ART
3463
The Digital Page - Spring 2008
Syllabus
About
the course
This course will focus on the following priciples and elements:
Type
Type and Concept
Type and Image
(You may be detecting a theme by now)
The Design Process
Page Layout Principles for Print and Digital Media
Grid Systems
Time as an Element for Design
We will try to emphasis one or two of these elements or principles for each project, but you will usually be using several of these things at once.
Conceptually, we will
strive to understand the use of visual elements such as type and image to convey verbal and nonverbal
messages. Technically, the goal is to build your knowledge of page design tools for both print and media. You will use Adobe Illustrator, InDesign, Flash, Photoshop, Dreamweaver, and natural media to produce the projects for the course. Aesthetically, we will look at good and bad
design with the hope of better understanding why someone might want to pay a
professional designer as opposed to having their 14 year old nephew/computer whiz-kid
design their companies annual report or webpage.
Grading and attendance
You will work on four main projects plus the work you do in your sketchbook and each will be worth a fifth of your grade in this course. Your grade is only important so you know whether your work needs to be better. If you do not get an A, your work needs to be better. A’s require a lot of work. This does not mean that B’s, C’s, D’s or F’s are not valuable. Artists and designers have to make a lot of mistakes to learn what “works” and what doesn’t and also “how” to work productively as well.
I encourage you to take risks, experiment and explore ideas that might seem strange, shocking, or irreverent. The unexpected is usually a good basis for a concept to draw people’s attention. I would rather see you attempt something interesting that fails than to see you make something that follows all the rule and principles of good design yet ends up being obvious and boring. Boring is boring. Anyone can learn to layout nicely designed graphics images and type into web pages or a poster. It is concept and the unusual that will make you a valuable designer.
At the end of the semester, regardless of the grade you earn on projects, I will evaluate everything you have done, I will consider how interesting are the ideas you have produced, and I will look at what work you can actually use in your professional portfolio. I will also take into consideration how many of the desired “outcomes” (a term used by national university accrediting boards to determine whether you are learning the intended information from a course, and if that course is teaching relevant material for your education) you have accomplished. I have listed the outcomes for this course at the bottom of this syllabus. I will give you a final grade based on the overall impact of your effort for the semester. This final grade will also be an indication of the level of work you need to do for the remaining course you have in the Digital Art and Design Program.
Attendance is important. We will cover way too much material to miss anything. If you miss class, you will be responsible for discovering whatever you miss on your own. I will not be repeating demonstrations or lectures. It would be unlikely that you could pass if you miss five or more class periods.
20 percent of your grade will be my review of your research and assignments for each project included in your sketchbook along with your participation in discussions and critiques. Part of this grade includes the overall quality of the semester's work. If you are not happy with a grade on the projects you could improve it by resubmitting a project before the last week of class.
Projects for the Semester
Listed below are proposed projects for the semester. These are subject to change.
I will attempt to maintain a webpage with the guidelines for the projects and assignments. Although you will recieve a grade for each project, included in this, included in the grade will be the assignments for each project. For each project there will be preparitory assignments or studies that will be turned in before or with the final version of the project. So, it is important to keep up with the assignments.
Course Materials
Textbook:
I recommend that you try the training video library at
Lynda.com. A monthly subscription is $25. This gives you access to hundreds of tutorial videos about most
of the software you will use as a designer including Quark Xpress, Adobe Illustrator,
Photoshop, Indesign, Apple and Macromedia software like Flash as well.
I recommend the following books for your own design library: Layout Index
by Jim Krause, and The Quark Xpress Quickstart Guide by Elaine Weinmann,
these are not required, but are very helpful.
Needed Materials:
•1 Sketch/ideabook
•Storage: Loosing your project because you did not save your work in more
than one place is not an excuse for not having your work finished. So, back
up your work. Use CD -R’s, network sharing, and/or USB minidrives.
•Black Foamcore, inkjet photo paper and spray mount for presenting finished
work.
Attendance
If you miss more than three classes, you will loose five points from your final grade. If you miss a day scheduled for a critique, you will loose 5 points from your final grade. If you miss 5 or more classes, I strongly recommend dropping the course. As per university attendance guidelines, students may be dropped from the class for non-attendance on the 5th absence. If you are having problems, it is better to talk to me about it as early as possible. Do not expect individual instruction for classes you miss. You are responsible for the information that is covered while absent. Arriving late or leaving early will adversely affect your grade. 2 days tardy = 1 absence.
Digital Studio Hours
The Digital Studio is open to art students during regular business hours (8AM to 5PM). If you are enrolled in this course, you will also have access whenever the Russell Fine Arts building is open. Please read the rules for the Digital Studio posted inside and outside the door to the lab. Always clean up after yourself.
Contact
Office: RFA 243. My hours are posted outside my door.
Phone: 230-5020. If I don’t answer, leave a message.
E-mail: stoddad@hsu.edu
Other Policies
Students with documented disabilities are entitled to all reasonable accommodation due them under Section 504. Students must notify instructor of special needs so that accommodation can be provided. Instructor reserves the right of flexibility as individual opportunities and class needs dictate.
It is university policy that plagiarism is treated seriously and will, at the least, result in failure of the class and could result in expulsion from the University.
University Accreditation
National accreditation boards are constantly reviewing the university. This process is design to insure that institutions of high education like HSU meet national standards for education. Part of this process requires instructors and professors to state the desired “outcomes” for each course. These are the ideas and skills that students should obtain by completing a course successfully. Below is the list of desired outcomes for this course.
The Digital Page
To successfully complete this course each student should understand and have the skills to do the following:
Be able to work with type in Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign as well as other design programs
Understand the terms and concept involved in the professional use of typography and type specification for web and print publication
Understand the terms and concept of the RGB, CMYK, and Index color systems and how they apply to web and print publication
Be able to use the web and design publications for research purposes.
Be able to use printers in the lab to produce high quality work and understand when to use each for proofing work
Understand the use and purpose of registration, bleed, crop, and other "printer's" marks
Understand image resolution and file formats, and know the proper specifications for the end design, such as for web vs. print graphics
Understanding of the difference between vector-based graphics and bitmap-based graphic formats and the appropriate use for each
Be able to use Photoshop to prepare images and design for print and web-based layout
Be able to use InDesign to prepare images and design for print-based layout
Understand basic web page navigation design
Understand the design of roll over graphics for web design
Be able to present work with a professional level of craftsmanship
Have a strong command of the principles of design
Have a strong understanding of the principles of good typography
Have a general understanding of the emotional, practical, and symbolic effect of color
Understand the use of a variety of symbolic, stylistic, and rhetorical devices for the development of design concept
Be able to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of work created in the course in critiques.
Be able to demonstrate the ability to design creative work for print and web publication
Be able to prepare work for print and web publication
Website
The assignments, links, and syllabus for The Digital Page for Artists
can be accessed on the web at http://art.hsu.edu/dad/3463/index.html
This syllabus is a general guide for the course and is subject to change at my discretion. I will keep the class informed of changes if they are necessary.
© David J. Stoddard, 2007