11 Beach Street New York, NY 10013 COURSE TITLE: Introduction to Graphic and Web Design COURSE NUMBER: GD 160 Section:A, B MCO PREPARED BY: INSTRUCTOR NAME: CREDIT HOURS: 3 COURSE LENGTH: Nina S. Young Date: 1/6/11 Revised:1/6/11 Nina S. Young E-mail: ninagems@yahoo.com Office hours by appointment during the following times: Mondays 4pm-6pm, Thursday, 12:15-2:15, Friday 12:15-2:15 Class Web Site: ninasyoung.com/courses/gd-160 11 weeks CONTACT HOURS: Lab: 22 Lecture: 22 Syllabus Prep. Date:1/6/11 COURSE SCHEDULE: UNIT OF ACADEMIC MEASUREMENT: PREREQUISITES: CO REQUISITES: CATALOG COURSE DESCRIPTION: Mondays 6pm-10pm Section A and Thursdays 8:15-12:15am Section B Quarter System None None This course introduces students to the use of graphic design across the variety of media available to the designer today; from print to web and beyond. Students will be introduced to visual problem-solving and research techniques, problem identification, analysis, brainstorming, and idea refinement as they explore design solutions appropriate to various media. The goal is to develop an understanding of design methods and practices and their use over a variety of mass communications media. Students are introduced to the Macintosh operating systems and a variety of design software.
TEXTBOOKS AND MATERIALS (CHECK ONE) REQUIRED OPTIONAL TEXTBOOK(S) Adobe Creative Suite 4 Design Premium Digital Classroom (Paperback), Wiley The Non-Designer's Design Book, (3rd Edition) Peachpit Press X RESOURCES & SUPPLIES Flash drive and CD media Your digital cameras X PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES: Upon completion of this course, the student should be able to do the following: Apply the principles of design and composition to all projects Develop visual problem-solving strategies, visual analysis and research, brainstorming and concept refinement, and apply them to design solutions Demonstrate a knowledge of professional graphic design practices Understand and use specialized file formats and meet technical requirements of professional service bureaus Discuss and analyze contemporary and historic graphic design strategies and methods Evaluate technical and aesthetic characteristics of a project or process relative to specified design parameters INSTRUCTIONAL METHODS:. This course will be taught using the following web site: HTTP://NINASYOUNG.COM/COURSES/GD-160/. Every class session, students should go to the web site and download materials for the day's class. Lecture notes will also be posted to this web site. Please note that there is a section on the web site where you can leave comments and questions for the day s lesson.
ATTENDANCE POLICY: SEE FULL ATTENDANCE POLICY AT END OF COURSE OUTLINE: GRADING: 3 absences = Failure Three (3) absences will automatically withdraw you from the class. You are allowed 2 absences. Two absences lower your grade by 5 points. Numerous absences and lateness will lower your grade. Missing a class is not an excuse not to do your homework or projects. It is your responsibility to make up work missed. Students will be evaluated based on the following criteria: Assignment 1: 30 points 17% Assignment 2: 30 points 17% Classwork (3): 30 points 17% Assignment 3: 30 points 17% Assignment 4: 30 points 17% Participation/Professionalism: 10 points 7.5% Attendance/Lateness: 10 points 7.5% There will be no make-ups for those who miss any Classes or Quizzes ANY MISSED ASSIGNMENTS WILL EARN A ZERO. Assignments received after the deadline will drop a grade at the end of the class and earn one less grade following 5:00 PM that day. After that time period, any late assignment will earn a zero. COURSE POLICIES: See student handbook for school policies. You are expected to be punctual. Lateness to class (and from breaks) will negatively impact your grade. Mobile telephones must be turned off during class. During class you may not take a phone call, check email, IM, text, etc. You may not work on other projects. You may not have conversations with your peers that do not pertain to class material. They are disruptive. Do this at your own peril, if you are observed doing any of these activities, you will lose 5 points off your final grade. If I have to ask you more than once during any class period to stop doing any of the aforementioned activities, you will be asked to leave class and marked absent for the day. PROFESSIONALISM STANDARD: Criteria: Attendance & punctuality Active participation in discussion Quality of work Academic Integrity (No plagiarism) Attention to detail Classroom etiquette (cell phones/beepers off) Respect for peers and instructor Ethical decision-making
