Author: Prof. Childers (Page 3 of 4)

Agenda week 5

March 8, 2022 / Prof. Childers / 0 Comments

Tasks Due Today

Assignment: Reading Response 4B

This Week’s Topics

The Bauhaus

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

- Overview of the Bauhaus and its influence on the field of design.
- Guidelines and due date for the first Research Paper

Activities

1. The Bauhaus: Form and Function (30 min)

In our fourth reading, we looked at writings from designers affiliated with the Bauhaus. The Bauhaus assimilated many of the ideas we’ve discussed, such as the utopian idea that design will make the world a better place; that it will transform society for a better way of life for all citizens; and that artists and craftspeople will work together through the use of technology and industrialization.

Some of the main tenents of the Bauhaus are still followed today in the field and in design schools across the globe.

1. A designer should strive for the highest quality and craftmanship modeled by order, geometry, and clear, refined typography.

2. Less is more. Excess ornament or information is unnecessary to communicate a message or to function.

3. Form follows function. Design should be functional. It should be organized and follow a clear hierarchy for clear communication.

4. The use of technology and mass production of good design supports equality. If something is designed with simple forms can be accessible to everyone.

Walter Gropius, László Moholy-Nagy, and Herbert Bayer all contributed to the Bauhaus legacy. Below find some additional background to reinforce these ideas and some follow up questions to connect these principles our

The Bauhaus Principles and Influence

Rewatch Graphic Design History sections Bauhaus 1 & Bauhaus 2 on LinkedIn Learning or in the YouTube video below to refresh your knowledge of the Bauhaus. NOTE: In the following video, watch from 36:42 to 44:02

Bauhaus 1& 2 – Graphic Design History (Watch from 36:42 to 44:02)

László Moholy-Nagy and Typophoto

“Designing is not a profession but an attitude. Design has many connotations. It is the organization of materials and processes in the most productive way, in a harmonious balance of all elements necessary for a certain function. It is the integration of technological, social, and economical requirements, biological necessities, and the psychological effects of materials, shape, color, volume and space. Thinking in relationships.”

Moholy-Nagy’s work spanned all types of media, especially light as a medium. Of special interest to our discussion today is Moholy-Nagy’s interest in photography and typography and his vision of Typophoto, which he describes as “visually most exact rendering of communication.” The following video about his work was created in 1990. At the end is an animation in honor of Moholy-Nagy imagining what he might have created if he had been alive during the digital age. Can you imagine what he might create if he had access to today’s technology?

A Memory of Moholy-Nagy – John Halas

Herbert Bayer and Universal Communication

“Bayer’s universal alphabet became a symbol of ‘Bauhaus typography,’ even though it was not strictly speaking a typeface… Fixed in memory through a few endlessly repeated reproductions, the universal alphabet was a philosophical idea that reverberated throughout the promotional activities of the Bauhaus and beyond … they gave form to prevalent avant-garde thinking about function, modularity, industrial standards, and machine production.” – Design Is Storytelling, Ellen Lupton.

Bauhaus – Typography – CalArts

Bauhaus – Herbert Bayer – CalArts

2. Discussion: Bauhaus & Universality

After reading the writings from Walter Gropius: The Theory and Organization of the Bauhaus (1923), László Moholy-Nagy; Typophoto (1925), and Herbert Bayer; On Typography in Graphic Design Theory: Readings From the Field and reviewing the videos from the Week 5 Agenda, consider the following.

The avant-garde designers were looking for universal methods of communication, often searching for ideal ways to reach the masses using new technologies and modalities.

- - Photography and film were the new techologies in the age of the Bauhaus. Combined with typography László Moholy-Nagy stated that Typophoto was the “visually most exact rendering of communication.”
  - Herbert Bayer is often credited with modernizing typography in the Bauhaus with his creation of the Universal alphabet. He also speaks of “text-picture integration” and the use of “square span,” short grouping of words for universal communication.

Today we have multiple modes and methods of instant, mass communication. Consider the rise of “deep fakes“, the short, concise messages we send via Twitter, or the lack of subtlety and tone in email, text, or emojis. Is the ability to communicate truthfully, accurately, and effectively helped and/or hindered by technology today?

