COMD 1100 – Graphic Design Principles 1

Course Description

This basic design and color theory course explores graphic communication through the understanding of the elements and principles of design, as well as the design process, including idea development through final execution. Students develop basic skills in two-dimensional design, color and content creation while employing the design process of research, sketching and experimentation. Communication designers use the concepts explored in this course in disciplines such as advertising, graphic design, web design, illustration, broadcast design, photography, and game design.

1cl hr, 5 lab hrs, 3 cr

 

Prerequisite: CUNY proficiency in reading, writing and mathematics or concurrent enrollment in ENG 092R, ESOL 022R or 032R; ENG 092W, ESOL 021W, or ESOL 031W; MAT 0630 or MAT 0650 as required

 

Course Objectives

INSTRUCTIONAL OBJECTIVES

ASSESSMENT

For the successful completion of this course, students should be able to:

 

Evaluation methods and criteria

Use analog media to communicate and develop concepts through sketching, design prototypes, and illustration

 

Students produce drawings and sketches through the development process of all projects.

 

Use industry-standard software tools (Adobe CC) to execute graphics, illustrations, and photo-illustrations

 

Students will employ these tools for multiple projects and activities.

Use the elements and principles of design in a composition. 

 

The students will create a pattern and describe the visual concepts used (line, space, shape, form, etc.) in a discussion.

Apply the design development process to ideate and realize projects’ creative and artistic direction.

Students will demonstrate competency by researching stylistic influences, producing thumbnail sketches and comps, and iterating designs to achieve a successful final execution.

 

Utilize the concept of compositional balance, including symmetrical, asymmetrical, and radial balance.

 

Students will demonstrate competency by designing a series of patterns utilizing various forms of balance.

Apply color theory to a specified design.

Students will demonstrate competency by using color theory to create a balanced composition.

Understand fundamental concepts of digital imaging, including electronic color systems, raster and vector graphic types, and image formats/compression.

 

Students will demonstrate competency across multiple projects by creating digital compositions in a representative range of formats.

Design a pattern of three-dimensional forms in one-point and two-point perspective.

The students will demonstrate how volumes can be designed using perspective.

Create various design styles to define different visual identities.

 

The students will demonstrate the use of design concepts in a stylized design creating an identity for the subject matter.

Define and explain the design concepts and vocabulary in a critique.

 

Students will gain familiarity and proficiency with design concepts and vocabulary by employing it during design development and critique sessions.

Present a basic portfolio of the projects in this course for final review. 

The students will present their portfolio and participate in a formal critique.

 

General Education Outcomes

General Education Outcome covered:

How the outcome is assessed:

Thinking Critically

The student will demonstrate the ability to evaluate evidence and apply reasoning to make valid inferences.

Evaluate through class critique to determine how well students were able to advance their project concepts by applying evidence and using logic to make decisions.

 

Oral Communication

Speaking: The student will demonstrate the ability to articulate himself using relevant industry-specific language

Evaluate through class discussion and /or written tests if students use appropriate nomenclature to defend creative, critical and technical decisions in project concepts and development.

 

Writing

The student will demonstrate the ability to write clearly articulated thoughts in a professional, informed manner.

 

Evaluate how well students absorbed and consequently applied the learning though graded written portions of projects.

 

Teaching/Learning Method

  • Lecture/ Readings
  • Demonstrations
  • Project based lab
  • Research Assignments
  • Blackboard Descriptions

 

Required Text

None

 

Required Materials

Required Materials

Please acquire all the required materials listed below. You can make common-sense substitutions based on what you need for other classes and/or already own, as long as it’s the same basic material. (Example: using a slightly different size of bristol board is OK, but using oil paints or watercolors instead of acrylics is not.) Most art supply stores in the city will have all of these items readily available, although the specific brands available may vary. 

