Week 13 Summary

Posted on November 23, 2010 by admin

Students brought their paper mock-ups with limited visual design complete. For some odd reason unknown to anyone half of the class was not in attendance. While this benefited the students who did show up—as they were able to receive longer critiques—it greatly hurts the absentee students. In this class critique is used to flesh out ideas and poll a design audience. Prof. B is much like an art director in class, which makes it extremely detrimental to take any project too far down one direction without his nod of approval. There are two goals for each assignment, first to impress the initial client (the grading teacher) and second to create pieces that will be competitive in a portfolio. The assignment for this evening was to explore options as it related to students existing ad campaigns. The brochure is to be an extension and apart of the family. Disappointingly, most of the students came with the concepts trapped in their heads. As they mumbled through their ideas it became ever apparent how important presentation and preparation is during a creative brief. Using the excuse of “so many ideas I didn’t write them all down” is truly unacceptable. This first critique should have been the students discussing and weighing which options would be the most effective instead of students trying to come up with a single idea that might work. Instead, Prof. B and the students really didn’t have substantive work to comment on. The first three students barely had anything to show other than poorly saddle-stitched blank pages. Several poorly planned and laid out brochures later their were finally two worth looking at. These two stuck to the mission of creating the brochure in the light of their ad series. The most impressive was the brochure a student made for their Fiesta using carnival fun as the theme. Although their wasn’t much design on paper, there were plenty of notes with detailed plans of what the plans were—in addition to why things were there. The designer had reasons for his decisions and his ability to articulate that to the class was truly what set him apart.

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Week 12 Summary

Posted on November 16, 2010 by admin

Today I showed up earlier than I typically would have. I wasn’t too concerned about the students final projects although I should have been for some of them. The reason I was early and anxious was because I was presenting the next portion of the project for the class. Although I have presented in class before, the first time was really just to guide the discussion and provide feedback to students regarding their work. This session I was responsible for giving the students council regarding their vehicle brochure. They had a preliminary briefing as the project launched so they knew somewhat what to expect. The only requirements for the final portion of their project and the class is to create a 10 page brochure that is in line with their two-ad campaign series. Originally I found the 10 page minimum to be odd considering typical signatures are in multiples of four. The intent of Prof. B in setting that specification was to challenge the students to create something out of the ordinary. With these guidelines I set off to prepare my session.

Each student had been asked to visit car dealers and bring in samples of printed brochures to class. Knowing this I knew I wanted to bolster my presentation with unique examples of brochure techniques. In studying and teaching graphic design I’ve begin to develop a preference of how classes proceed. Discussion and student interaction is important however I think that their is value added with lectures as well. Good lectures can be disguised, be engaging, don’t need to drag on, but most importantly impart knowledge to the listeners. A lecture provides the instructor an opportunity to share with the students the expertise that they have on any given subject. In this case my role was to inspire and direct the students about the brochures they would be creating. The brochure as an item isn’t anything new. Everyone has experienced brochures so it can seem like obvious information to be sharing with a class. In preparation for class I reviewed “Tools for Teaching”, specifically chapter 29 “Helping Students Learn” which discussed strategies for engaging students. Students absorb and retain information in a variety of ways and as the instructor I am responsible for engaging their interest and giving them pertinent information to carry out the task they are responsible for. I also reviewed chapter 9 again about leading a discussion as the second part of the session was to show and tell different samples the students had collected from local dealerships. Additionally I read through several design blogs about tips and tricks for creating memorable blogs.

To my disadvantage I have a mind that is always racing. While stuff can race in quickly—it all too often races right out just as fast or faster. In attempts to avoid those paralyzing moments when my mind goes blank I decided to gather my thoughts and create an outline for speaking. I created a PDF and loaded it unto my phone to easily flip through.


After a brief lecture peppered with tips and suggestions I brought out the brochure samples. I have been collecting memorable pieces that I run across in the mail but the two most popular pieces were my “ABC3D” book by Marion Bataille (shown below) and the Sappi educational booklet #4 on folding. The students seemed to be thoroughly inspired and intrigued by the pieces. Only time will tell what they will might have gleaned from the day.

http://vimeo.com/2329893

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Week 11 Summary

Posted on November 14, 2010 by admin

This week I found myself out of commission for 3 straight days as I battled a fever. While fever is just a symptom I hear, I couldn’t figure out what the real problem was. I had no other conditions to speak of!

I did let Prof. B know ahead of time and fortunately it wasn’t until the following week that I needed to be there to lead out. I followed up later in the week to hear about how class went. It sounded like the typical showing with some students still not grasping concepts, others not being driven to complete the work—and others producing great projects.

