While the course is not required for faculty to participate in, there is a set number of meetings each faculty member must attend each year. This course would count towards that requirement. Therefore, there is an opportunity to capture the interest of the faculty to peak their interest in learning about design by sharing with them how it will benefit both them and their students.

Mini-Course Goals:

1. Make the information relevant to faculty members.
2. Keep design concepts basic.
3. Have a clear and memorable take away message from each session.

Session I: Design for the Non-Designer

• a broad understanding of where graphic design has come from and what it is
• the place of graphic design in today’s society
• design positions in the field
• design is not just decoration for the sake of beautification
• design as it relates to clincial professions
• relate how visual interest can make a profound impact in communication
• discuss Information Design
• the need for clarity in presentation design
• the importance of a clear critique
• tools for analyzing and constructively critiquing design
• confidently critique the chaos
• the principles of design
• Simple principles to understand visual layouts (http://gdbasics.com/)

• Point, Line, Plane
• Rhythm and Balance
• Scale
• Texture
• Color
• Figure/Ground
• Framing
• Hierarchy
• Layers
• Transparency
• Modularity
• Grid
• Pattern
• Diagram
• Time and Motion
• Rules and Randomness

– Use nature as examples
– Design: making your own decisions

Activity: Design is not just about looking, but about creating
– separate into groups
– using felt shapes and boards to illustrate the design principles
Don’t Forget: Repeat main concepts at the beginning and end of each section and at breaks

Session II: Digging deeper—The Poster
Session III: Digging deeper—The Presentation