Hello all! I’m excited to be teaching in person again finally and am looking forward to having a productive semester!

Having said that this is our virtual on-line hub which functions a bit like a blog. Every week I will be posting your assignment details, reminders, class resources etc. You will be creating your own on-line portfolios which is an integral part of the class.

Before we get started a bit of housekeeping:

Here is a link to our syllabus.

Inclusivity Statement:

I am committed to creating a learning and making community, in which we are all able to thrive during this difficult time.  This course consists of individual work, group discussions, class critiques, as well as technical and ideation workshops. We must, therefore, strive to create an atmosphere of inclusion and mutual respect: all students will have their chosen gender pronoun(s) and chosen name recognized. If the class roster does not align with your name, gender, and/or pronouns, please inform me. It is my intent that students from all diverse backgrounds and perspectives be well-served by this course, that students’ learning needs be addressed both in and out of class, and that the diversity that the students bring to this class be viewed as an asset, resource, strength, and benefit. I am committed to presenting materials and activities that are respectful of diversity: gender identity, sexuality, disability, age, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, race, nationality, religion, and culture. Your suggestions are encouraged and appreciated. Please let me know ways to improve the effectiveness of the course for you personally, or for other students or student groups.

OpenLab Portfolio instructions:

Once you have created and names your Openlab portfolio, please input your name and url HERE.

  • Familiarize yourself with the dashboard. Delete all the template posts and pages.
  • Customize your page with a responsive theme that supports multimedia, an original header, personalized colors, title, and tagline.
  • For your header: Search for an image on line that you feel is something interesting and representative of digital culture for you today. Upload it and crop it in an interesting way. Be aware of the ideal pixel size.
  • Create an “About Me” page. This should be a simple bio that reflects who you are. You may also include a photograph.

As the semester advances you will be uploading each assignment you complete to your Openlab. This is how you will be turning in your work.

Assignment 1:

Logo Deets:

Your first assignment is to create a logo that represents yourself using in illustrator using only black and white.

You will be making three versions of the same logo.

  1. white background
  2. black background
  3. transparent background

5 in x 5 in 

Brainstorming:

  1. Start by writing down 5 sentences that tell your life story.
  2. Choose 1 or 2 words that resonate with you and begin to sketch out a few ideas as “thumbnails” on paper. This will give you a chance to think rapidly through some ideas.

(Below is for next week)

Now it’s time to start in Illustrator:

  1. Make a new art board and using shapes  (additive and subtractive) create three different logos that embody the meaning of the word/s you chose. Save often and if you’re feeling stumped make several versions and we’ll workshop them in class. Choose your favorite and be prepared to discuss why in class. 
  2. The next step is to choose your favorite and make 3 versions –white background, black background and transparent background – of the same one.
  3. Export as pngs and name each one using the best practice: logo_wh.png/logo_bk.png/logo_tran.png
  4. Upload all six files to your Openlab and write 1-3 sentences about