Author: M. Genevieve Hitchings

Agenda

Tuesday 03/11/20

Due

Lecture

Guest Lecture
We are very fortunate to have a Allison Mayle, from the Cold Spring Harbor DNA Learning center join us between 2:30PM-4PM and give us a better understanding of DNA Barcoding. She also manages the Urban Barcode Research Program there. She will also be available to answer questions you may have related to our work this semester.

Watch
This (slightly cheesey) video, intended for non-designers, has some useful tips for how to think through gathering and organizing your Info Graphic. You can learn more by visiting their website: Venngage tips on ‘How to Make an Infographic‘ This company provides templates for people that want a simple info-graphic. We are NOT using their templates. But they can help to inform yours.
(And keep in mind, the best info-graphics are created by true graphic designers)

Homework

Assignment

1. By Thursday 3/19 Post all of your sketches to the TWO PLACES I have requested you to do so (see the top of this post under ‘DUE’)
2. By Monday 3/21 view all the sketches that have been posted (to Post Your Work) and choose one student and provide them with constructive feedback based on what they are showing. If someone has already provided feedback feel free to add your thoughts, but I would like each of you to also choose one student who has not yet received any feedback. (Since we are no longer meeting in person, I would like us to begin to facilitate the in-class critiques in this way.)
3. By Monday 3/21 develop concept and refine sketches (charts and graphs). Begin to draft your InfoGraphic in InDesign. Aim to have a solid first draft ready for show.

Agenda

Tuesday 03/4/20

Due

• Research – hand in Phase 1 Worksheet (save into Class folder – Week5)
  
• Sketches
• Research topic. Find at least three resources with relevant data.

Lecture

• Research & Content Development: See lecture here
• Illustrator Continued: Graphs and Charts: See example here
• BioDesign Challenge Examples from past student projects:
  1. Microbial Gardens, CalArts 2017
  2. UK 2029, UEdinburgh 2017
  3. Death on Mars, UTS 2019
  4. The Other Townsend, CalArts 2019
  5. The Outstanding Prizes as well as the Sponsored Prizes can be found here. 

In-Class

• Present – Phase 1 – Worksheet and your sketches
• Setting up a draft of the actual poster in InDesign
• Work on homework

Homework

Assignment

• Prepare to PRESENT your work with the class (Review lecture)
  1. Finalize your content
  2. Find reference and inspiration materials
  3. Draft of the actual poster: Create at least three charts in Illustrator related to data you have collected
  4. Ten sketches of your layout and related ideas book
  5. Typefaces you are planning to work with

Read

• Read: Bremmer, Nadieh “The Design Process of “Why Do Cats & Dogs …?” VisualCinnamon, April 11, 2019.
• Read: “About the Nagoya Protocol”

Agenda

Tuesday 2/26/2020

Due

• Decide on topic for Info Graphic as it relates to an aspect of DNA and/or DNA barcoding.
• Research topic. Find at least three resources, preferably with relevant data.
• Lots of Reading & Watching (See Homework Week3)

Lecture

• Project 1 – Phase 1: Collecting Information Handout
  Based on your research, decide on a topic for your Info Graphic as it relates to an aspect of DNA and/or DNA barcoding and how it impacts (or could in the future) one aspect of society  (i.e. healthcare, criminal justice, farming, etc).
• Lecture – Research. How and where to collect data (See Lecture Week4)
• Review findings of excellent Info Graphics (See Posts Week1)
• Discussion – the creative process, research and developing ideas
• Illustrator Continued: Graphs and Charts: (See Lesson Week4)
• Watch:

Homework

Assignment

• Complete – Phase 1: Collecting Information Handout
• Continue to research project and start sketching ideas into your sketch book

Reading

• Read: Willis, Derek. “Where to Find Data” Data Institute 2018 ProPublica, October 1, 2018 (ProPublica)
• Read: Miller, Meg. “The NYT’s New Look Is A Masterpiece Of Information Design” FastCompany, March 3, 2017. (FastCompany)

Watching

• Watch:  Amazon Empire, The Rise and Reign of Jeff Bezos,Frontline, Feb, 18, 2020. (PBS FRONTLINE)
• Watch: Basic Calculations in Illustrator: Create a pie chart | Sunflood Studios (YouTube)
• Watch: Making Bubble Charts (Circle Scatterplots) using Illustrator | Jonathan Soma (YouTube)
• Watch: Illustrator CC Tutorial | 3D Graphic Design Transparent Tubes | Graphic Tweakz (YouTube)

Agenda

DUE

• Post the 3 links that you found from researching 5wgraphics.com website to the blog comments on the page (see last weeks posting Homework)
• Reading (see last weeks posting Homework)

Lecture

• Discussion of reading: W.E.B. Du Boise  and Florence Nightingale
• Types of Graphs and Charts
• Graphs & Charts (blog post about what chart or graph to choose)
• Illustrator Lesson: Basic Charts and Graphs
• Understanding data and displaying visually measured quantities
• Basic Excel: Sort and Filter
• Fill out In-Class Survey

Lab

• Collecting Data from class
• Enter spreadsheet – Class Spreadsheet
• Intro to Illustrator continued

Homework

Readings

• Review: Graphs & Charts (blog post about what chart or graph to choose)
• Read: Friendly, Michael. “Milestones in the history of thematic cartography, statistical graphics, and data visualization,” (Introduction, pp 1-3 ) Oct. 16, 2018. (Math.USA.Edu)
• Read: Grimwade, John. “Twelve Centuries of Infographics” Ohio University, August 28, 2019. (VisCom at Ohio University)
• Read: Fresques, Hannah. “Visualizing Data” Data Institute 2018 ProPublica, October 1, 2018. (ProPublica)

• Watch: Creating Graphs in Illustrator | Adobe  (YouTube)
• Watch: Adobe Illustrator: Creating Graphs in Adobe Illustrator using Excel Data | Ben Halsall (YouTube)

Assignment

• Finish entering class data into Excel file
• Create 2 charts in illustrator based on class lecture and collected data

Agenda

Introductions – Welcome!

• Overview of the three main projects for the semester
• Class requirements and expectations

Lecture

• Data Visualization and Info Graphics
• Visual Storytelling and Data Journalism
• Science Visualization – explaining complex problems visually

BioDesign Challenge

We are very fortunate to be participating in the the BioDesign Challenge this semester.  The main goals of this competition are as follows:

1. 1. To create a community of collaboration among artists, designers, and biologists
   2. To seed the first generation of biodesigners
   3. To build meaningful public dialogue about biotech and its uses

Visit the BioDesign Challenge >>  website to learn more here

Lab

• Collecting Data
• Introduction to Illustrator

Homework

Readings

• Read: Andrews, Raymond J. “Florence Nightingale is a Design Hero” Medium, July 7, 2019 . (Medium)
• Read: Forrest, Jason. “W. E. B. Du Bois’ staggering Data Visualizations are as powerful today as they were in 1900 (Part 1)” Medium, Jul 18, 2018. (Medium)

Video

What is BioTech? Watch the following 3 videos as a starting overview

• Watch: Suzanne Lee | Why “Biofabrication” is the Next Industrial Revolution | TED 2019
• Watch: Daisy Ginsberg | Synthetic Aesthetics | PopTech
• Watch: Heather Dewey-Hagborg | I Steal DNA From Strangers | TEDxVienna

Assignment

Review the following website: 5wgraphics.com
Find an excellent example of each of the following (copy and paste the URL to the comment part of this blog):

• • 1 Info Graphic
  • 1 Diagram
  • 1 Flow Chart