3. Research Paper

The first 750-1000 word paper will be due Monday, March 15, at 9 pm. Last week you should have started thinking about your Research Paper by selecting a design or design object created after 1971 in which the influence of the theories we’ve studied so far can be observed. In your Research Journal, you may have started to examine the ways in which the creator was responding, directly or indirectly, to theories we’ve covered so far. This week you will spend most of your time for this class researching and fully developing this paper. Guidelines for this paper can be found under Assignment: Research Paper 1

Resources

- Assignment: Research Paper 1
- Grammarly
- Research Paper Example Post

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video

March 1, 2022 / Prof. Childers / 0 Comments

Video

1. The Futurism Manifesto and Movement

Marinetti, along with a group of young Italian artists, declared their ambitions in opposition to the traditional values dominating Italian art and culture of the time and focused on the dynamism, speed, energy, and power of the machine and the vitality, change, and restlessness of modern life. Key ideas:

- - Motion, movement, technology, speed, dynamisim, unification of culture, industrialization, war, violence, machismo, extreme, distruction of the past, revolution.
  - Political leanings, initially fascism, anti-feminist, anti-democratic, but years later rejected those ideas to focus more on technological advancement, specifically aviation.
  - Here is the full manifesto.

Watch the three videos below to learn more about the key ideas that define Futurism and the lasting visual elements that resulted. Does anything in the visual or ideological aspects of this movement inspire or repulse you? Why? NOTE: In the following video, watch from 29:38 to 31:33

- - - Italian Futurists – Graphic Design History (Watch from 29:38 to 31:33): https://youtu.be/OS8rZ8iwcJM
    - Futurism in 9 minutes: https://youtu.be/9fy_cHtHR-U
    - Italian Futurism Jeffrey Hoover – 00:00 to 16:10 NOTE: There is a disturbing scene in the next video at 17:35. You only need to watch up to 16:10. https://youtu.be/YFPIP9NxU30

2. Constructivism

The Russian Revolution of 1917 offered hope for a new society in which workers would replace the aristocracy as the ruling class. The Constructivists, led by Aleksandr Rodchenko envisioned a new form of art that would replace traditional painting and sculpture with new forms of mass-produced graphics and engineered objects for the common citizen. Key Ideas:

- - Geometry, clear lines, abstracted shapes, photomontage, san serif fonts, bold primary palettes
  - Rejected decorative stylization in favor of the industrial assemblage of materials.
  - Applied these ideals to architecture, urban space, clothing, theatre, graphics and social activism.
  - Political leanings, intially Communism, artists/designers later emmigrated to USA.

MOMA – Russian Avant-Garde: https://youtu.be/uUSkidTIqSM

NOTE: In the video below, watch from 24:42 to 29:19
The Soviet Revolution – Graphic Design History (Watch from 24:42 to 29:19): https://youtu.be/OS8rZ8iwcJM

3 Influence on Contemporary Design

Futurism, Constructivism, and the avant-garde in general, as we shall continue to explore, had a profound impact on the evolution of graphic design, advertising, fashion, industrial design, architecture, theater, and more.

Born from the political and societal influences of the time, we can see how the concepts of universality, authorship, and social responsibility are present in manifestos we’ve read and most importantly WHY!

By now you can start to see how some of the graphic styles of these two movements that we’ve explored still linger in the design we see today.

As we explore the next step in our design lineage in writings from the Bauhaus, see if you can find the influences from the Futurist and Constructivist movements.

Check out How the Imagery of the Russian Revolution Married Ideology, Politics + Progressive Graphic Design by Emily Gosling, Eye on Design. May 1st, 2017

assignment: Reading Response 4B, Due: 3/8

March 1, 2022 / Prof. Childers / 0 Comments

Assignment: 4B, due 3/8

Please note: your first 2-3 page paper is due on March 15.
Start thinking about this assignment.

Texts from architects, designers & artists affiliated with the Bauhaus.

