This course introduces design principles and production techniques, emphasizing the visual, manual, and intellectual skills for communicating ideas and their translation into printed materials.
As you begin to develop strong strategies and concepts, your knowledge of, and skill with, several computer programs will be critical to creating successful, convincing comprehensive layouts.
In this class, we will look at the elements of design, including type, image, and layout, and concentrate on developing the skills required to create portfolio quality presentations of your work.
The first part of the semester will center around learning the basic skills required to master Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, and Adobe InDesign.
The principle focus of our work this semester will be typography.
The required text for this course is The Non-Designer's Design and Type Books (Deluxe Edition) by Robin Williams and published by Peachpit Press. I cannot order it for the SUB, however, you should be able to get it from http://amazon.com, or http://barnesandnoble.com.
While not mandatory, I highly recommend subscribing to Before & After Magazine, available either online or in print: http://www.bamagazine.com/Subscribe.asp
It's never too soon to start your design library!
Depending on the nature of our work, we will either meet and work the studio space, or in the cluster on the third floor of the Warehouse. It is critical that you attend every class. Missing 3 or more classes will earn an “F” for the semester. Classes will begin with a lecture or presentation each week, followed by hands-on, one-on-one activities, from exercises to working on finished comps. It is, therefore, important to be on time to each class so you won’t miss any content.
We will also spend time in crit sessions, depending on the particular assignment.
Materials you will need will vary depending on the nature of your projects, but for sure you will need movable media of some sort - either a USB flash drive, or, preferably, a removable hard drive (as they are harder to loose), or a laptop. If you will be working on your own computer, you need the Adobe Creative Suite CS4 Design Premium edition (Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, Flash, Dreamweaver, and Fireworks).
You must come to class prepared to work. Forgetting movable media, your laptop, or any other necessary piece of equipment will result in an absence in attendance.
It is critical that you attend all classes, critiques and required field trips. Do not make vacation plans or appointments during class time. Absences are excused only for medical or special circumstances (requiring documentation from your doctor and/or the Office of Student Services). Failure to provide or make arrangements for the documentation will result in an unexcused absence. Students arriving late, not participating, not being prepared, or leaving early will also be counted as absent. Three or more absences will result in you earning an “F” for this course. In regards to professional symposiums, conferences or other educational events, excused absences are at my discretion—consult with me prior to making arrangements.
Label all projects and disks with your last name (i.e. “tolandcolors.ai,”) and store any disks in a protective case: no name on an assignment = F for the project.
When handing in a layout project digitally, be sure to include all images and fonts; place them in a folder with your last name as part of the folder name, zip it, and upload it to the server.
All bitmapped images used in documents are to be 150 ppi unless otherwise specified.
No cell phones or headphones are to be used during class time - not even during “work time,” as I frequently think of something I want to share with the entire class and I don’t want to have to shout. If I see you texting, you will be asked to leave and considered absent. We will have at least one break each class, so save any personal communications for then.
No Internet use for instant messaging or email is allowed during class time, ever. If you have an IM icon flashing on your monitor, you will be asked to leave and considered absent for that day.
If you use facebook, twitter, or any other social or professional networking site during the course of class, you will be asked to leave and considered absent.
No gif or jpg files are allowed for any project; if you use a digital camera, change your image format to PSD immediately.
All Illustrator files are to be saved in AI or EPS format, NOT PDF!
In the design field it is imperative that you complete your projects as per the scheduled deadline. Failing to submit work on time will result in a penalty of a 10% grade reduction for each day it is late. Partially complete work will be accepted on the project due date and graded accordingly. Missing or incomplete assignments may not be submitted for re-grading. Extenuating circumstances will be considered with appropriate documentation ahead of the deadline.
My office hours are Monday morning and by appointment. Please sign up ahead of time; there should be a signup sheet on my office door, otherwise, email!
I am frequently online to touch base with students. My screen name is tonitoland. Please IM me if you are having problems! Just let me know who you are since most screen names are always unique and often obscure. I will never IM you first, as I respect your privacy, unless it’s urgent.
If you need to email me for any reason (and please, feel free to contact me this way ANYTIME!) make sure the subject of your email is "ADD 281" so it doesn't get tossed into my junk folder for some reason. Address all email to toni@tatoland.com.
The academic community requires ethical behavior from all of its participants.
For designers, this means that the work you claim as yours must be conceived and developed by you alone.
You are not always expected to come up with new ideas; your thinking may build on the ideas of others. You are expected, therefore, to credit contributions from other sources and to clearly indicate the scope of your own contributions to the design solution. Failure to do so will result in serious consequences, including failing the project, failing the class, or being dismissed from the program.
Academic Integrity is not simply about plagiarism as it relates to written papers. Using objects, materials, and concepts created by another without attribution will also result in consequences.
Using Internet resources can be especially dangerous as it can blur the distinction between one’s own work and plagiarism. If a web site is referenced in a project, it must be a verified site, and appropriately cited.
Damaging, manipulating, moving, or deleting another student's work is also an academic integrity violation. Please be very careful in this respect.
