

Due Date(s)

Your reading response is due the day before the next session Monday, March 21, at 6pm to allow time for review.

Resources

More info

Texts

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Research Project Openlab Post (Example)

March 15, 2022 / / 3 Comments

This post demonstrates how to format and present your final Research Project Presentation post

Use :

TITLE: Research Project Presentation – Your Initials

CATEGORY: Research Project

TAG: Your Name

 

Title of Research Project (Heading H2)

The ideas presented in this Research Project…. Donec rutrum congue leo eget malesuada. Donec rutrum congue leo eget malesuada. Curabitur arcu erat, accumsan id imperdiet et, porttitor at sem. Vestibulum ac diam sit amet quam vehicula elementum sed sit amet dui. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Quisque velit nisi, pretium ut lacinia in, elementum id enim. Mauris blandit aliquet elit, eget tincidunt nibh pulvinar a. Praesent sapien massa, convallis a pellentesque nec, egestas non nisi.

Title of Video by Your Name

Annotated Bibliography / Links: (Heading H3)

    1. Annotated Bibliography
    2. Research Project Slides

Additional Resources (Heading H4)

    1. Source materials
    2. Video Resources
    3. Library Resouces
0

Research Project & Presentation

March 15, 2022 / / 5 Comments

Overview

The Research Project and Presentation is designed to facilitate independent research in contemporary design and design theory. Your goal will be to consider the ideas and theories we discuss in this course, and the contexts in which they emerged. You will identify a design project, designer, or style that puts these ideas into practice and formulate a clear research topic or question. Your findings from this research will be shared with the class through a 10-15 slide audio-visual presentation (ie: a video slideshow with narration) posted to this site.

Your Research Project should be conducted in a rigorous manner. In addition to assigned readings, you must cite at least 10 sources, including proper citation information, and an annotated bibliography in MLA format. You will post an annotated bibliography, along with a link to your video presentation, to our OpenLab Course site Week 14 (Dec 14) to allow time for feedback from your classmates.

Due Dates

    • Initial topic ideas are due Week 7
    • Project outline and proposal are due Week 9

Defining Your Research Topic

Use this Research Project to bring awareness to the issues that matter to you as an individual, a global citizen, and a designer. Your research should explore the relationship between specific theories that we cover in class and a specific contemporary design project, aesthetic, or approach within the last 40 years that puts these theories into practice. Begin with a particular writing, concept, or design project that you find compelling and draw connections between it and the theories we’ve discussed.

Start broad and then focus in. 

You might start broadly with a general area of interest.

    • Design + Gender
    • Design + Diversity
    • Design + Protest
    • Design + Gaming
    • Design + Health
    • Design + Politics
    • Design + Identity
    • Design + Technology
    • Design + Music
    • Design + Social Justice
    • Design + Film
    • Design + ?

Check out AIGA’s Eye On Design for numerous examples that would make interesting design theory research topics. You will need to define your own topic, but these should give you some ideas.

Embracing the past

It’s difficult to look at our current time to clearly see what will be influential to the next generation (which styles or trends or political or cultural influences will have a lasting impact), but we can look to the past to see what, how, and why those influences are visible today, whether as reaction/rebellion or as influence/nostalgia. We are always asking WHY?

Here are two examples where a designer, design movement, or graphic style was influenced by the past (pop culture, politics, technologies, social conflicts). When exploring these types of topics, historical sources should play a big role.

Rejecting the past

We can also look at current social-political movements to look deeply at our design field and our culture to consider how these events are influencing the present design field. In these examples, current social-political changes are informing/changing our approach to language, communication, design, and how we relate to each other. When exploring these topics the theories of communication, meaning, psychology, signs & symbols, etc. play a big role.

Again we are always asking WHY?

Defining Your Research Question

Once you have narrowed down your research topic. Start to ask some questions in order to define your research question or thesis statement. Here are some tips.

Developing a Research Question – City Tech Library

Choosing a Research Topic: Purdue Online Writing Lab

Writing Strong Thesis Statements: Purdue Online Writing Lab

Finding Sources

This 5-minute video tutorial goes over the basics of using the City Tech Library databases.

Database Detectives

Research Resources

Preparing your research

  1. Create and submit a detailed outline of your Research Project & Presentation using Google Docs. Make sure your research question/statement is clearly presented with relevant subtopics and a conclusion.
  2. Develop each section of your presentation with cited sources to support each of the ideas you are presenting. Include images and video to support your ideas.
  3. In addition to referencing our assigned readings, you must cite at least 10 sources with proper citation information in an annotated bibliography in MLA format. Create your annotated bibliograpy as your do your research.

Your Annotated Bibliography

Writing an annotated bibliography is excellent preparation for a research project. Just collecting sources for a bibliography is useful, but when you have to write annotations for each source, you’re forced to read each source more carefully. You begin to read more critically instead of just collecting information.

OWL PURDUE “WHY SHOULD I WRITE AN ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY?”

