Overview

Select a design or design object created after 1971 in which the influence of the theories we’ve studied so far can be seen. Examine the ways in which the creator was responding, directly or indirectly, to theories we’ve covered so far. This might include semiotics & signs, ways of meaning, models of communication, the avant-garde art movements of the Futurists, Constructivists, and/or the Bauhaus. Specifically, you might refer to the concepts of Universality, Authorship, and Social Responsibility that we have reviewed.

Discuss how the design you’ve chosen embodies these ideas. Provide direct references to relevant passages from our readings and locate additional writings using library resources and other sources to support your comparisons.

You will be providing a critical examination of the object and its relationship to the theories we’ve discussed, not an account of historical details. These should be your observations and your ideas supported by published sources.

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out: jspevack@citytech.cuny.edu

Due Date

The finished paper is due on Sunday, October 3rd, at 11:59 pm.

Get started

Use the links provided under Help > Course Resources > Design Collections to find a design source (advertising, graphic design, industrial design objects, motion graphics, etc.) for your paper.

Use your Research Journal to define your ideas before you start writing. Add an image and begin with a brief description of the work, the designer who created it, and the historical circumstances under which it was made. Consider the ways in which the creator was responding, directly or indirectly, to theories related to semiotics & signs, ways of meaning, models of communication, the avant-garde art movements of the Futurists, Constructivists, and/or the Bauhaus. Start collecting resources to support your ideas.

Example

Suppose you found this poster on the Cooper Hewitt Design Collection: “THE BEST OF JAZZ” for the New York Public Theatre, 1980, created by designer Paula Scher.

This poster shares some graphic elements from the early avant-garde designers we’ve looked at. The use of primary colors, bold geometry, san serif fonts, lack of ornament, etc reminds us of the Russian Constructivists and the Bauhaus. You might then dig deeper into the influences of the designer herself, the time period in which this work was made, and the client. You might then look for primary sources where the designer talks about her influences?

You would also refer back to our readings by Constructivist designers and find relevant passages, comparing the principles and ideas presented by the avant-garde designers with your example design. Next, you would find additional resources via the City Tech Library, the COMD Theory OER Bibliography, and other scholarly sources to support the connections you’ve made.

Remember you will be providing a critical examination of the image/object and its relationship to the theories we’ve discussed, not an account of historical details. These should be YOUR observations and YOUR ideas supported by published sources.

Formatting

Your paper will be submitted as a 750-1000 word typewritten paper, double-spaced in 12 pt. Times New Roman.

  • Use Google Docs to write and organize your final draft.
  • Use the MLA style to format your paper. See MLA example paper here.
  • Cite all materials researched for historical context, any related writings, and image sources.
  • Include images of the work you are referencing and any other relevant illustrations.
  • Use the Google Docs Citation tool set to MLA to add citations to your paper as you write.
  • When you are done, add a Works Cited page at the end of your document. This can be done with one click using the Insert Work Cited button.
  • Use Grammarly or similar to review your paper for grammatical and spelling errors before submitting.

Submitting Your Paper

  1. Create an OpenLab Post. (Example Post)
    • TITLE: Research Paper 1 – Your Initials
    • CATEGORY: Research Papers
    • TAG: Research Paper 1
    • TAG: Your Name
  2. Add the title of your paper as a heading.
  3. Write a brief introduction to your paper.
  4. Use text to indicate the link to your paper (ie: Research Paper), select this text, and make it a link to your Google doc. (Do not paste the entire Google Doc link in the post)
  5. Make sure the Google Doc link is set to “Anyone with the link” and Commenter is selected. This will allow others to comment on your paper.