GDES-270 spring 2023 / David Ramos, American University Design
Tools, materials, and resources
Collaboration and communication
Course website
(You’re here!) This is the main course website, which includes the schedule, deadlines, and links to resources. Bookmark it—you’ll keep referring to it over the semester.
Textbook
The textbook for the course is Graphic Design: The New Basics, by Ellen Lupton and Jennifer Cole Phillips. The 2015 edition is best, but the 2008 edition will suffice. (On reserve at Bender Library, and available through the library as an ebook.)
Canvas
Turn in final work on Canvas . You’ll see your grades there. Also on Canvas: some assignment sheets (shared between different sections of this course) and copyrighted reading materials.
I’ll send critical, all-class messages as Canvas announcements. Check that Canvas will notify you when you receive a message. (How to set Canvas notifications settings.)
Miro critique boards
We use Miro as an online whiteboard. The password is posted on Canvas .
Videoconferencing
- We use Zoom for audio/video calls (link and password will be posted on Canvas if needed).
Technology/software
You’ll need:
- Desktop or laptop computer, capable of running Zoom, Miro, and Illustrator
- Camera or a smartphone camera
- Hard drive, flash drive, or cloud storage service for backup
Creative Cloud
The Art Department/Design Program provides access to Adobe Creative Cloud in the Katzen 202/203/204 labs. You’re also welcome to buy a Creative Cloud subscription and work on your own computer.
We’ll use Adobe Illustrator particularly heavily. Work through the LinkedIn Learning tutorial on the program. (The AU Library provides instructions on how to get access to your LinkedIn Learning account.) If you have extensive experience with Illustrator, contact me about whether you can skip the tutorials.
Your Creative Cloud license gives you access to Photoshop, as well. You may find Photoshop useful. See the Photoshop Basics course on LinkedIn Learning for tutorials.
LinkedIn Learning (software tutorials)
The AU Library provides access to LinkedIn Learning, formerly Lynda.com. We’ll be using the site’s tutorials to cover basic technology skills. The AU Library provides instructions on how to set up your LinkedIn Learning account.
Supplies and materials
You’ll receive a supply kit containing technical pens, markers, pencils, a sketch book, and tracing paper.
There is one optional textbook:
Lupton, Ellen, and Jennifer Cole Phillips. Graphic Design: The New Basics. Second edition. New York, N.Y.: Princeton Architectural Press, 2015.
This book is available as an ebook from the AU library. The first edition is also acceptable.
Reading in Graphic Design: The New Basics is suggested but not required; there will be no quizzes on the material in the textbook, but you will do better work if you complete the reading.
AU Library
Melissa Becher, the Art and Design Librarian at the AU Library, maintains a Finding Images Subject Guide.
AU support services
American University offers an array of support services.