 

  • 11” x 14” bristol board pad, vellum surface, 20 sheets (Strathmore 300 Series or similar) 
  • 11” x 14” tracing paper pad, 50 sheets, 25lb (Strathmore Tracing paper or similar) 
  • 9” x 12” mixed media sketchbook, 50+ sheets, ~100lb (Strathmore Vision or similar, prefer unlined) 
  • 18” steel ruler with cork backing (Westcott or similar) 
  • Primary colors acrylic set, recommend buying the Amsterdam Standard Series set but can also be purchased individually: 
    • 120ml titanium white OR zinc white
    • 120ml oxide black OR lamp black 
    • 120ml primary magenta 
    • 120ml primary cyan 
    • 120ml primary yellow 
  • Basic 4-6 brush set for acrylics (Princeton Real Value set 9171 or similar). Many brushes are still made from fur and hair, so check the packaging if you prefer to avoid animal products (specifically or in general) 
  • Graphite drawing pencils (Faber-Castell 9000 Set of 6 or similar); you may also use whichever graphite pencils are required by your drawing classes 
  • Pencil sharpener 
  • White vinyl eraser (Staedtler or similar) 
  • Art Knife (X-Acto Knife Set No. 51 or similar) 
  • Full-size scissors (e.g. Fiskars) 
  • Spray adhesive (Scotch Spray Mount or similar) 
  • ¾” white artist’s tape (Blick is a good generic) 

 

The following items are recommended, but not strictly necessary: 

 

Coursework

Coursework falls into two categories: major projects and homework. 

 

Major projects must be mounted to black presentation board with a 1” margin on all sides, your name, course number and semester marked on the back, and a protective tracing-paper cover folded over the front (this will be demonstrated in class). Projects that do not follow these rules will be penalized and possibly rejected for presentation and grading. You will also post final versions and process steps of your projects to OpenLab as specified by the assignments. 

 

Homework must be posted to OpenLab (drawings/paintings need to be photographed or scanned) but no printing/mounting is required. 

 

Assignments are due when they are due, how they are due. Late projects are subject to a 25% penalty outside of unusual circumstances. Projects that are incomplete or incorrectly formatted will be penalized. Each assignment sheet includes detailed instructions on how it should be completed and submitted. 

 

Major Projects 

Broken Into Parts (Project 1) 

10% 

Recreate the composition of one photograph in four small paintings, breaking down the image into 2, 4, 6, and 10 flat shapes/color areas. One painting will be grayscale, while each of the others will use a different primary color (magenta, yellow, cyan) in addition to b/w. 

 

Rainbow Dance (Project 2) 

20% 

Create a stop-motion sequence with six frames, then re-interpret and paint each frame using a different conventional color scheme: monochromatic, analogous/adjacent, complementary, split complementary, triadic, and full spectrum. In addition to mounting, paintings will be digitized (photo’d or scanned) and combined into an animated GIF. 

 

First Album (Project 3) 

15% 

Students are each given a randomly generated band name, conceptualize and present its biography, branding, and song titles, then design front and back covers for this imagined debut album. Students will use photomontage (collage) techniques to create the basic art, adding typography and mandatories (copyrights, legal text) digitally. 

 

Pattern Portrait (Project 4) 

10% 

Reduce a portrait to six-color grayscale (black, white, and four shades of gray), then design black-and-white patterns of varying densities to replace each shade of gray.  

 

Living Room (Project 5) 

25% 

Design a textile pattern based on the aesthetic of an interior space from film, TV, or mass media (the space does not have to be real, but your reference image must be photorealistic or equivalently detailed). Present your work in a mood board-style layout that visually communicates your inspiration and process, along with copy giving some background on the room and your approach to the design. 

 

 

Homework 

Lost and Found 

2.5% 

Take photographs showing obvious and ambiguous figure/ground relationships, post as a gallery on OpenLab. 

 

Color Wheel 

7.5% 

Complete the color wheel as painted in class, adding decorative elements related to each primary/secondary color. 

 

Music Interpretation 

5% 

Paint or illustrate a visual interpretation of a song; post to OpenLab with a link to the music. 

 

 

Making Faces 

5% 

Use vector drawing tools in Adobe Illustrator to create a threshold-ed version of a mask from the Metropolitan Museum’s collection. 

 

 

 

Attendance (College) and Lateness (Department) Policies:

Attendance is taken and is important to success in this class. Both absences and arrival more than 20 minutes after the start of class will be marked. If excessive, the instructor will alert the student that they be in danger of not meeting the course objectives and participation expectations, which could lead to a lower grade.

 

Academic Integrity Standards

Students and all others who work with information, ideas, texts, images, music, inventions, and other intellectual property owe their audience and sources accuracy and honesty in using, crediting, and citing sources. As a community of intellectual and professional workers, the College recognizes its responsibility for providing instruction in information literacy and academic integrity, offering models of good practice, and responding vigilantly and appropriately to infractions of academic integrity. Accordingly, academic dishonesty is prohibited in The City University of New York and at New York City College of Technology and is punishable by penalties, including failing grades, suspension, and expulsion.

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