Instructions

1. Open the reading with Hypothesis
2. Be sure that you post in our group
3. Consider the questions below
4. Read and Annotate
5. Draft your response in your Research Journal
  • 200-word response, use the word count tool.
  • Use visual examples to supplement your reading response.
  • Consider looking back at the Learning Graphic Design History videos or the AIGA Archive to see if there are historical examples that will help support your ideas.
6. Check for spelling, grammar, and sentence clarity
  Use Grammarly, Pro Writing Aid, or other similar tool
7. Post your reading response on OpenLab with a link to your hypothesis annotations
8. Include the following

TITLE: Reading Response 4B– Your Initials
CATEGORY: Reading Responses
TAG: Reading Response #4B
TAG: Your Name

Texts from architects, designers & artists affiliated with the Bauhaus.

Walter Gropius: The Theory and Organization of the Bauhaus (1923)
László Moholy-Nagy; Typophoto (1925): found in our main text Graphic Design Theory: Readings From the Field by Helen Armstrong on pages 32-34.
Herbert Bayer; On Typography (1967): found in our main text Graphic Design Theory: Readings From the Field by Helen Armstrong on pages 44-49.
For more information on these topics, see the short videos below

Some ideas and questions you might consider:

- According to these authors, what was lacking in art and education from the past?
- What role should typography and photography play in shaping a new art?
- What role does language or communication play in art and design?
- How should artists approach the creation of future art forms?
- What should education or “the academy” teach artists about their field?
- How might Bauhaus ideas be updated to remain relevant in the 21st century?

Key Themes and Takeaways

Walter Gropius; The Theory and Organization of the Bauhaus (1923)

The architect Walter Gropius, founder and first Director of the Bauhaus composed this text to articulate the ideals of the institution.

- Individuals must orient their attitude to the spirit of the times to create solutions for bettering society
- The traditional art ‘academy’ fails by isolating artists, detaching skill from reality and ignoring traditional folk arts.
- Creative work should ‘give form to space’ meaning artists should be able to express inner visions through their materials
- The goal of the Bauhaus is to unify training in fields of art and design
- Preliminary training should ‘break down conventional patterns of thought.’ As students progress they should take on more advanced form problems and incorporate theory, eventually understanding ‘all processes of creation.’

László Moholy-Nagy; Typophoto (1925)

The artist and Bauhaus instructor articulated his vision for a new form of art that would incorporate a range of media.

- Artists must participate in society’s ‘collectivity of interacting events.’
- Printers, Photographers, and all artists must consider ways that art can connect people
- ‘Typophoto’ is a new form of making, combining typography and photography for ‘the most exact rendering of communication.’
- The combination of these printing technologies will create new possibilities for visual expression, thereby creating a ‘new visual literature.’

Herbert Bayer; On Typography (1967)

Bayer was first a student then an instructor at the Bauhaus before emigrating to the U.S. This text, written later in his career, is a reflection on the ambitions and ideals that Bayer held for a new form of typographic expression; one that would simplify language and create new possibilities for improved communication.

- Typography is a ‘service art’ that provides the means for expressing ideas through mechanical techniques
- Traditional book forms and writing techniques lack principle and structure, thereby limiting the expressive power of type.
- A typographic revolution will come from (a) increased demand on perception, (b) a new alphabet, and (c) physical forms for typography
- Universal Communication might come about from improved typographic form and ‘true text-picture integration.’

______________________________________________________________

First Paper – Due March 15

Question and requirements:

Select a design or design object created after 1972 in which the influence of the theories considered thus far can be seen.

Begin with a brief description of the object, the designer who created it, and the historical circumstances under which it was made.

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).

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 ultimately to provide a critical examination, not an account of historical details.

Criteria:

Submit a 750-1000 word typewritten paper, double-spaced in 12 pt. Times New Roman.

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.
See resources below on citation

All sources, references and quotations should be cited in MLA format.
See resources below on MLA format

Upload your paper as a PDF, attached to a new OpenLab Post.

