Class Info

  • Date: Monday, August 28th, 2023
  • Meeting Info: Room P123
  • Topics: What is Graphic Design? Discuss Design Process & Project #1


Discussion: What is Design?

What is Design?

To design is to plan or arrange elements in order to communicate a thought, feeling, or concept. Design can also be described as the organization of information.  This information can be visual, aural, informational, or tactile.

The products of design are compositions — arrangements of elements. We will focus primarily on the arrangement of visual elements in this course, but we will also consider how all our senses affect how we interact with and understand the world.

Why Learn Design?

A good designer, independent of the medium (data, sound, pixels, paint, wood) has a significant advantage in the world. If you choose a design career and develop your creative vision, you can influence what people see/feel/do.

“We can change the world, only once we accept that it’s the everyday, mundane work of design that has the potential to stir change. And it’s the everyday work of a designer that requires your focus, your intuition, your curiosity, your love.”

Bill Chung, On design changing the world

What Kind of Careers?

There are many interesting opportunities for designers, but learning how to think creatively is useful for every career. Here are some careers that our Communication Design program can prepare you for:

  • Graphic Design
  • Advertising Design
  • User-Experience Design
  • Interface/Web Design
  • Information Design
  • Animation/Motion Graphics
  • Broadcast/Video
  • Photography
  • Illustration
Video

Lynda.com: What is Graphic Design?

[Access with NYPL card]

How do you become a good designer?

First you must learn the fundamental principles. When building a sturdy house you need a strong foundation. When learning a new language you need to master grammar and vocabulary. It takes patience, attention to detail, dedication, and most importantly, staying curious.

What is curiosity?

Curiosity, in this context, is a desire to learn more. Good designers are inquisitive investigators with a strong internal motivation to solve problems. Designers love a challenge. They use all of their senses to find inspiration and solutions to design problems. Like a scientist they research, experiment, get feedback, and repeat– until they arrive at the best solution to the design problem they face. Their first idea is rarely the best solution. A good designer follows a design process and practices design thinking.

What is a Design Process?

A Design Process is the workflow a designer uses. Following a clear design process gives structure to a design problem and helps to bring an idea from conception to final delivery. It is especially helpful when collaborating with others. Incorporating design thinking into the design process helps designers to understand the needs of those you are designing for.

The primary design process we will follow in this class is:

Discover: Ideation and Experimentation

Define: Iteration and Feedback

Develop: Refine and Execute

Deliver: Professional verbal, written, and visual presentation; critical reflection

Discussion: Research about Patterns

Patterns
patterns
By Emily Houtz
patterns
By Emily Houtz
Patterns
By Emily Houtz

Break (15 min)

  • Take a break!

Breakout Lab (60 min)

  • Project #1: Positive & Negative Patterns
  • Introducing the Discover phase: Listen & Draw

To-Do Before Next Class

  1. Complete the drawing of sounds & describe writing about your favorite song that we started in class.

Materials needed for NEXT CLASS

** Note: if you are unable to purchase these items due to financial aid delays, please contact me BEFORE the next class.

FINAL DUE DATE for PROJECT #1 POSITIVE & NEGATIVE PATTERNS

  • Thursday September 7th, 2023