Graphic Design 3200 Syllabus

GrD3200– Intermediate Graphic Design
CRN # 12062
MW Arts & Humanities CMC Lab 468
3 Credit Hours
www.graphicdesign3200spring.blogspot.com
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Stan Anderson
Associate Professor, Graphic Design
Office: 362 A&H Bldg
Phone: 404-413-5234
Email: stananderson@gsu.edu
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Stan Anderson schedule for Spring 2011:
Monday & Wednesday
11-1:50p – GrD4400-Graphic Design for Film & Television, CRN 12331 (Juniors/Majors) - CMC 460 Lab
2:30-5:20p – GrD8500-Directed Study, CRN 18185 (Graduate Students) - CMC 460 Lab
5:30-8:20p – GrD3200-Intermediate Graphic Design, CRN 12062 (Sophomores) - 468 Lab
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Course Description:
Intermediate Graphic Design. Prerequisites: GrD3000 with grade of C or higher. Continued development of conceptual and traditional/ digital media skills including art direction, image-making, and specialized problem areas. Lab Fee: $20.00.

General Overview of course:
This is the third graphic design class designed specifically to sequentially follow GrD3000 (Introduction to Graphic Design) and GrD3150 (Beginning Typography.) If you are taking this course without having took either of the mentioned classes above please come see immediately.

There are no more graphic design classes for students to register for unless the student desires to make a formal “application to major” in graphic design at Georgia State University. Any student who wishes to pursue this “application to major” in graphic design will be required to do so at the end of spring semester by submitting a portfolio of work of graphic design for review by Instructors in the graphic design department.

The main goal of this intermediate graphic design course is to allow students to gain further development of their conceptual and traditional media skills through experimentation with digital technology as well as the more traditional aspects of art. There will be a continuing focus on conceptualization, development of ideas, time management and problem-solving techniques.

Student professionalism and ethical behavior by all is expected in the classroom/lab environment.
Disruptive behavior will not be tolerated as described in the GSU Policies.

There is no required textbook for this class; however below are some suggested textbooks you should check out:
-InDesign Type: Professional Typography with Adobe InDesign CS2 (Paperback)
by Nigel French (Author)
- Designing Brand Identity: A Complete Guide to Creating, Building, & Maintaining Strong Brands (Hardcover) by Alina Wheeler
-Brand Apart (Hardcover) by Joe Duffy
-Packaging Design: Successful Product Branding from Concept to Shelf, Klimchuck & Krasovec
-Logo Lounge Series 1-4: International Identities by Leading Designers by Catharine Fishel & Bill Gardner

Designers Blogsites:
All students in this class are responsible for creating and maintaining a daily/weekly/monthly blogsite/tumblr site that relates directly to your interaction with graphic design, illustration, animation and fine art. (This may also be in the form of a website should the student wish.) This type of online sketchbook/design book is in lieu of the more traditional paper versions associated with fine art (drawing sketchbooks.)

This design blogsite is crucial to the fundamental development of each student and how they think, process and experiment with outside influences as a designer. The blogsites are also an important design tool with regards to how students share creativity with others inside & outside the graphic design program. It also serves as a place to archive work for posterity. These blogsites will be viewed by others in and outside of the classroom so be professional with the work you put into these online sites.

The student blogsite will count for 20% of the final grade so it should be taken seriously.
Blogger, Typepad, Tumblr are three examples of reputable sites where students can sign up for their free services.
*No profanity and no adult content are allowed on any of the student blogsites. This blogsite is for this course only. You may wish to include work from other classes but it should focus primarily on the GrD3200 experience. If any student publishes any materials that are deemed by the professor as inappropriate (this includes any images that are found online or personally created) the student will be dropped from the class. No exceptions.

Software Programs:
Students will be using Adobe Creative Suite programs during the interim of this course.
Although the Graphic Design program does not endorse Mac computers, most art students seem to work more proficiently and easily on this computer platform. Every student is expected and encouraged to learn all the software programs outside the classroom experience. Most of the classroom lab time will focus on the conceptual part of graphic design process, although demonstrations will be provided from time to time for specific projects. You must continue to learn the programs on your own outside the classroom experience. If you need additional assistance with learning software programs there are several places students can visit which will prove to be very beneficial. (See Digital Aquarium at GSU for classes (all classes and printouts are free) or you can join Lynda.com for a minimal fee.)