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

- - - TITLE: Research Paper 1 – Your Initials
    - CATEGORY: Research Paper
    - TAG: Research Paper 1
    - TAG: Your Name

Preparation

Research Paper 1 Prep

1. Select a design or design object created after 1971 in which the influence of the theories we’ve studied so far can be seen.
  See the resources listed below for inspiration
2. In your Research Journal, 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.
3. Considering these factors, examine the ways in which the creator was responding, directly or indirectly, to theories related to:
  • semiotics & signs, ways of meaning, models of communication, avant-garde art movements (ie. any of the ideas that we’ve covered).
  • Discuss how the design you’ve chosen embodies these ideas.
  • Provide direct references to relevant passages from our readings and locate additional writings using library resources and other sources to support your comparisons.
4. Provide a critical examination of the object and its relationship to the theories we’ve discussed, not an account of historical details.
  These should be your observations, your ideas supported by published sources.
5. Use the links provided under Help > Course Resources to find your design source (advertising, graphic design, industrial design objects, motion graphics, etc.) for your paper.

Research Project Prep

The first paper is a jumping-off point for your research project. You don’t have to lock yourself into a topic yet, but your should by now have started to define your aesthetic and theoretical interests based on the ideas we discussed so far. If nothing has piqued your interest yet, ask you self “What do I feel passionate about?” “What do I love to talk about?” “What makes me feel angry, sad, depressed?” “If I could be doing anything right now that would make an impact on the world, what would it be?” “How could I use my skills as a designer to change the world?” “What graphic style, design movement, decade, or typeface is my favorite?”

Visit the Grading Policy page for an overview of the Research Project.

Inspiration: explore the following sites . . .

https://openlab.citytech.cuny.edu/comdtheoryoer/bibliography/#additional_theory_history

https://arthistoryproject.com/essays/

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

Print Magazine

Resources

- Writing a research paper: https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/common_writing_assignments/research_papers/index.html
- Exploratory essay: https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/common_writing_assignments/exploratory_papers/index.html
- MLA style: https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/mla_style/mla_overview_and_workshop.html

agenda week 4, 3/1

March 1, 2022 / Prof. Childers / 0 Comments

Tasks Due Today: reading Response 3

This Week’s Topics

Paper due

Please note: your first 2-3 page paper is due on March 15.
Start thinking about this assignment.

First Paper – Due March 15

Question and requirements:

Select a design or design object created after 1972 in which the influence of the theories considered thus far can be seen.

Begin with a brief description of the object, the designer who created it, and the historical circumstances under which it was made.

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

Criteria:

Submit a 750-1000 word typewritten paper, double-spaced in 12 pt. Times New Roman.

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.

Research Paper 1 Prep

Select a design or design object created after 1971 in which the influence of the theories we’ve studied so far can be seen. In your Research Journal, 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. Considering these factors, examine the ways in which the creator was responding, directly or indirectly, to theories related to semiotics & signs, ways of meaning, models of communication, avant-garde art movements (ie. any of the ideas that we’ve covered). Discuss how the design you’ve chosen embodies these ideas. Provide direct references to relevant passages from our readings and locate additional writings using library resources and other sources to support your comparisons.

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

Use the links provided under Help > Course Resources > Design Collections to find your design source (advertising, graphic design, industrial design objects, motion graphics, etc.) for your paper.

Research Project Prep

Visit the Grading Policy page for an overview of the Research Project.

Manifestos, Movements, and the Avant-Garde

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

- - Overview of Futurist and Constructivist manifestos and movements, and their influence on the field of design.
  - Expectations for the Research Journal, the first paper, and the research project
  - Guidelines and expectations for this week’s discussion.
  - The guidelines and due date for Reading Response 4.

Activities

Today’s group discussion will build from last week’s discussion (What is design?), and from the readings for this week. 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.

Manifestos, Movements, and the Avant-Garde (45 min)

In our third reading, we looked at Manifestos from Italian Futurists and Russian Constructivists.

These two movements have left an indelible mark on the lineage of our communication design field by influencing other movements at the time and afterward. The work of these artists/designers can still feel relevant today. The political turmoil, societal shifts, and radical ideologies they experienced are mirrored in our lives today, abet with different a set of challenges.

