Course Information

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Course Number: 2300

Course Title: Communication Design I

Course Description: This is a foundations course in advertising and graphic design. Students are challenged to combine foundation skills with conceptual thinking in order to develop creative solutions. Students develop the ability to communicate ideas visually through art direction, and verbally through copywriting. Project-based assignments from concept through digital output challenge students to consider the relationship between the product, its target audience, and marketing objectives. Students learn the importance of conceptual thinking, professional execution, and development process.

Credits / Hours: 3

Section Number: D036

Pre/Co-requisites: COMD 1200; Pre- or corequisite: COMD 1257 COMD 1200; Pre- or corequisite: COMD 1257 COMD 1162, COMD 2327, CDMG 2330

 

Class Meetings

Online Space(s):

In-person Location:

Pearl Room 112

Faculty Information

Professor(s) Name:

  • Frances Smith

    In-person Office Hours/Location:

    • Tuesday’s & Fridays 2:00-2:30p

    Contact Information

    • Temporary Email: fsmithtechcuny@gmail.com

    Course Description:

    This is a foundation course in advertising and graphic design. Students are challenged to combine foundation skills with conceptual thinking in order to develop creative solutions. Students develop the ability to communicate ideas visually through art direction, and verbally through copy-writing. Project-based assignments from concept through digital output challenge students to consider the relationship between the product, its’ target audience and marketing objectives. Students learn the importance of conceptual thinking, professional execution and presentation of their ideas. Students may work in teams on the concept, design and development process.
    1 cl hr, 5 lab hrs, 3 cr

    Course Objectives:

    Instructional Objectives Assessment
    For the successful completion of this course, students should be able to: Evaluation methods and criteria
    Develop students personal creative process, verbal presentation and ability to solve a variety of advertising design problems. Students will demonstrate independent research, conceptual development and verbal presentation skills.
    Further familiarize and broaden students knowledge of the visual and verbal design vocabulary. Through research, students will expand their knowledge of design masters while discovering their own visual and verbal approach.
    Actively participate in objective critiques using critical thinking and knowledge of the overall campaign objective. Students will demonstrate the ability to give and take honest constructive criticism as it pertains to accomplishing the overall objective.
    Seek the great ideas that lie beyond the initial mediocre solutions. Students will demonstrate the ability to generate multiple fully formed ideas and determine the most viable.

    General Outcome:

    General Education
    Outcome covered    		 How the outcome is assessed
    Oral Communication
    Speaking: The student will demonstrate the ability to articulate himself using relevant industry-specific language    		 Evaluate through class discussion, critique, and /or written tests if students use appropriate nomenclature to defend creative, critical and technical decisions in project concepts and development.
    Oral Communication
    Listening: The student will demonstrate the ability to discern pertinent information from irrelevant information.    		 Evaluate how well students absorbed and consequently applied the learning though oral critiques of projects.
    Thinking Critically
    The student will demonstrate the ability to evaluate evidence and apply reasoning to make valid inferences.    		 Evaluate through class critique to determine how well students were able to advance their project concepts by applying evidence and using logic to make decisions.

    Teaching & Learning Method

    • Lectures
    • Examples / Reference
    • Critiques
    • Formal Presentations

    Suggested Text

    • Ogilvy on Advertising (In the Digital Age) by Miles Young
    • Creative Confidence by by Tom Kelley, David Kelley
    • Extra Bold: A Feminist, Inclusive, Anti-Racist, Nonbinary Field Guide for Graphic Designers by  Ellen Lupton (Thinking with Type), Farah Kafei, Jennifer Tobias, Josh A. Halstead, Kaleena Sales, Leslie Xia, and Valentina Vergara. 
    • Why Design Matters by Debbie Millman
    • Steal Like an Artist by Austin Kleon
    • Hey Whipple, Squeeze This. by Luke Sullivan
    • Dream in Color by Tre Seals

    Attendance, Participation & Lateness Polices

    A class roster roll will be taken at the beginning of each class. Students arriving after the roll is taken will be marked “late.” This course meets twice a week for 15 weeks (30 sessions). College policy sets the maximum number of absences at 10% of class time (3) 4 is Failing. Multiple late arrivals equal an absence. A student may be withdrawn because of unsatisfactory attendance (code WU) a student may be asked to withdraw from the class (code W) before the College drop deadline or may be withdrawn from the class (code WU). You will be expected to come to class prepared to explain and defend your ideas. All preliminary creative developmental research and work is expected to be done as homework, a minimum of 4 hours a week.

    Academic Integrity Standards

    Students and all others who work with information, ideas, texts, images, music, inventions and other intellectual property owe their audience and sources accuracy and honesty in using, crediting and citation of sources. As a community of intellectual and professional workers, the college recognizes its responsibility for providing instruction in information literacy and academic integrity, offering models of good practice, and responding vigilantly and appropriately to infractions of academic integrity. Accordingly, academic dishonesty is prohibited in The City University of New York and is punishable by penalties, including failing grades, suspension and expulsion. More information about the College’s policy on Academic Integrity may be found in the College Catalog. 

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