Visual Communication Design

Tu 29 Aug #01

• Intro
• Fill out student information form

F 1 Sep #02

• Photoshop basics

• Syllabus, class schedule, starting and submitting, and citations and copyright

• Bring to class a piece of design that you’d like to share
• Start Designer Presentations; choose three designers (during class)
• Start Found Type Studies

Tu 5 Sep #03

• Photoshop, layers, and compositing
• Studio 

• Point, Line, Plane (NB1 12–, NB2 32–)
• Scale (NB1 40–, NB2 60–)

“NB1” indicates page numbers for Graphic Design: The New Basics_, 1st edition; “NB2” is the 2nd edition.

• Continue Found Type Studies. Finish part 1.1 (bring 15 photos, minimum).
• Set up folders for this course. Buy a flash drives if you need to.

F 8 Sep #04

• Framing (NB1 100–, NB2 116–)
• Figure/Ground (NB1 84–) or Gestalt Principles (NB2 98–)

• Continue Found Type Studies. Complete part 2.1 (bring your 15 photos to class).
• Small group critique

Tu 12 Sep #05

• Craft (bring gluesticks or Tombow Mono-like glue applicators for demo)
• Studio 

• Rhythm and Balance (NB1 28–, NB2 48–)

F 15 Sep #06

• Complete any final trimming/mounting for Found Type Studies 

• Final critique for Found Type Studies ★

Tu 19 Sep #07

• Illustrator basics
• Bezier curve exercise (see template (PNG))

• Texture (NB1 52–, NB2 68–)

• Start Graphic Translation (Blackboard); bring sketches
• First date for Designer Presentations

F 22 Sep #08

• Bezier curves and the Illustrator pen tool
• Bezier curve exercise

Tu 26 Sep #09

• Color
• Studio 

• Color (NB1 70–, , NB2 80–)

• Small group critique (bring 2–4 initial versions of your drawings, done in Illustrator)

F 29 Sep #10

• Typography
• Studio 

• Hierarchy (NB1 114–, , NB2 128–)

• Small group critique

F 6 Oct #12

• Information design

• Diagram (NB1 198–, NB2 214–)

• Semifinal critique for Graphic Translation. Print out all work.
• Start Infographic; present ideas

Tu 10 Oct #13

• Mapping exercise

• Transparency (NB1 146–, NB2 154–)

• Graphic Translation is due before class. (Upload a single PDF file to Dropbox) ✭

Tu 17 Oct #14

• Information design and data visualization

• Grid (NB1 174–, NB2 186–)

• Small group critique

F 20 Oct #15

• Grids and alignment
• Maps
• Studio 

• Small group critique

Tu 24 Oct #16

• Studio 

• Modularity (NB1 158–, NB2 166–)

F 27 Oct #17

• Studio 

Tu 31 Oct #18

• Pattern (NB1 184–, NB2 200–)

• Semifinal critique for Infographic ✭
• Start Issue Poster (Blackboard); present concepts

F 3 Nov #19

• Poster history
• Several history presentations

• Be able to tell us about an issue or two that you want to cover for the poster. A few sentences.

Tu 7 Nov #20

• Image/environment/meaning exercise

• 99 Percent Invisible, Norman Doors (article/video)

• Small group critique

F 10 Nov #21

• Image/environment/meaning exercise

• Check in/conversation re poster. Work on finding images and sketching ideas.

Tu 14 Nov #22

• Studio 
• Semiotics

• Rules and Randomness (NB1 232–, NB2 248–)

F 17 Nov #23

• In-progress critique and studio 

Tu 21 Nov #24

• Studio 

• Working File, Rearranging Deck Chairs on the Titanic (podcast w. transcript)

• In-progress critique; try posters at scale

Tu 28 Nov #25

• Studio 

• Demo on printing/tiling/trimming poster

F 1 Dec #26

• Studio 

• Time and Motion (NB1 214–, NB2 232–)

Tu 5 Dec #27

• Sound visualization exercise

• Semifinal or final poster critique ✭
• Last date for Designer Presentations

F 8 Dec #28

• Would you like to sell your textbooks to another student next semester?

• Semifinal critique ✭