While we are unlikely to share many of the beliefs and ideologies that initially inspired these artists/designers, the distinct graphic style (clear lines, abstracted shapes, bold palettes, and photomontages) have become part of our visual vocabulary.

As we take a deeper look into these two movements, consider the politics, technology, social challenges of the time, and the urgency and passion from which these movements grew. Here is a collection of images from this time period.

Think back to our previous review of universality, authorship, social responsibility. And more recently, signs, meaning, and modes of communication.

What are your observations?

Vanessa asks “Why should designers concern themselves with unsolvable theoretical questions?”

COMDTheorySp21_4_Manifestos

1. The Futurism Manifesto and Movement

Key ideas:

- - Motion, movement, technology, speed, dynamisim, unification of culture, industrialization, war, violence, machismo, extreme, distruction of the past, revolution.
  - Political leanings, initially fascism, anti-feminist, anti-democratic, but years later rejected those ideas to focus more on technological advancement, specifically aviation.
  - Here is the full manifesto.

- - - Italian Futurists – Graphic Design History (Watch from 29:38 to 31:33): https://youtu.be/OS8rZ8iwcJM
    - Futurism in 9 minutes: https://youtu.be/9fy_cHtHR-U
    - Italian Futurism Jeffrey Hoover – 00:00 to 16:10 NOTE: There is a disturbing scene in the next video at 17:35. You only need to watch up to 16:10. https://youtu.be/YFPIP9NxU30

2. Constuctivism

Key Ideas:

- Geometry, clear lines, abstracted shapes, photomontage, san serif fonts, bold primary palettes
- Rejected decorative stylization in favor of the industrial assemblage of materials.
- Applied these ideals to architecture, urban space, clothing, theatre, graphics and social activism.
- Political leanings, intially Communism, artists/designers later emmigrated to USA.

MOMA – Russian Avant-Garde: https://youtu.be/uUSkidTIqSM

NOTE: In the video below, watch from 24:42 to 29:19

The Soviet Revolution – Graphic Design History (Watch from 24:42 to 29:19): https://youtu.be/OS8rZ8iwcJM

3 Influence on Contemporary Design

By now you can start to see how some of the graphic styles of these two movements that we’ve explored still linger in the design we see today.

As we explore the next step in our design lineage in writings from the Bauhaus, see if you can find the influences from the Futurist and Constructivist movements.

Check out How the Imagery of the Russian Revolution Married Ideology, Politics + Progressive Graphic Design by Emily Gosling, Eye on Design. May 1st, 2017

Assignment 4 for 3/1

February 28, 2022 / Prof. Childers / 0 Comments

Our reading assignment includes three short manifestos written by avant-garde artists in the early decades of the 20th century. They are as follows:

Filippo Tommaso Marinetti, The Founding and Manifesto of Futurism (1909):

Marinetti_Manifesto_Futurista Download

Aleksandr Rodchenko, Varvara Stepanova, Aleksei Gan, Who We Are: Manifesto of the Constructivist Group (c. 1922):

RodchenkoStepanovaGan_WhoWeAre Download

El Lissitzky, Our Book (1926):

Lissitsky_OurBook Download

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

- What sort of possibilities did these authors envision for their immediate futures?
- What role did they imagine technology would play in shaping those futures?
- In what ways did these artists anticipate the art and design that would follow?
- What common views do these authors share? Where might they disagree?
- Which elements of these texts are relevant for the present?
- Which elements are problematic?

1. Open the readings

2. Enable our Hypothesis group

3. Consider these questions.

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

What sort of possibilities did these authors envision for their immediate futures?
What role did they imagine technology would play in shaping those futures?
In what ways did these artists anticipate the art and design that would follow?
What common views do these authors share? Where might they disagree?
Which elements of these texts are relevant for the present?
Which elements are problematic?

4. Read & Annotate.

5. Draft your Reading Response.

6. Spell and grammar check

7. Post your Reading Response.

When ready, create a new post titled “Reading Response 4 – YourInitials.”

