Investigation & Practice 1: Outline

Investigation and Practice 1 instructor Katherine Szeto term Summer / Fall 2006

aims of module

The purpose of this module is to consolidate, reinforce and develop students’ knowledge, skills and understanding of their chosen specialist areas of Visual Communication which may include: posters, packaging, editorial, illustration, typography, identity systems, promotional graphics, display graphics, signage systems. It provides the opportunity to investigate their chosen area of practice, intellectually and creatively as a practical discipline and as an area of experimentation with visual form in relation to a communication problem.

learning outcomes

Upon successful completion of the module, students will be able to: - Comprehend and analyse a range of examples of visual communication that reflect a variety of sources and applications. - Understand the issues involved in preparing a design concept for delivery across a broad spectrum of graphic media. - Apply a higher level of independence in resolving a design problem. - Finding solutions to creative problems utilizing appropriate visual approaches. - Identify and evaluate emerging design trends through visual research. - Synthesise research finding sin order to help solve visual communications problems, wich relate to broader aspects of contemporary design practice. Skills: - Manage a series of graphic design projects using a systematic process. - Resolve technical and structural constraints in relation to design process. - Demonstrate a high level of competence in preparing digital artwork and pre-press specification. - Expand upon creative and production skills applicable to a variety of graphic and communication media. - Implement typographic and image generating strategies appropriate to solving a visual communication problem.

assessment strategy

A series of projects will be given based marks will be based on a demonstration of the following: - Documentation of brainstorming and ideas generation. - Design processses involved in solving visual communication problems. - Research files. - Stages of visual development through sketchbook / screenshots. - Final design outcome, which reflects a high standard of finish and functionality.

learning unit contact duration

Total of 288 hour hourss over 2 semesters (24 weeks). Total class contact: Total independent study:

3 hrs per week

36 hrs per semester

9 hrs per week

108 hrs per semester

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------Total: 12 hrs per week 144 hrs per semester other notes

Sketchbook: You will be required to keep an A3-sized sketchbook / workbook for each of your projects. Bring it with you to every class! Take notes in there, brainstorm, make drawings, cut and paste your photos and worksheets, your research...be creative! Bring it with you everywhere to jot your ideas whenever and wherever they come up. What you put in your sketchbook documents brainstorming and the project process + development, and is the only way we can see these aspects visually. Remember that this is what counts for most of your final marks. Hand-in requirements: For each project, you will be required to hand in the following: your project sketchbook (documentation of process) - the project itself - a portfolio presentation of the project in the form of one A3 ring-bound book that - will contain a minimum of 4 pages and will include the following: >Title page with name of project, student name and number. >A few pages with images of the project (3-8 pages). >One page with an image of the project in context. >Concept / rationale. Independent work: Please follow up all classes with your own research in the library, in book stores, galleries, the internet and by discussing the classes with your fellow students. Self-driven learning will help you progress, help you develop your own ideas and thinking, and achieve high marks.

Investigation and Practice 1