My discussion with Prof. B set the expectations for what he wanted to be addressed in the class. The students have been assigned a min. 10 page brochure. I will discuss with them direction behind visuals and bindery. The assignment I will give them will be a folded comp for the following class. In addition students have already been asked to bring folded samples into class and I will need to give guidance and direction on the fly with respect to what they bring.

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Week 10 Summary

Posted on November 7, 2010 by admin

Class is on the home stretch. Students presented their sketches this week for part one of the final project, a car ad series. I say “presented” but I still consider this one of the areas for improvement in this class. It seems as though the students should be required to create a formal pitch as they display their work. I don’t imagine elaborate presentations, however I would expect to see some thought put into the concepts. Clients, whoever they are, want to know that the designer has put critical analysis into their work. Stating the the particulars of the project such as objective, call to action, target audience, and any other pertinent details create a starting point to critique the  work. Instead, students appear to find a “clever idea” and then find a product to fill it. Reverse engineering the ad can still create inspiring outcomes—but it isn’t reality. Designers need to present the problem before they can present the solution. In order to present the problem they will in turn to discover the what the problem—or situation—really is.

Regardless if they presented or just “showed off” their initial sketched concepts, the work was good this class. All but two students completed the assigned amount of sketches. Baffled by the lack of motivation—even with the threat of making every other student do additional sketches—Prof. B. penalized the students by doubling their required sketches for the following week. The penalty is 50% off the grade if they don’t, in addition they are required to email the class for feedback. It will be interesting to learn if any feedback was provided.

Several students continue to struggle with the creation of a concept. Instead of connecting a unique idea with a verbal or implied message, they just show ideas for pictures of a product. A tagline or visual pun is integral to connecting unrelated or even related ideas with the subject matter. The trouble with most of the sketches that just show an idea for a pretty image is that there is not explanation or reasoning behind it. And we’re back to where I started this class’s post—the need for students to provide a design brief accompanying their sketches and projects.

At the end of class Prof. B reminded the students how important the work they were doing was. He challenged them to create work that would win an Addy. In the process their portfolio will improve—and should they receive any recognition it would boost their resumé.

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Posted on November 1, 2010 by admin

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

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Week 9 Summary

Posted on October 31, 2010 by admin

This week students came to class for the first time since the semester started without any assignments due. You could sense the refreshed and rested spirit of the group as they waited for their next assignment. Without too many formalities Prof. B jumped right into the assignment. The assignment will span the following 8 weeks till the semesters end and contain two parts. The two phases will give the students an opportunity to carry a concept across multiple mediums. The client is an existing purchasable mode of transportation specifically a motorized form (ie: Mazda, Vespa, Ford etc..) The first portion is two magazine ads and the second is a brochure with a minimum of 10 pages. In my head a minimum of 10 pages seemed to be an odd number as a signature has a minimum of 4 pages—but then again he stressed that they be creative with how they create it. Prof. B stressed how important the concept was to the grade—in addition to a successful campaign. He reminded the students that a “Pretty car, buy me campaign” was not what he was looking for. To encourage the students creativity and to give them some hints he asked them questions to ask themselves like “what is your angle?” He also reminded them to use their media more than just paper, but as part of the design. By using the media to your advantage a page is more than a page, a fold is more than a page and binding becomes integral into the concept. Following a brief walk through the text book to explore some award wining ads he dismissed the class to begin their assignment. For next week everyone is expected to have 2 concepts developed into 12 sketches each. Just like last time—if one student doesn’t reach their quota, EVERYONE will have to do more!

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Week 8 Summary

Posted on October 24, 2010 by admin

This week was a final critique class. It’s still surprising to me the difference of engagement between students towards the course. I understand that students share different passions but AGD1 is really a pivotal course in the degree program that can seemingly predict future portfolio success. With that said, mostly everyones projects were remarkably more refined and put together this session. They seem to be responding well to the discussion in class and putting in the effort.

This week the students series of ads were due. The assignment was to create three finished ads that feature a beauty product. The students selected a range of items from lipstick and moisturizer to beard trimmers and sanitary wipes. The results varied. The strength of the concept has become driving factor to the success of the work as the technical execution takes the back seat. In this course, and moving forward the students will find that it is the best ideas coupled with technical follow-thru that earn them the top awards.

As mentioned in previous posts, Prof. B approaches the class much like a design firm, with him being the lead creative director. The students pitch the concepts, write the copy and execute the finished pieces but not without a lot of feedback from their peers and from him. With this in mind students would do themselves a favor if they listened to the recommendations from their creative director! It confuses me to imagine what a student might be thinking when he/she hears specific instructions from the teacher and completely disregards them. Of course there is room for creative inspiration but in this situation, the teacher is the boss. While the grade is not as important as the finished portfolio, the designer-client/boss relationship is even more important. The classroom is the ideal setting to cultivate these crucial skills as it hasn’t cost any work—yet.