WEEKLY Topical CLASS MEETING OUTLINE: (Projected Topics and order) MEETING Week 1 Week 2 DESCRIPTION OF CONTENT INTRO TO CLASS. Review course syllabus. Mac OS, AINYC network and faculty drive. Raster vs Vector, interface, computer as a tool. Introduction to Adobe Bridge. Exploring user interface, browsing files, organizing work, folders, metadata, rating, etc. Design process: thumbnails, conceptualization, and research. What is a series? Introduction to Photoshop. Open & Save Files, New Documents, Viewing Images, Toolbox, Tools + hidden tools, Option Bar, Panels (expanding + collapsing), History, Navigator, Contextual menus, Layers, Keyboard Shortcuts, Workspace and Help. DUE: 10 potential images for your postcards Text that you will write on your postcards Thumbnails of postcards Photoshop: Raster vs Vector, Interface, Panels, Resolution, Working with Layers Organizing, converting, naming, copying, viewing, rearranging, opacity, adding layers, adjustment layers, flattening & saving files. Type layers, fonts, character and paragraph panels, editing text, adjusting spacing, kerning, tracing, warp text, changing attributes and applying layer styles, drop shadows. Flattening layers and preparing PDF to print. Sending files to be printed HOME ASSIGNMENT Homework: Assignment 1 Preparation: On your flash drive, bring to class at least 10 digital images you could use for your postcard. See Handout Decide what text will be used on your postcard Create 10 thumbnails of different designs. Due Next Week: Assignment 1 Complete Postcard Series. Photoshop (size: 5 x 7 ) resolution: 300ppi
Week 3 Critique of Assignment 1 Introduction to Illustrator How and why: professional use of Illustrator Vector vs Raster. Tools, Drawing with pen tool, basic shapes, Paths (open and closed), fill and stroke, layers, type and Create Outlines. Week 4 Introduction to Four Principles of Design. Proximity, Alignment, Repetition and Contrast. Research logos and business cards. Classwork:Photography flyer Homework 2 Preparation Due. Critique. Review of Four Principles of Design. Proximity, Alignment, Repetition and Contrast. Colors, Global Color, Live Paint and Live Trace. Project 2 due next week Assignment 2 Preparation : Illustrator (size: 3.5 x 2 ) resolution: 300ppi. Make a BUSINESS CARD using your digital illustrator tools. 1.Create a logo 2. Choose your top 5 favorite fonts for your name 3. Research logos and business cards. Bring in 3 business card (actual or digital. 4.Create 10 thumbnails for your logo and business card. Read: in The Non-Designer s Design Book p. 15-80 Assignment 2: Due Next Week: (CompleteBUSINESS CARD and your logo using Illustrator. size: 3.5 x 2 ) Week 5 Week 6 Due: Assignment 2. Critique of business card Introduction to Flash and basic animation. How and why: professional use of Flash Timeline, layers, stage, frames and key frames, tweeting, drawing objects, importing graphics. Classwork Animation Critique of Revised Business Cards MORE FLASH Introduction to ActionScript and creating buttons. Exporting Movies, SWF files. Revise Business Card Based on Critique Feedback Finish Classwork Animation Preparation: Storyboarding of animation of name and logo from business card Finish animation for logo. Week 7 Week 8 COLOR and using photoshop to generate color combinations as well as creating your web prototype. DUE: Homework. Critique on Color combinations Creating your web prototype Assignment 3: Web Prototype Preparation(1024x768) Color Exploration Assignment 3: Web Prototype Due Next Week Make a prototype of your web site using Photoshop.