When working collaboratively, be honest and clear in your presentation as to which role you played in the final solution.
If you have any questions about a project see me; I can often help you to use the work in a legal, ethical, and appropriate way.
Details regarding the Syracuse University academic integrity policy, and examples of how it may be violated, can be found in the Syracuse University Student Handbooks; or, online at: http://students.syr.edu/handbook/
University policy states that: The grade of Incomplete is reserved for exceptional circumstances that prevent a student from completing coursework by the time that grades must be submitted.
Students who are in need of disability-related academic accommodations must register with the Office of Disability Services (ODS), 804 University Avenue, Room 309, 315-443-4498. Students with authorized disability-related accommodations should provide a current Accommodation Authorization Letter from ODS to me and review those accommodations with me no later than September 15th. Accommodations, such as deadline extensions, or extra time for quizzes, are not provided retroactively; therefore, plan for accommodations as early as possible.
All assignments are due as digital files, submitted to the appropriate folder on the VisComLab server. These folders will be deleted after the due date.
DO NOT STORE UNFINISHED WORK OR WORK FOR ANOTHER CLASS IN THESE FOLDERS—it will be trashed.
No prints are due unless specified.
All digital files must include your last name as part of the file name: no name = no grade
MAKE A BACKUP OF EVERY ASSIGNMENT AND KEEP IT IN A SAFE PLACE! There are no excuses for lost work; do not save work in progress to the server except in dire circumstances. Purchase a USB flash drive, or an external hard drive on which to save your work. And don’t loose it!
You have the opportunity to revise any project that was turned in on time for your final portfolio. You must include the original, along with the revised version, both digitally, and in print.
All finished assignments are to be within an 8.5" X 11" page size unless otherwise noted. Also pay attention to any and all specifications for not only completing the assignment, but for turning them in. If there are any missing pieces, your project will be counted as late, with the same 10% penalty per day that the pieces are missing. This is your responsibility—I will not be double-checking anything for you, and by the time I download the project, it could have already earned a failing grade.
TEXT: The Non-Designer's Design and Type Books (Deluxe Edition) by Robin Williams and published by Peachpit Press
Each week, you are to find and read an article about visual communication/design, or advertising in particular, from a reputable web site and come to class prepared to summarize the information contained (3-5 minutes), and to voice your opinions on what was discussed in the article. Any visual aids you can present (that are not part of the original article) to illustrate your report will earn extra credit.
Some sites to start with:
Read chapter 10, part 1, in your text.
OBJECTIVE: To sensitize you in recognizing the unique aspects of letterforms, identify the differences between fonts, and understand the importance of readability and legibility.
ASSIGNMENT: Using the typeface examples provided, find and collect at least one printed piece that uses one of those fonts; find five different examples. (i.e. something that’s been set using Garamond, another piece that uses Helvetica and so on). Magazine ads, newspaper ads, yellow pages ads, brochures and junk mail, and packaging are all good places to look for examples. The larger the type, the easier it will be to identify.
Cut out the examples you find and tape them to an 8.5” X 11” sheet of paper or two (as needed). Put these in a manila folder, and make sure your name is on the pages as well as the folder tab.
Avant Garde | Century| Helvetica | Baskerville | Garamond | Bodoni | Optima | Palatino| Times
Study pages xii and xiii, part 2, of your text. Read pages 89-116, part 2, of your text.
OBJECTIVE: To introduce the variety type styles within a type family, and show how they affect the appearance, readability, and the overall look of a layout.
Assignment: In InDesign, set the copy provided, using 11 point Garamond by 13 picas, with the following typestyles: roman, italic, bold, all caps, and caps with small caps. Within each typestyle example, include a paragraph set with normal word spacing and letter spacing, and one with tight word spacing and letter spacing. Also include a paragraph with normal leading, tight leading, and open leading. That’s a total of 30 paragraphs; see the printed example. Lay this out as 6 columns across a tabloid page, held horizontally, in InDesign.
Save your file as lastname_families.indd and upload it to the appropriate folder on the server.
Read pages 117-168, part 2, of your text.
OBJECTIVE: To play with the variety of ways to indicate paragraphs and how those treatments affect the look and readability of a layout.
Assignment: Using the copy provided, create five (5) variations that treat the delineation between paragraphs differently. Experiment with alternate ways of indicating new paragraphs, ranging from conservative, to outrageous (one outrageous example only and readability is not a criterion for this one). Pay attention to column widths as they relate to point size. Lay this out on 3 letter size pages in one InDesign document, two 18 pica columns per page. Fonts are your choice.
Save your file as lastname_paragraphs.indd and upload it to the appropriate folder on the server.
Read chapters 1 – 6, part 1, in your text, and then take the “little quiz #2” on page 87.
Choose one ½ page ad, and one ¼ page ad from the examples I will provide, and redesign them using the fundamental principles of design. These must be done in pencil/marker and paper; no computer generated layouts.
Put these in a manila folder, and make sure your name is on the layouts as well as the folder tab.
Read chapter 7, part 1, in your text.