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Course Development

Posted on October 19, 2010 by admin

In addition to sitting in on 17 weeks of Advanced Graphic Design 1 at Valencia Community College and playing as co-instructor for the class I am responsible for creating the syllabus for a design course. The internship requires 150 hours and the classroom only affords approximately 60 of those hours. To ensure I receive a comprehensive internship experience I have arranged with my faculty adviser at SCAD to make up those missing hours be generating a full course syllabus.

I met this past week with a couple contacts at Florida Hospital College of Health Sciences. FHCHS is a nursing and allied health education facility on the campus of Florida Hospital which also offers several masters programs. I was able to connect with Yvette Saliba who’s an instructor and the director of the Center for Academic Achievement. We were connected through a design colleague who also works at the college. He recognized an opportunity after hearing our two related needs: my need to create a design-related course curriculum and their need to educate their faculty on basic design principles which will in turn help them guide and critique their students work beyond the content to include the form. After briefly talking on the phone it seemed as though that the arrangement would definitely be mutually beneficial.

I met Yvette and her colleague Stephanie for lunch. I shared with them about myself, the SCAD MFA program, my current teaching internship and my responsibilities which provided us the opportunity to collaborate. They proceeded to tell me about a grant they had received which had afforded them to build and equip a decently sized Mac computer lab and sound recording booth. Their goal for the lab was to give the students the tools to create professional and polished looking projects. They saw the need as students were required to create posters and audio and video presentations for multiple classes which would often end up in national presentations. While the content of the students work was outstanding the supporting visuals were continually sub par and below the colleges standards.  Yvette and Stephanie made it clear that one class was not going to solve all their problems, but they wanted to shift the culture and begin to set expectations. By creating a series of workshop seminars for the faculty, the goal will be to educate the instructors within their fields to be more design minded. It will be a design course for the non-designer. By teaching them key principles and sharing methods to critically analyze students work they will be more equipped and confident to challenge the students to produce a higher level of work.

In order to give the students access to quality technical training in the labs that would remain current with technology I recommended that they purchase an online training license such as Lynda.com. In addition, I strongly urged them to hire a qualified lab assistant who would be able to answer questions as the students would without doubt meet hurdles and road blocks.

Moving forward, I plan on asking for a list of the courses and projects that are currently challenging the students to use the labs. If possible I would also like to see any past student submissions to get a better feel for what they are faced with. I then plan on creating a general outline for the course material and discussing it with Yvette. I want to touch base with her along the way to ensure that it is meeting their needs and hopefully exceed their expectations. While they initially asked for a single power packed session of an hour or two, I’m committed to creating a multi-session seminar that can build upon the previous sessions.

I’m excited about the opportunity of creating this curriculum from scratch. I imagine it to be a lot of work—but I’m sure it will be even more than I expect!

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Week 7 Summary

Posted on October 17, 2010 by admin

It seems as though the class has fallen into a routine. I wonder if most teachers feel this way about there classes half way through. Ours is as follows. Walk into class. Find seat. Make small talk. Gather at one work table to review work. Class critique. Leave class. Repeat.

The work, the commentary and the students ideas is what keeps the session engaging. So should anything change or is there any benefit to a consistent and comfortable environment? Is this type of experience helpful or realistic for the nature of design work? On one hand this is the students first “Advanced Graphic Design” course and they are still feeling things out. With that in mind, the critique and the discussion is really the most important aspect of coming to class. On the other hand I wonder what might be done to enhance their real world experience. Considering we are treating the class somewhat like a design firm where ideas are shared freely perhaps it would it make sense to treat it more aggressively. Maybe students should be responsible to pitch their concepts to the class rather then just push the papers around on the table. Maybe clients should actually appear on the first and last day of the project to judge or assess the assignments. I imagine it much like a Project Runway type show where there is the consistent panel of critics(teacher) and then their is maybe even a real client or guest teacher to give additional opinion—one who might be less attached to the projects. This is just an idea I had after feeling like the class period was a little ho-hum.

The class session went just okay. The work was good, fun conversation and nothing went really wrong. Students arrived with a couple great ideas, more good ones, and as usual the uninspiring ones as well. The students felt a little bored to me and maybe something needed to to give them fresh legs to finish out the semester. Reflecting on it now I wonder if a third of the classes absence had something to do with it. The dynamic was different without the full group and it may have hurt the experience for everyone. Their assignments for the evening were to refine their digital concepts from the previous week and to add the additional two ads that accompanied the first in the magazine or poster series. The finals would be due the following week.

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Week 6: No Class

Posted on October 8, 2010 by admin

This week I was unable to join class as I was visiting the great north. Visiting family and enjoying the Indian summer was a much needed refreshing break.

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