  • Use Google Docs to write and organize your sources and annotations.
  • Use the MLA style to format your Annotated Bibliography.
  • Cite all materials researched for historical context, any related writings, and image sources.
  • Review this guide to understand what and why of Annotated Bibliographies.
  • Refer to this guide with samples when formating your annotated bibliography
  • City Tech Library also has an Annotated Bibliography Tutorial

Your Presentation Format

Your Research Project will culminate in a 10-15 slideshow with your voiceover narration. The presentations should be no more than 10 minutes long. You may use any method you prefer to construct your slideshow (Powerpoint, Google Slides, Adobe Presenter, Preview slideshow, Presi, etc.) and any method for recording your voiceover and saving your video file (Zoom Recording, Screencast-o-matic, Yuja, etc). Your finished presentation should be uploaded (unlisted) to YouTube.

    • Your presentation and corresponding visuals should start with a title slide and an introduction that includes the main points of your presentation. And it should end with a conclusion that ties together all of the ideas presented.
    • You thesis questions, the main idea you wish to communicate, should weave throughout your presenation.
    • Visuals should present clear, coherent information, in a logically organized manner.
    • Viewers should be able to readily identify your research questions, your method of inquiry, the literature employed, and your overarching thesis.
    • It should be clear that original research has led to a synthesis unique to your subject.
    • Your visuals should be neat and professional, utilizing design standards consistent with the topic at hand.
    • Relevant images should be carefully selected and placed within your layout, with considerations made for reproduction quality.
    • Organization and care in assembly will be taken into consideration.
    • Presentations should be equally clear, with ideas confidently articulated.
    • Presentations should be rehearsed, and should adhere to a planned narrative or script
    • Pace and diction should be stimulating for your peers, offering information in a manner that can be grasped and processed in a thought-provoking manner.
    • Your presentation slideshow should be designed to reflect the style, designer, movement, or theory you are presenting. Be creative and have fun!

Presentation Tips & Tools

Below find some helpful links for tips and tools you can use to assemble and record your Research Presentation.

UPLOAD TO YOUTUBE

    • Follow these guidelines to upload your finished Research Presentation video to YouTube.
    • Set your video as Unlisted and copy the Video Link
    • Paste into your OpenLab Post.

ALTERNATE METHOD FOR VIDEO UPLOAD:

If you have trouble uploading your video to YouTube, use the method below.

    • Upload your video to Dropbox or GoogleDrive
    • Make the file public/anyone with link and copy the URL
    • Take a screenshot of your title slide or video frame
    • Upload and embed the screenshot image in your post
    • Turn your image into a link by select the screenshot image in your post and click the chainlink icon
    • Click on the pencil icon to edit the link and paste the Dropbox or GoogleDrive URL into the “Paste URL” box.
    • Press the Apply arrow.

 

Submitting Your Presentation

    1. Create an OpenLab Post. (Example Post)
      • TITLE: Research Project Presentation – Your Initials
      • CATEGORY: Research Project
      • TAG: Your Name
    2. Add the title of your Research Project as a heading.
    3. Write a brief introduction to your Research Project.
    4. Embed your presenation in the post by pasting the YouTube link below the introduction.
    5. Use text to indicate the link to your Annotated Bibliography (ie: Annotated Bibliography), select this text, and make it a link to your Google doc. (Do not paste the entire Google Doc link in the post). Make sure the Google Doc link is set to “Anyone with the link.”
    6. Publish your post!
    7. Refer to this Example Post to see how the post should be formatted.

 

Additional information

More Details: Research Project and Presentation. 

Research Project Openlab Post (Example)

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Assignment: Research Journal

March 15, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Overview

Each week you will add to your online Research Journal, documenting and critically reflecting on your influences, history, culture, likes, and dislikes. This practice of being curious about your own design aesthetic is a way to gain experience engaging with critical design theory.

Your Research Journal is a place for collecting ideas, freewriting, images, links, videos, and other media to help you develop your ideas and formulate your research topic.

It can also be a place to reflect on the readings and write your rough drafts before they are put into a formal post, comment, or paper.

Your journal may be private or public throughout the semester but it should be submitted at the midterm and end of the semester for review.

Get Started!

We will be using Google Docs for our Research Journals because most students already use Google or Gmail. If you don’t have an Account, you can create one here.

    1. Create a new google doc: docs.google.com/create
    2. You may format your Research Journal in whatever way works best for you, but a good informational structure is helpful.
    3. Here is a starter doc with headings, table of contents, and footnotes: Template Research Journal
    4. Add headings and table of contents to structure your Research Journal.
    5. Use spelling & grammar check and word count.
      1. Google Help Center > Spell Check
      2. Google Help Center > Word Count

Submit your Research Journal

Twice during the semester, you will share your Research Journal with your professor. If there is anything in the journal you don’t wish to share, you may duplicate the journal, remove the parts you want to keep private and submit it for review.