TITLE: Reading Response 4 – Your Initials
CATEGORY: Reading Responses
TAG: Reading Response #4
TAG: Your Name

Grading Policy

February 28, 2022 / Prof. Childers / 2 Comments

Overview

Grades will be awarded using the College’s standard grading scale, but evaluation of your coursework will take into consideration effort applied, participation, and creative use of resources. Your final grade will reflect how well you explored and demonstrated the concepts and practices introduced in this course.

Grades will be posted on the class site using either Blackboard Grade Centerand/or OpenLab Gradebook. Your instructor will provide timely feedback via comment or email.

Grades will be based upon:

- Reading Responses 25%
- Research Papers 20%
- Research Journal 10%
- Research Project & Presentation 25%
- Productivity & Participation 20%

Course Assignments

Weekly readings and written reading responses are central to this course. Completing every reading is necessary for the successful completion of the course. Your weekly written responses, two short papers, and class discussions will be posted to the class website. The course will also require independent research using a Research Journal and will culminate in a Research Project and Presentation.

Weekly Reading Responses (25%)

Each weekly reading will be posted on the class site and will include a set of questions or prompts intended to promote critical engagement and class discussion using Hypothesis and OpenLab. You will be expected to write a 3-4 paragraph comment reflecting on the text presented and provide feedback on your peers’ reflections in Discussions. Responses with links to Hypothesis annotations must be submitted to the class site on the date due.

Research Papers (20%)

Twice during the semester, in lieu of the weekly reading response, you will submit a Research Paper, 2-3 pages (750-1000 words) in length, typed in double-spaced 12 pt Times New Roman, with all references and quotations properly cited according to MLA guidelines. These papers will be formally structured essays concerning assigned readings and your individual research. These readings may relate to your research topic and/or may take the form of an exploratory essay to help guide your research.

Research Journal (10%)

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.

Research Project & Presentation (25%)

By Week 7, you will present a well-defined research topic and outline of a final research project to be presented in class and/or posted on the class site for feedback.

In the final three weeks of class, you and your peers will present your independent research. You will be expected to articulate a clearly defined topic concerning contemporary design and theory, by way of a well-designed poster or slide deck with voice or video narration. Your research project should serve as an opportunity to connect your own design practice with professional research methodologies and the design theory presented in this course.

The research project and presentation will:

- include a 5-10 minute slideshow and audio/video presentation
- demonstrate professional research practices (written, verbal, visual)
- connect graphic design history and theory with the contemporary design field
- demonstrate a connection between your design practice and theoretical concepts covered in the course
- include an outline, annotated bibliography and glossary
- demonstrate methods of primary and secondary source evaluation

Productivity & Participation (20 %)

Discussions of assigned readings will play a critical role in this course. Class conversations, whether face to face or asynchronous, should not only provide a better understanding of the readings but should also make the course more engaging for everyone.

Effective participation is demonstrated by:

- Posting and commenting on the shared class site by the set deadline, including contributing to discussions, or giving peer feedback.
- Actively participating in group annotations, presentations and discussions.
- Following best practices for face-to-face and online learning.
- Class preparedness; coming prepared for class and checking the class site for instructions, prior to the class meeting.
- Timeliness; arriving to class on time and completing assignments on time.
- Asking questions, volunteering answers, and helping other students
- Paying attention during demonstrations and presentations
- Following instructions and taking notes

Make-ups

If you will not be able to present or hand in an assignment on the scheduled due date, it is your responsibility to notify the instructor BEFORE the due date.

Points are deducted from your final grade for late assignments and missed discussions. It’s better to turn in incomplete work than late work and participate in the class. If you turn in your work on time, you will have the opportunity to rework to improve your grade!

Agenda week 3

February 22, 2022 / Prof. Childers / 0 Comments

February 22, 2022

Tasks Due Today

- Access LinkedIn Learning with your Public Library Card
- Review Laying the Groundwork & Graphic Design History Refresher
- Set up Hypothesis for offline PDFs
- Complete Assignment: Reading Response 2

This Week’s Topics

- Signs and Meaning in Communication Design
- Assignment: Reading Response 3

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

- Overview of Semiotics and models of communication and how they are relevant to Communication Design.
- Guidelines and expectations for this week’s discussion
- The guidelines and due date for Reading Response 3

Signs and Meaning in Communication Design

Semiotics and methods of communication:

The field of semiotics, influenced by Ferdinand de Saussure, is defined as the theory of signs.

