Faculty: You can include your course schedule here by starting with this template, or changing it as needed.

Week 1 Lesson Plan

Session 1

  • Day & Date:
  • Meeting Info: Add online details or in-person location
  • Topic: Design is defined, including a review of various design disciplines (architecture, industrial, environmental, gaming, etc). Design is NOT illustration, even if students will be asked to design images.
  • Activities: Students introduce themselves, begin to fill out the Brainstorming Grid as per instructions given.
  • Due Dates: Finish it by next session.
  • To do before class: Print the Brainstorming Grid

Session 2

  • Day & Date:
  • Topic: More Miniature Image Discussion
  • Activities: Begin development of 3 sketches in black-and-white in computer. 
  • Due Dates: End of class.
  • To do before class:

Week 2 Lesson Plan

Session 1

  • Day & Date:
  • Topic: Designing a symbol; consideration of figure/ground.
  • Activities: Visual Communication disciplines are reviewed; cultural image and icon differences are discussed; history of icon usage. Bring three of your images to completion in the computer; Critique of the developed black-and-white images and their suitability as icons in their reduced form.
  • Due Dates: Three are due at the end of class.
  • To do before class: Six treatments of each of the three symbols due in BXW Grid.

Session 2

  • Day & Date:
  • Topic: The BxW Icon as a Symbol/Technical Instruction. File naming conventions and How to make a PDF
  • Activities: Continue to refine your six sketches, make into a pdf and upload. File Naming Conventions
  • Due Dates: By next session
  • To do before class:

Week 3 Lesson Plan

Session 1

  • Day & Date:
  • Topic: Developing meaning to the image; conveying thoughts and emotions through images. Examples of small images and their impact on actions and ideas. Pictographic systems in world cultures.
  • Activities: Processing of icon images for screen and print. 
  • Due Dates: At end of class; brief discussion/critique afterward.
  • To do before class: Print the final three files in color, bring to next session

Session 2

  • Day & Date:
  • Topic: Hand-lettering project is explained. Positive and negative space; the letter vs the letterform
  • Activities: Review the printed font files (assignment from last session
  • Due Dates: At end of class; brief discussion.
  • To do before class: Print attached file

Week 4 Lesson Plan

Session 1

  • Day & Date:
  • Topic: Typography as a symbol; and image, rather than a literal rendition.  The typographic image in different cultures.
  • Activities: Building a typographic image or the 27th letter of the alphabet.
  • Due Dates: At end of class, have at least half of the required number of ligatures
  • To do before class: Finish the balance.

Session 2

  • Day & Date:
  • Topic: The letter vs the letterform
  • Activities: Bringing the three best sketches into the computer and refined. Review the three developed letterforms
  • Due Dates: At end of class; brief discussion.
  • To do before class: Make an additional five treatments of each letterform and put in the template.

Week 5 Lesson Plan

Session 1

  • Day & Date:
  • Topic: Historical hand rendering of various typographic alphabets. The best of the ligatures are chosen; how to prepare for hand lettering.
  • Activities: How to measure and cut a board properly; how to transfer ligature to board. Demonstration.  
  • Due Dates: By the end of class, cut one board.
  • Preparation: Have supplies ready: pencil, board, rulers and knife
  • To do before class: Print the best of the three letterforms and cut additional two boards.

Session 2

  • Day & Date:
  • Topic: How to render the letterforms by hand and writing the perfect resume. Positive and negative space; the letter vs the letterform
  • Activities: Transferring the ligature to the board. Demonstration.
  • Preparation: Make a list of all abilities, accomplishments and employment experience.
  • Due Dates: At end of class; brief discussion.
  • To do before class: Write a list of all talents, abilities and employment history. Write the blurbs for the resume as discussed in class. DO NOT FORMAT.