Week 9 Week 10 Finals Week 11 Due: Assignment 3. Critique on website. Introduction to Adobe InDesign How and why: professional use of InDesign Setting up workspaces, tools, hidden tools, Building Documents with Master Pages Exploring to PDF. Finals Week: Present portfolio to class. Critique Assignment 4: InDesign Make a PDF booklet, that shows all your projects in a 4 page newsletter Assignment 4: InDesign Complete booklet. Export as PDF. Bring printout and all your digital files with layers. Prepare final presentations of a book showing all of the class assignments
Deliverable Course Work Assignment 1: Photoshop (size: 5 x 7 ) resolution: 300ppi Final Version Due Jan 24 for Monday section, Jan 27 for Thursday section. Worth 30 points Make 3 thematically linked postcards using photographs of your creation. Must contain one line of text. Assignment 2: Illustrator (size: 3.5 x 2 inches. ) resolution: 300ppi. Make a business card that includes a logo that you create and shows that you understand the 4 Principles of Design. Assignment 3: Photoshop Prototype 960x768 pixels, 72ppi Create a web design for the business you created in the Illustrator business card assignment. Illustrate your knowledge of color. Final Project Assignment 4: InDesign Make an 8.5x11 minimum 4 page newsletter that profiles all the work you did this semester- Include your postcards, business card, and web prototype. Submit as a pdf. AINYC Attendance Policy, Effective January 1, 2011 Due to the intensive nature of the 11 week quarter system at The Art Institute of New York City, absences jeopardize participation and a student s ability to successfully complete his or her studies. A student s academic performance is in pursuit of preparation for a professional environment in which there is typically zero or little tolerance for absenteeism. If, for some critical reason, a student finds it necessary to be absent, late, or leave early it is the student s responsibility to: *Notify the instructor, and make up all missed work. *Note that accumulated tardiness, leaving class before it is dismissed, or absenteeism will affect performance and the participation grade. *Understand that excessive absenteeism may result in failure of the class. *Look for the specific participation requirements for individual courses, by referring to the course grading rubric within the syllabus provided by the instructor. Attendance is taken every class meeting. There are no excused absences. The only consideration to be granted regarding absences must be presented by the Faculty Member to the Department Chair and dean of Academic Affairs. A student who misses twelve (12) hours from weeks 1 through 9 in an individual course will receive a Withdrawal grade (W). A student who misses 12 hours in a course in weeks 1 through 11 will receive a W/F. Tardiness and absenteeism will be recorded in 15 minute increments. A student who knows that she/he will be late/absent must contact the instructor via voicemail, e-mail, or administrative note. Students arriving late to class have the responsibility of notifying their instructor at a break that they are present. When absent, a student is responsible for obtaining the lecture notes and homework assignments from other members of the class or the syllabus. Students will be asked to leave class if they are unprepared, disengaged, sleeping, disruptive, or otherwise compromising the educational experience of students who are motivated and trying to work. Students who do not attend classes for 14 consecutive days will be dropped from school from the last date they attended school; exceptions will be made only on the basis of appropriate documentation presented to the Dean of Academic Affairs.
Students taking a minimum of twelve credits, who have perfect attendance for all courses registered, in a particular quarter will receive a $100 tuition scholarship for the subsequent quarter of enrollment in the school. Details regarding this scholarship may be found inthe Art Institute of New York City catalog Syllabus Addendum, Winter 2011, GD160 I understand that the following is expected of me in order to pass this class Successful completion of assignments 1 thru 4, according to guidelines on handouts. Successful completion of 3 assigned class work assignments according to instructions given in class. Respectful and courteous treatment of peers and professor and the classroom environment. Courteous treatment is defined as not having conversations while the professor is giving a lesson, not browsing Facebook or other sites unrelated to the lesson, not texting, chatting, or otherwise not paying attention or doing things unrelated to the class activities. Adherence to AINYC Attendance policy, effective January 1, 2011 Date: Student Name: Student Signature