Grading:
Students are required to complete all the coursework as prescribed by the Instructor’s deadlines.
See Deadlines for additional grading procedures.
1. Client Logo (color/B&W)20%
2. Stationery Designs (letterhead/envelope/business card 10%
3. Specialized Collateral Designs 10%
4. Print Advertisements (original photography/Illustration) 10%
5. Typographical-based printed project 10%
6. Critiques/Presentations/Discussions 10%
7. Blogsites/Website 10%
8. Written Creative Briefs 10%
9. Comps for work created for all projects 10%

The 2011 Juried Student Art Competition:
All designers are REQUIRED to submit work to this annual art department event in which work is chosen by a selected juror to be a part of this gallery exhibition.


Assignments:
Students are subjected to many types of different Instructors and their various methods of teaching during their undergraduate years. Therefore it is necessary for students to remain open to the classroom experience as well as to the critiques from their peers. It is the intent and preparation by these Instructors that students gain the basic intermediate education during the semester in order to prepare themselves for future classes or for application to the BFA graphic design program and beyond. Your class will move at its own pace and assignments can and will vary from the other instructors/classes being taught. One Instructors opinion can (and probably will) vary from other Instructors. Be open for those opinions and then form your own conclusion.

Critiques:
All students must learn to discuss their work during critiques, as they would have to do in a business/client working relationship. Students will also be required to submit a creative brief along with all the work due at class critiques. Students should learn the art of discussion about their creative work in a classroom environment.
All work at critiques must be printouts unless otherwise advised by the Instructor.
Craftsmanship is crucial to the success of the entire project. Pay attention to the details.
Final presentations should be mounted printouts (12” x 18” on white or black board unless otherwise noted by Instructor.)

Deadlines:
Each assignment will have sufficient time allotted in order to compete the necessary work prior to critiques. A completion date (deadline) will be announced at the beginning of each assignment and documented on the syllabus. Deadlines are usually accompanied by an in-class critique. All finished work is due at the announced deadline regardless of whether or not the student is present or not at the critique. Failure to complete projects by due date will result in an automatic “F” for the project regardless of how much time and effort might have been put into the project. One of the most important aspects of becoming a professional graphic designer is managing time in order to complete each assignment. Learn how to manage your time now and the future will be much less stressful and more creative.
“Late” means that once the critique has begun by the entire class you will be considered to be “late.”
Everyone is given ample time to arrive to class on time.
Meeting a deadline is crucial to the understanding of personal time management and professional standards in the industry. Time management works in tandem with creativity. True understanding of time management increases you productivity, thus eliminating stress at critiques. Build in prep time for printing and any possible snafus that may occur with each project. Think ahead and be prepared. This includes drive time to class, production problems, sickness, weather conditions, and other emergencies that may arise unexpectedly.

* If a student foresees a problem with a due date/deadline it is the student’s responsibility to contact the Instructor prior to the critique. Communication with the Instructor is important if any problem arises regarding any course situation.
Absences:
Every student is expected to arrive on time and leave at the end of each class period. This is also important on the days when critiques are scheduled. Arriving late and leaving early may be considered absences. It depends on when the Instructor takes roll and if the student is late or leaves early when the roll is taken then the student will be considered “absent” by the Instructor. The Instructor has the right to take role at the beginning and end of each class if they deem necessary.

Tardiness:
Students who arrive after the critique has begun will receive an “F” unless the student has discussed it with the professor prior to the class. Unexcused absences and habitual tardiness (arriving late and leaving early) is usually evidence that the student is not taking the course seriously or not focused on completing the projects set forth in this course syllabus.
Students are allowed 3 absences (this includes unexcused/excused) per Semester. The Instructor will issue a warning after the 3rd absence (email and verbal) to the student. For every absence after the 3rd absence the student’s final grade will be lowered by 1 letter grade. Please understand this important part of the grading process. There is no negotiation in this area.
Habits student’s form early on inside a classroom usually follow them into the professional world.
Learn to make god choices and habits now.

Plagiarism:
Plagiarism continues to be a huge problem in most areas of graphic design. Since the invention of the Internet people have been downloading, swiping, and sampling other people’s artwork and words and claiming them for their own. This is type of behavior is not permitted in the classroom as well in the professional world. There are exceptions that might allow others to use someone elses' work but usually that is when the work becomes footnoted or given proper credit in the format it is being used.