Week 6 Lesson Plan

Session 1

  • Day & Date:
  • Topic: Continued study of hand-lettered and new scripts used in online and analog renditions. Ligatures used in logos .
  • Activities: How to hand-paint the ligature. Demonstration. Begin painting the letter form, paying special attention to craft.
  • Preparation: Have letter-painting supplies ready
  • Due Dates: At end of class, show painting progress on one ligature.
  • To do before class: Finish the balance.

Session 2

  • Day & Date:
  • Session 2: Finishing the ligature and the resume.
  • Topic: Proper resume formatting.
  • Activities: Continue painting the three developed letterforms
  • Due Dates: Brief discussion. Finished painted ligatures due in one week, finished resume due next session.
  • To do before class: See above.

Week 7 Lesson PLan

Session 1

  • Day & Date:
  • Topic: Guest speaker/demonstration of hand lettering. Further development of hand-lettering aesthetics and techniques.
  • Activities: With at least two executed painted ligatures, present for critique by guest speaker.
  • Due Dates: By the end of class, cut one board.
  • Preparation: Bring painted ligatures in progress or printed treatments of ligatures
  • To do before class: Work on ligatures for critique of ligature. .

Session 2

  • Day & Date:
  • Topic: Critique on final three ligatures
  • Activities: Type on Third dimension or Type in Motion Project is introduced.
  • To do before class: Bring three completed hand-painted treatments. Using the file one of the ligatures, make several enlargements of the ligature on a sheet of 8.5 x 11″ paper and print it.

Week 8 Lesson Plan

Session 1

  • Day & Date:
  • Topic: Type on the Third Dimension Typography on boxes (packaging) or in the three dimensions (signage)
  • Activities: Using the ligature from the printed version, transfer it to the cube template in its flattened version. Design three cube treatments pencil, cut them out and tape them together to make a cube.
  • Due Dates: By the end of class, have least one cube ready to show the class.
  • Preparation: Download  template of a cube and fit it to an 8.5 x 11” format. Print three copies. Bring tracing paper and pencils, knife, blades, ruler, tape and cutting board to the sessions.
  • To do before class: bring sketches of the most successful one into the computer and refine. Print it and assemble it.

Session 2

  • Day & Date:
  • Activities: Critique on the first cube for its treatment of negative space, dimension, continuity.
  • Preparation: Bring three completed hand-painted treatments.
  • To do before class: Work on the other two.
  • Due date: Finish all three by next session.

Week 9 Lesson Plan

Session 1

  • Day & Date:
  • Topic: Type on the Third Dimension Typography on boxes (packaging) or in the three dimensions (signage)
  • Activities: Using the ligature from the printed version, transfer it to the cube template in its flattened version. Design three cube treatments pencil, cut them out and tape them together to make a cube.
  • Due Dates: By the end of class, have least one cube ready to show the class.
  • Preparation: Download  template of a cube and fit it to an 8.5 x 11” format. Print three copies. Bring tracing paper and pencils, knife, blades, ruler, tape and cutting board to the sessions.
  • To do before class: bring sketches of the most successful one into the computer and refine. Print it and assemble it.

Session 2

  • Day & Date:
  • Topic: Type in Motion. Type in motion in both commercial applications and movies. Examples are shown of various applications.
  • Activities: Using the components of the ligature or the 27th letter of the alphabet, storyboard an animation using the template from the
  • Due Dates: By the end of class, have least one cube ready to show the class.
  • Preparation: Download  template of a cube and fit it to an 8.5 x 11” format. Print three copies. Bring tracing paper and pencils, knife, blades, ruler, tape and cutting board to the sessions.
  • To do before class: bring sketches of the most successful one into the computer and refine. Print it and assemble it.

Week 10 Lesson Plan

Session 1

  • Day & Date:
  • Topic: Critique on the first cube for its treatment of negative space, dimension, continuity.
  • Preparation: Bring three completed hand-painted treatments.
  • Activities: Work on the other two.
  • Due date: Finish all three by next session.

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Week 11 Lesson Plan

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Week 12 Lesson Plan

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Week 13 Lesson Plan

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Week 14 Lesson Plan

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Week 15 Lesson Plan

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Session 3

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