Due Dates

  • Midterm
  • Final

Submission Process

    1. Get your Research Journal ready to share by creating a sharable link.
    2. Create a post with the title: Research Journal (your initials)
    3. Write a brief reflection about the experience of keeping this Research Journal.
    4. Paste the sharable link into the post.
    5. To keep your post private and so only the professor can see your Research Journal, choose Visibility > Private when you post.
Gutenberg - Content Visibility Private
 

 

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Assignment: Research Paper 1

March 8, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Overview

Select a design or design object created after 1971 in which the influence of the theories considered thus far can be seen.

      1. Begin with a brief description of the object, the designer who created it, and the historical circumstances under which it was made.
      2. Considering these factors, examine the ways in which the creator was responding, directly or indirectly, to theories related to linguistics or semiology, avant-garde art movements, or the psychological perception of forms (ie. any of the ideas that we’ve covered).
      3. Discuss the manner in which the design you’ve chosen embodies these theories. Provide direct references to relevant passages from our readings. Locate additional writings using library resources to substantiate your comparisons.

Your goal is to provide a critical examination, not an account of historical details.

This response will be submitted as a 750-1000 word typewritten paper, double-spaced in 12 pt. Times New Roman, with a bibliography.

Include images of the work under consideration and any other relevant illustrations.

Cite all materials researched for historical context, any related writings, and image sources.

All sources, references, and quotations should be cited in MLA format. You must upload your paper as a PDF, attached to a new OpenLab Post.

Note: You do not need to address this week’s texts in the paper if they are not directly relevant to your topic, but you must be prepared to discuss them in class.

Due Date

The finished paper is due Monday, March 15 at 9 pm

 

Get started

    1. If you’d like some inspiration, try the following links:

Cooper Hewitt Design’s Museum’s Blog …you can also just browse their collection.

AIGA Eye on Design

Filter by Graphic Design or Design in MoMA Collection

or browse the MoMA Design Store

Exhibitions and the Collection at Museum of Art and Design

Designboom for a wide variety of design

Design Observer also features conversations and articles

or Print Magazine

2. Use the links in Course Resources

3. Use your Research Journal to define your ideas before you start writing.

Add an image and begin with a brief description of the work, the designer who created it, and the historical circumstances under which it was made.

Consider the ways in which the creator was responding, directly or indirectly, to theories related to semiotics & signs, ways of meaning, models of communication, the avant-garde art movements of the Futurists, Constructivists, and/or the Bauhaus.

Start collecting resources to support your ideas.

Example

Suppose you found this poster on the Cooper Hewitt Design Collection: “THE BEST OF JAZZ” for the New York Public Theatre, 1980, created by designer Paula Scher.

This poster shares some graphic elements from the early avant-garde designers we’ve looked at. The use of primary colors, bold geometry, san serif fonts, lack of ornament, etc reminds us of the Russian Constructivists and the Bauhaus. You might then dig deeper into the influences of the designer herself, the time period in which this work was made, and the client. You might then look for primary sources where the designer talks about her influences?

You would also refer back to our readings by Constructivist designers and find relevant passages, comparing the principles and ideas presented by the avant-garde designers with your example design. Next, you would find additional resources via the City Tech Library, the COMD Theory OER Bibliography, and other scholarly sources to support the connections you’ve made.

Remember you will be providing a critical examination of the image/object and its relationship to the theories we’ve discussed, not an account of historical details. These should be YOUR observations and YOUR ideas supported by published sources.

Formatting

Your paper will be submitted as a 750-1000 word typewritten paper, double-spaced in 12 pt. Times New Roman.

      • Use Google Docs to write and organize your final draft.
      • Use the MLA style to format your paper. See MLA example paper here.
      • Cite all materials researched for historical context, any related writings, and image sources.
      • Include images of the work you are referencing and any other relevant illustrations.
      • Use the Google Docs Citation tool set to MLA to add citations to your paper as you write.
      • When you are done, add a Works Cited page at the end of your document. This can be done with one click using the Insert Work Cited button.
      • Use Pro Writing Aid or  Grammarly or similar to review your paper for grammatical and spelling errors before submitting.

Submitting Your Paper

    1. Create an OpenLab Post. 
      • TITLE: Research Paper 1 – Your Initials
      • CATEGORY: Research Papers
      • TAG: Research Paper 1
      • TAG: Your Name
    2. Add the title of your paper as a heading.
    3. Write a brief introduction to your paper.
    4. Use text to indicate the link to your paper (ie: Research paper),
      select this text, and make it a link to your Google doc.
      (Do not paste the entire Google Doc link in the post)
    5. Make sure the Google Doc link is set to
      “Anyone with the link” and
      Commenter is selected.
      This will allow others to comment on your paper.

 

example of your post:

Research Paper Title (Heading H2)

Your Name

Brief introduction. Sed porttitor lectus nibh. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vestibulum ac diam sit amet quam vehicula elementum sed sit amet dui. Curabitur aliquet quam id dui posuere blandit. Mauris blandit aliquet elit, eget tincidunt nibh pulvinar a. Sed porttitor lectus nibh. Mauris blandit aliquet elit, eget tincidunt nibh pulvinar a. Sed porttitor lectus nibh.

 

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