GSU has a very tough policy on plagiarism that every student should be aware of in the University catalog. This includes expulsion from not only the particular class but possibly from the University as well. (http://www2.gsu.edu/~wwwdos/codeofconduct_conpol.html)

The easiest route around plagiarism is to always create your own work. It is ultimately your own artistic voice that wants to succeed. Take your own photos, write your own words/copy, and illustrate your own imagery. Everyone can certainly be inspired by others work but let that translate only into inspiration to motivation of your own work.
Every student in my class is expected to create their own imagery for all their projects. All work that has not been created, conceived or produced by the student and used in this course will be considered plagiarism. The only exception to this rule is if the chosen client gives you written or verbal permission for you to use some of their existing work and to incorporate that into your own work for the semester.

No one can ever accuse another student of plagiarism if they work off their own creativity.
Please do not purchase stock photography or illustrations from other reputable companies.
Create your own library of images.

Spring Semester Re-branding Project for a Client:

Phase One:

RESEARCH.
You will be expected to bring into class at least 3 different clients/companies whom you feel are worthy (and in need of) a total redesign/re-branding. The beauty and danger in choosing your own client is that you are ultimately taking the lead and the responsibility for this re-design experiment for the semester.
The clients you choose must be independently owned. They can have multiple stores but cannot be owned by another source. These are commonly referred to as “mom and pop” companies.

Think about where you want to begin on how to choose a client to actually re-design.
Think about the location and the competitors to this particular client and their business.
Where you begin is crucial to the final outcome. Make your choices wisely.

It must be a client you can “grow” throughout the semester and not grow weary of working with until the completion of the project. This graphic design marathon begins the minute you choose your client and must continue without waiver until the very end. Every piece of the design must fit comfortably within the mission you will give to the re-design.

The minute you begin searching for a client, you should be keenly aware of the “elasticity” involved in how this client can be reformatted and re-designed into a new, more modern design. These “mom and pop” owned business means that there is usually one owner who has invested his/her own money into the facility. These are independent businesses that might have competitors in their profession but might have found a novel way to re-introduce their privately owned business to the public.

Maybe your choices will be in the areas of: barber shops, hairstylist, fish and tackle, taxidermy, skateboard shops, massage therapist, chiropractor, pet groomer, dance club, rock n’ roll club, restaurant, bistro, café, modeling agency, photography studio, niche hotel, bookstore, bed and breakfast, nail salon, etc.

Phase Two:
MORE RESEARCH.
Once you have chosen your top 3 clients, do more research to investigate what makes each client unique. Take photos of these clients if possible. Ask permission from the clients and enlighten them as to what your intentions are. Include them in on your process and tell them you are a designer and let them participate in your strategy for a new fresh design look. Some clients will become very interested in your project while other clients may ignore you. Don’t let any of that deter or influence your decisions.
Remember you are re-branding this client for your own personal and academic gain.

Many students have in the past actually sold their ideas and work to the clients they choose to work on during the semester. Don’t let this be your only motivation, but it can certainly take your work to a whole new level with regards to the type of professionalism you give to your client.

You should familiarize yourself with these clients. Know their history and their reasons for starting this type of business. This type of conversation with the clients (if possible) will eventually manifest itself into some type of “creative brief or mission statement” that you will follow throughout the design process.
Interview your clients. Look at the business closely. Investigate the archives from previous logos of the client or images. Think about the name of your client and begin to examine how you might update this name in terms of designing a newer and more improved logo.
Re-branding doesn’t mean “throwing out the baby with the bath wash” as it can simply mean using some of the old influence (as not to alienate the older customers of this client) and simply delivering a more modern and fresh feel for the client.

Ask the client how long they’ve been in business, what is their vision of their company, how many employees they have working there, what is the age range of their target audience. Ask those important questions and the answers will assist you in developing a new logo and a new branding experience.
Do not misrepresent your client.
Be ethically responsible to your client.
Arm yourself with a lot of information going into the actual design process and you will be surprised how much easier it is to be creative. Be careful not to always go for the obvious. (for example a company called “yellow bird pet shop” just might not have a yellow bird as its imagery. Perhaps it is just a more nuanced image such as a feather or a cage or just using the color yellow in its logo.) Think outside the usual approach. Remember you are investing into your own success and portfolio. The choices you make at this stage of the design process could possibly prevent or allow you to gain entry into the graphic design program at the end of spring semester.

