Prof. Jenna Spevack | COMD3504 Spring 2026 | Thurs 2:30pm
Prompt: In your language of choice, write continuously in your notebook for 10 minutes about what you noticed after completing this week’s task. Don’t edit, or correct, don’t stop, just write. Feel free to share or not.
This week’s task brought to you by Alexis:
Enjoy an altered state
However you come by this state, be it the moment between waking and sleeping, a spiritual state of reverie, after pulling an all-nighter, or after overindulging, take time to notice how your everyday perspective is altered. Lights are brighter/duller, sounds are louder/quieter, and temperature changes might feel more intense/subtle. Maybe you find that you can stare at the sun sparkling on the snow and completely lose track of time. Take note and enjoy this fleeting state of awareness.
ART OF NOTICING
Next Week’s Prompt by Shanti :
Write a Letter
Write a letter to a friend you’ve been out of touch with, an enemy you’re ready to stop fighting with. Devote real time and attention to the act. Consider what you want to say, and be open to the idea that it may take two or three tries to say it right.
ART OF NOTICING
If you haven’t already, please sign up for a 15 min remote or in-person meeting.
Check Brightspace > Grades to see your progress in the course. If you haven’t completed your first two reading responses, sign up right now or stay on after class today.
Please contact me to find another time if you are unavailable during the meeting slots.
Schedule a MeetingBelow, find the information covered in this session. Complete all of the following activities, videos, and assignments.
Let’s take a closer look at the Reading Response – Semiotics and your annotations and see if there any sticking points. For those who didn’t complete the homework, it’s a good time to take notes.
Break into groups: Refresh you understanding of sign/signifier/signified, icon, index, symbol. Discuss why we should apply the semiotic method to media (especially social media or “infotainment” masquerading as “news”).
Later: Review your colleagues’ responses and add a reply!
Later: Review, revise, and repost your reading response based on feedback/questions and discussions with your peers. Or contact me for feedback, questions, or concerns.
Last class, we looked at semiotics theory (the theory of signs and meaning in communication). We started with French philosopher Ferdinand de Saussure, who identified a sign as composed of a signifier and a signified. The signifier is that part of the communication process that carries the message (sound, image, text), and the signified is the concept delivered to the receiver. And we also looked at American philosopher, Charles Sanders Peirce‘s different semiotic forms: Icon, Index and Symbol and how meaning can change depending on context. Now, let’s look at the Message Cycle and Models of Communication, which will be important for understanding this week’s reading on Visual Rhetoric.
Careful analysis of the message cycle can help us better understand when our communication works and when it doesn’t – and why. If we are aware of these concepts and the communication models, we can be more effective communication designers!
Exercise
Make a quick drawing/diagram that demonstrates the steps in one daily communication process that you participate in either as sender or receiver or both. This could be: talking face-to-face, posting on social media, streaming a video, gaming chat, video or audio call, etc. Be sure to include any “noise” that might disrupt or hinder the process.
Check out the following video to reinforce the following concepts: sender (information source), encoder (transmitter), message, channel (route), noise, decoder (reception), receiver (destination), feedback.
This model emphasizes the importance of context, feedback, and the dynamic nature of communication, reflecting the complexities of contemporary communication in various contexts such as interpersonal interactions, organizational communication, and mass media.
Key concepts include:
What is Rhetoric, and how does it relate to the communication process? Check out the fifth paragraph in last week’s reading for some context.
In preparation for this week’s reading, let’s go through the guidelines together. Let’s look some key take aways and resources to support you.
You will be reading and annotating an excerpt from Roland Barthes’ 1977 essay, “Rhetoric of the Image.” This essay is challenging, but it contains important tools for deconstructing visual design using a semiotic approach, including “close reading” of visual images. The use of visual images to persuasively communicate meaning is called “Visual Rhetoric” – an important skill for designers.
Follow the assignment guidelines and prompts for Reading Response – Visual Rhetoric.
DUE Wednesday before the next class to allow for feedback.
Below are all of the tasks, big and small, for this week. The due date is Wednesday, 11:59 pm before our next Thursday class. Timely completion of these tasks will contribute to your success in this course.
If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out.
Our first class meeting is Thursday, January 29th, 2:30-5pm in Pearl 117.
We will be using a variety of tools for coursework, collaboration, and communication, including this OpenLab Course Site. Weekly Agendas and assignments and reminders will be posted here before our class meeting.
Please take some time to explore this site and complete the following small tasks before our first meeting, if possible.
Please complete this Student Survey to help me to understand your technology setup and any challenges you might have. All responses are private.
Take a minute to introduce yourself to the class in this Introductions post. Add a comment with a little background about yourself. Include a link to a photo or video of yourself and/or something or someone who has influenced your creative work. Looking forward to meeting you!
IMPORTANT NOTE: This is an open course, so if you prefer to keep your identity private, you may change your screen name at any time. See OpenLab Help > Editing Your Profile or reach out with questions.
Use the Favorites button on the Course Profile, to save this course to My Favorites for easy access.
NOTE: Bring a notebook or sketchbook and something to write with.
If you have any questions at all, please reach out via email at jspevack@citytech.cuny.edu or leave a comment on this post.
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