These two topics directly relate to how we understand communication design from a theoretical perspective. As we discovered in the reading, the field of semiotics, influenced by Ferdinand de Saussure, is defined as the theory of signs. Sean Hall notes, “signing is vital to human existence because it underlies all forms of communication.”

“signing is vital to human existence because it underlies all forms of communication.” Sean Hall, This Means This, This means That

The context also matters. In this painting, if we are familiar with the story of Adam and Eve, the signified is also “temptation.”

A sign is composed of a signifier and a signified.

The signifier is the sound-image that we see, speak or hear to refer to the sign. i.e. apple
The signified is the concept that our mind conjures in relation to the sign. i.e. temptation
The sign is the whole of these parts.

In the example below, the image of the apple is a signifier. The concept that our mind conjures when we see this image is the signified. When you see the apple, you recognize it as a familiar piece of fruit. Same as if we saw or heard the word “apple” or if we speak/read another language: “苹果” or ” تَفَّاحَة” or”manzana.”

The context also matters. In this painting, if we are familiar with the story of Adam and Eve, the signified is also “temptation.”

Lucas Cranach the Elder, (1472-1553), Adam and Eve, 1526, The Courtauld, London

The signs we use to communicate are arbitrary and their meaning develops over time.
Charles Sanders Pierce, another important figure in the field of semiotics, showed that signs can take different forms. Learn more about Icon, Index, Symbol

Icon = signifier resembles the signified

Index = signifier is caused by the signified

Symbol = arbitrary relationship between signifier and signified.

Semiotics Infographic – Wikimedia Commons

Charles Pearce’s model

semiotic triangle

As visual designers, we use language as words and images to communicate with our audience.

It’s important to understand how meaning is made through communication and to be aware of how our messages are being transmitted and received. Non-literal forms of communication are important for design, advertising, illustration, filmmaking, fashion, and journalism because they help with the transmission of meaning. Examples are simile, metaphor, metonym, synecdoche, irony, lies, impossibility, depiction, and representation. In our discussions this week, we will try to find examples of these devices in contemporary and historical media.

Careful analysis of the message cycle can help us to understand when our communication works and when it doesn’t and why.

Understanding and using signs effectively is critical to how and why meaning gets made. If we are aware of these concepts and the communication process, we can be more effective communication designers!

Check out the following resources and videos to reinforce the following concepts: sign, signifier, signified, icon, index, symbol, sender, receiver, noise, feedback.

Icon, Index, and Symbol — Three Categories of Signs – Vanseo Design

Metropolitan_Museum_of_Art_(The_Met)_-_Central_Park,_NYC

An Icon has a physical resemblance to the signified, the thing being represented.

Example from vanseodesign.com

As visual designers, we use language as words and images to communicate with our audience. It’s important to understand how meaning is made through communication and to be aware of how our messages are being transmitted and received. Non-literal forms of communication are important for design, advertising, illustration, filmmaking, fashion, and journalism because they help with the transmission of meaning. Examples are simile, metaphor, metonym, synecdoche, irony, lies, impossibility, depiction, and representation. In our discussions this week, we will try to find examples of these devices in contemporary and historical media.

Careful analysis of the message cycle can help us to understand when our communication works and when it doesn’t and why. Understanding and using signs effectively is critical to how and why meaning gets made. If we are aware of these concepts and the communication process, we can be more effective communication designers!

Check out these resources and videos to reinforce the following concepts: sign, signifier, signified, icon, index, symbol, sender, receiver, noise, feedback.