I encourage you to take your own photos, create your own imagery. If the client wants to use some of their older visuals such as photos or illustrations, you can certainly take that into account.

I’ll be there all along the way to assist and guide you through the process. I’ll test your ideas to see just how convicted you are to those so you can make sound decisions throughout the semester.

Phase Three:
BUZZ WORDS

Once you have chosen your “ideal company” from the initial 3 businesses you brought to class then you can begin the process of re-branding that specific client.
Study, explore, brainstorm, formulate and investigate your chosen client to the max.
Make a list of attributes of your client and then distill them into single words that will become the buzz- words for your client. It will become the “mantra” of the client and for your design strategy.

REQUIRED: 5 Buzzwords that will become the backbone of your creative strategy and re-design.
For example:
Stan’s Bait and Tackle Shop
1. Friendly
2. Reliable
3. Utilitarian
4. Old School
5. Authentic


Phase Four:
ARCHIVING IMAGES and VISUAL REFERENCES

Collect relevant images (tear sheets, extraneous materials such as collages, newspaper articles, old illustrations or artwork) or start creating your own sketches for the client as to broaden your understanding of the client you chose. You might find a magazine typeface you like or a color swatch at Home Depot or historical copyright free images. Hang of to these. Scan them and put them into your Blogsites for references. You might also start thinking of particular grids. Discover layouts or compositions that might also inspire your own re-design.


Phase Five:
THUMBNAIL SKETCHES
Start creating thumbnail sketches (put on your blogsites) where you begin to visually knock around and play with ideas for the client. Let it be an exercise in stream of consciousness design where you allow all images into your mind for final decisions at a later time. Open your mind to the “what if” possibilities of the client and your eventual marketing and advertising campaign for the client.
Every student should have no less than 50 sketch ideas to begin this creative process.
Students will show these in class.

This is a great time to begin looking at other companies that already exist in the particular genre of your own client. See what has already been done. Examine the competitors in your genre to see how you can possibly merge or create a more hybrid logo design. (aka Memory recall design)
Let these outside companies/competitors influence your own design. This is not plagiarism but inspiration.

Start asking questions about your design.
Will you use only a typeface or a certain font for your logo?
Will you use an illustrative icon infused with a unique typeface for your client?

You cannot change the name of your client’s business.
(example: Stan’s Bait and Tackle Shop. You cannot change it to Stan’s B&T)

Required:
You must develop the following for you client:
1. Type only logo
2. Image only logo
3. Type and Image logo

Phase Six:
BLACK AND WHITE AND COLOR LOGO RENDITIONS
Explore the communicative skills of a B/W and color logo. How do different colors express or influence your logo? How many colors will be included in your logo design? What is a duo-tone? What is a color screen? What is a half tone? What are Pantone colors?
What will be your clients color palette and how will that color palette work with your color logo?
How does your color choices relate to your client?
Do you have secondary color choices/palette?
Does your “hero mark” testify to the client and it’s color usage?
Does your logo ever change color or is it static?
How versatile are your color choices for your logo?

Think long range about your logo and the application of color.

Take your logo to the computer now and start the process of developing the layers and images you will need later on in the creative branding strategy process.

Legibility and Scale with your logo is important.
Simple is better at times. Too many pieces and part in a logo design can become visual clutter and confuse the audience. Always stay on message with your mission for this new client.

Phase Seven:
POINT OF NO RETURN
At some point during the creative process (and semester) you will have to make crucial decisions which means you cannot start over again. Second thinking your decisions will get you into trouble and also get you further behind in your creative process. If you have done all the steps listed previously in this syllabus you should be moving forward without too much stress. Build in some elasticity into your design so you
Can move freely from one place to another and yet still retain the sense of continuity and conformity to your client that you’ve already decided.

Phase Eight:
CREATIVE BRIEF
Everyone should keep a “live creative brief” going until the very end of the project when the final creative brief will find its conclusion. We will go over all the creative briefs in class and discuss what they should include.

You will prepare your final presentation boards with you B/W and Color logos (with scale percentages included.)

Now the fun starts after you’ve found your logos for your client.
Now comes the application process of using your logo in various and creative situations to build the brand of the client.

Semester Calendar (click for larger version)