In Illustrator, mix three split compliment triad colors of your choice and save them to the Swatches panel (after deleting the existing colors, per my demonstration). Using these three swatches, create and save 10 tints and 10 shades for each, also saved to the Swatches panel. Save the colors as a Library.
Use Adobe Illustrator to develop an original composition using a pattern. The pattern will consist equally of your split complementary color scheme (the true hues, not tints or shades). In other words, each one of the three colors will cover about one third of the space. Mix each color to be of the same intensity, so that when viewed they will appear to vibrate. If the intensity is off, they will not vibrate. Work neatly and to the edge of the picture plane.
Save your file as lastname_colors.ai, place this file and the swatch library you created in a zipped folder with your name on it, and upload the folder to the server.
Read chapter 11, part 1, in your text, and do the exercise on page 196. Scan your solution and include it in the final Illustrator file for this assignment. Remember you will have to embed it.
OBJECTIVE: To typographically enhance the meaning of a word.
Assignment: Select five words and illustrate their meaning by manipulating the letterforms. Work towards enhancing the word’s meaning with attention to aesthetics. You may use color for this assignment, but no illustrations or photos. Use Illustrator, 8.5 X 11 format held horizontally (therefore, technically, 11" X 8.5").
Explore typographic solutions that contradict the meaning of the word.
Look at ways to substitute a letter with a graphic (not a photo or illustration).
Try distorting the word to echo the meaning.
Experiment with taking something away from the word to illustrate it.
Play with adding a graphic (not a photo or illustration) that adds to the meaning.
Embed the scan of the textbook exercise, then save your file as lastname_words.ai and upload it to the appropriate folder on the server.
OBJECTIVE: To demonstrate how a simple sentence can communicate more effectively using creative typography.
Assignment: Select your favorite quotation from the list provided and find a way to express the sentiment typographically. You may use color for this assignment, and limited graphic marks (no illustration or photos, or placed graphic elements). Use black and white, in Illustrator.
Save your file as lastname_quote.ai and upload it to the appropriate folder on the server.
Read pages 15-76, part 2, of your text.
OBJECTIVE: To provide a comprehensive overview of the design process, from copywriting to producing quality comprehensive layouts. You will also challenge your problem solving skills by creating more than one design solution to this problem.
Assignment: Select a font, then choose your favorite letter as the graphic element for this project. Research the font (when it was designed, by whom, etc.), and write approximately 100 words about it.
One of your classmates will proofread your essay and use proofreaders’ marks to indicate errors. After correcting any mistakes, create three layouts;
1. make the letterform the most prominent element.
2. make the display type the most prominent element.
3. make the text type the most prominent element.
All design elements should be two-dimensional. You may use two spot colors (black counts as a color, the white of the paper does not). The final layout must be created as 3 separate pieces. The finished size for each page is 11" X 17". This can be deceiving, as you will have a lot more space, and you need to follow the fundamental design principles, not just simply enlarge everything to fit.
This should be completed as a three-page InDesign file, single pages (not facing pages). Package it, zip the folder (with your name on it) and upload it to the server.
OBJECTIVE: To analyze a particular font and reconstruct it by creating and reusing common elements between letters.
ASSIGNMENT: Using the templat provided, re-create all the upper case letters in Illustrator using the pen and shape tools.
Each finished font is to be a separate, appropriately sized, artboard in a single Illustrator file, and saved as yourlastname_alpha.ai.
Read chapter 8, part 1, of your text.
Objective: Develop a consistent design theme that includes display type, subheads, text, and captions, images, and a grid across multiple pages
Assignment: Take a trip to the Zoo (with luck, we’ll have already done that as a class trip (bring your SUID). I will provide text, however, you must locate the logo and re-create it from scratch in Illustrator. One of the classic typefaces from the very first assignment is recommended for the text and captions; select display type that is appropriate to the topic, your design, and audience.
Next, compile images and text; sources can include magazines, books, flyers, the web, original photos, etc. The better your source materials are, the easier it will be to design your project. If you are scanning images that have already been printed, pay attention to moiré issues and if you are using images from the web, pay attention to the resolution; all images must be 150ppi at the minimum, and not pixelated or distorted in any way.
Develop a grid and create your layout in InDesign. Use Photoshop and/or Illustrator as necessary for photographs and graphics. Use full color. The finished (folded) size can be either 4.25" wide by 11" high, or 5.5" wide by 8" high after folding (so the page/paper size 8.5" X 11").
Package it, zip the folder (with your name on it) and upload it to the server.
Read pages 187-205, part 2, in your text.
Score the zoo brochure of your assigned crit partner. Create a Word document that lists the mistakes, and suggests specific solutions for improving the overall piece.
Save the Word file as yourlastname_zoo.doc and upload it to the appropriate folder on the server.
Random quizzes throughout the semester.
All work is due printed on 8.5" X 11" paper and presented in a presentation book (see example in class) AND burned to a CD (all files, including all images used in every project, and all fonts) at 5pm, Monday, December 14. Make sure your CD is labeled with your name and protected with a plastic jewel case.