Icon, Index, and Symbol — Three Categories of Signs – Vanseo Design

Semiotics Introduction: Semiotics: WTF? Tom Nicholas

Introduction to Communication Models: COMMpadres Media

Assignment: Reading Response 3

Assignment: Reading Response 3, due 2/21

February 15, 2022 / Prof. Childers / 0 Comments

due: February 21

LinkedIn Learning with your Public Library Card

Some of the videos we will watch today and in the future are accessible via LinkedIn Learning. You can access LinkedIn Learning for free with a New York, Queens, or Brooklyn Public Library Card. Note: The Bronx and Staten Island are part of the New York Public Library system.

Use the links below for easy access to the site and the LinkedIn Learning App:

- - - New York Public Library Card – LinkedIn Learning Access
      - LinkedIn Learning App – Library ID: nypl
    - Brooklyn Public Library – LinkedIn Learning Access
      - LinkedIn Learning App – Library ID: bklynlibrary
    - Queens Public Library – LinkedIn Learning Access
      - LinkedIn Learning App – Library ID: queenspubliclibrary

If you don’t have a Library Card, don’t worry, anyone who lives in New York State can apply for a New York Public Library Card for free and start accessing online content immediately.

- - - New member? Get your digital card here: www.nypl.org/library-card/new
    - Expired card? Renew your card: www.nypl.org/help/library-card#renew

Having trouble? Don’t wait until Sunday night! Reach out to me at pchilders@citytech.cuny.edu with questions.

Reading Overview

Our second reading assignment is an introduction to semiotics and models of communication. These two topics directly relate to how we understand communication design from a theoretical perspective.

…what is semiotics, and why is it important? Semiotics is defined as the theory of signs. The word “semiotics” comes from the Greek word semeiotikos , which means an interpreter of signs. Signing is vital to human existence because it underlies all forms of communication.

HALL, SEAN. THIS MEANS THIS, THIS MEANS THAT : A USER’S GUIDE TO SEMIOTICS, LAURENCE KING PUBLISHING, 2012.

We will be reading Hall, Sean. This Means This, This Means That: A User’s Guide to Semiotics, Laurence King Publishing, 2012 (Chapters 1 & 2). You can also take a look at an excerpt from the book that Sean Hall references: de Saussure, Ferdinand. Course in General Linguistics Trans. Wade Baskin, New York, Philosophical Library, 1959

Key Themes and Takeaways

A sign is composed of a signifier and a signified. The signifier is the sound-image that we see, speak or hear to refer to the sign. The signified is the concept that our mind conjures in relation to the sign. The sign is the whole of these parts.

The sign is arbitrary. We do not actively choose the components of language. The sign emerges from collective behavior, with no motivations or natural connections. Signifiers are linear. Meaning develops over time as we speak to one another.

Signs can take different forms: icon = signifier resembles the signified, index = signifier is caused by the signified, symbol = arbitrary relationship between signifier and signified.

Messages take different paths between the sender and receiver and back again via different mediums: presentational, representational, mechanical. Analysis can help us to understand when communication works and when it doesn’t and why.

Noise is the distortion in the meaning of a message, whether intended or not. It affects whether or not the message has successfully reached its destination.

Truth in communication. Where a message says it is from may be very different from where it is really from. It can sometimes be hard to determine the intention of the sender and that can affect how we receive the communication.

Non-literal forms of communication use simile, metaphor, metonym, synecdoche, irony, lies, impossibility, depiction, and representation. These devices are important for design, advertising, illustration, filmmaking, fashion, and journalism because they help with the transmission of meaning.

Instructions

NOTE: Prior to starting this assignment, make sure you have set up your Hypothesis.

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 and checked for spelling and grammar errors. Lastly, create a new post and publish your response.

1. Enable Hypothesis

Because this week’s readings are not hosted on a website, you will need to adjust the Hypothesis Chrome Extension or use Firefox to annotate in our group.

- Open Chrome > Setttings > Extensions
- Locate Hyposthesis > Details
- Make sure “Allow access to file URLs” is switched on.

Hypothesis PDF Magic

Refer to this Annotating PDFs Tutorial for instructions on how to set up the Chrome Extension to allow for PDF file annotations in the browser.

Alternatively, you can use Firefox. Just make sure you have added the Hypothesis Bookmarklet to your bookmarks, and enable it. See Hypothesis in Reference for details.