Practices Fall2014_syllabus (1)

8/11/2019 Practices Fall2014_syllabus (1)

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College of Arts and Media | University of Colorado Denver | Digital Design Program

FA 4480-003 & 004 |The Practice of DesignTuesday/Thursday 6:30 pm - 9:15 pm | Boulder Creek 125 | Fall 2014 | 3 Credits

Faculty Contacts: Jason Bowers Michael Salamon 720.289.6762 303.475.2784 [email protected] [email protected]

We do not have an oce on campus, but can make appointments for discussion as needed. Pleasecall or e-mail me in advance to arrange a meeting time and place. It may require us to meet afterstandard business hours.

Class All notications will be sent by email to your ocial ucdenver.edu email address exclusively. If youAnnouncements: do not have a ucdenver.edu address you must activate it in order to get email and have access to

the CU Denver system for discussions and other course materials, which will be posted online.

Online discussions are a required component of this class, you must have access to the internetand be able to post on other required discussion forums.

CAM: Vision Art changing lives.

Mission The College of Arts & Media exists at the intersection of art, technology, and commerce, and as

such, faculty and students use powerful art making, expansive teaching/learning, and strategicservice to connect deeply with the arts disciplines and the culture industry as these currentlyexist and as they might become.

Values Experimentation and Innovation Excellence and Professionalism Community Creative Research and Scholarship

Leadership Entrepreneurship Technological Innovation Critical Thinking Diversity, Accessibility, and Equity Intellectual Freedom and Artistic Integrity Sustainability Civic Engagement Experiential Learning Social Responsibility

Prerequisites: Digital Design Majors SMD Majors Transmedia Passed Portfolio Review Passed Portfolio Review Passed Portfolio Review

FA 3015/1015 FA 3434 FA 2405 FA 2454 FA 3444 FA 3400

FA 3464 FA 3474 FA 3405 FA 3474 FA 3474

Description: Through lectures, studio visits and course work, students will engage the profession and examinethe role of the artist as designer. You will also begin to think of design as a career, not just a job,and start to develop long term goals for yourself. To begin a career in design you will need to landthat rst job to accomplish that you will be developing professional quality presentation materials.Projects will focus on identity systems, professional techniques, portfolios and general businesspractices to prepare students for entering their profession or post-graduates studies.

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FA 4480-003 & 004 |The Practice of Design

Student Goals Knowledgeand Outcomes: Identify how design is practiced professionally Develop holistic career goals and strategies Develop networking and lifelong learning practices Explore types of design studios and jobs Identify the roles that exist within design studios Examine contractual and legal issues involved in the design profession

Identify the expectations of clients and studios, including deadlines Understand client relationships and communications Identify local and national design organizations Investigate industry trends and current markets for design

Skills Prepare high quality presentation materials Create professional portfolio materials and/or demo reel(s) Targeted letter and resume writing Create a personal identity system Ability to budget and estimate workload Ability to invoice and understanding of Accounts Payable

Market and present design materials Verbal communication skills Networking techniques Adapt to trends and technologies

Dispositions Gain awareness of current and evolving business practices Recognize how design can be used as an agent of change Master the art of presenting design ideas to clients and non-design practitioners

Strategy: This is a studio class, meaning that you will spend time in and out of class working on anddeveloping your projects (both written and visual), increasing the breadth of knowledge requiredfor achieving your professional goals. For this to be a productive class we need to make the most

out of the time that we meet. To accomplish this it is necessary that you consistently demand morefrom yourselves and classmates throughout the semester.

Approach: This entails the following: Students are to come to class ready to engage in an informedconversation about class material. This requires a developed point of view regarding readings, casestudies and research. Students are expected to do the following:

Come to class prepared: readings, response papers and posts will be done prior to class withnotes taken and questions ready for class discussion.

To have all creative work ready to show at the time of critique. To present all nal projects in a professional manner (print work must be presented at the highest

quality, in full color, and mounted on black art board, or constructed and assembled into nalform; digital work must be in a device specic presentable format - mobile, desktop, kiosk,installation, presentation, etc. - and must be delivered to the specications of each assignment).

To be attentive and polite during all presentations and critique: respect every students right toexpress his/her supported opinion.

To take responsibility for your learning: ignorance of an assignment or a requirement will not bean acceptable excuse. Failure to complete an assignment or a requirement of any kind is groundsfor failure of the assignment. If you are absent it is your responsibility to collect notes, readings,and assignments from your classmates.

To turn o or mute all mobile devices prior to the beginning of class.

In this way we will be able to concentrate on important topics and issues, not on the mechanics andlogistics of the class.


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Criticism: The studio-based pedagogical philosophy that is used in teaching this class dictates that in-classlearning is our shared responsibility. To those ends, all advice, criticism and direction is oered tohelp you develop your technical, aesthetic, critical and oratorical skills. Criticism is never intendedto anguish or humiliate. It is simply a means of learning. It is also a time for you, as a student, anartist and designer, to build on an evolving argument, state clear assumptions, support inferenceswith evidence, draw logical conclusions, and state your position clearly, concisely, and specically.Developing this ability reects an incisive analysis of case data and provides value-addeddimensions to your work.

Contributions: Eective contributions in the classroom help everyone learn by tting in with the discussion andadding new insights (perhaps by synthesizing multiple points of view), redirecting a discussion thathas hit an impasse, clarifying ambiguities, provoking constructive debate or encouragingin-class discovery.

Quality contributions are timely and astutely placed, and are cognizant of the ow of argumentson the table. The benets of listening can not be overstated. Class participants share in theseresponsibilities for learning by avoiding disruptions and distractions, resisting the temptation toelaborate or repeat unnecessarily, respecting others, and speaking with honesty and candor, thusguaranteeing a valuable learning experience for all.

Discussions, lectures, critiques and readings may deal with gender, race, religion, sexualorientation, politics to name a few possibilities. All of these categories are part of the arsenal weuse for visual communication and design. If at any time you do not agree with a view-point or thematerial presented, then it is your responsibility to challenge and present an alternate view pointwhilethat view is being presented. It is through this discourse that parties can learn from oneanother and become better visual communicators and individuals.

Issues? Art History scholarship and Art Studio practice, along with art teaching and learning, are complexendeavors. They involve the critical exploration of ideas, theories, art-making practices, and artmovements, and encompass such things as the human body, sexuality, race, gender, ethnicity,politics, strong languages, religions, and cultures. This course may cover one or more of the abovecategories and each student will be required to be an active participant in all course assignments,

discussions, and tests. Given this information, it is the students obligation to determine whetherthe course content and requirements conict with the students core beliefs. If a student determinesthat there is a conict with his or her core beliefs, one of the following actions must be taken priorto the last day to drop a course without penalty: 1) drop the class; 2) meet with the instructor todetermine if an accommodation can be made. Faculty will ascertain if an accommodation can bemade; however, faculty are not required to grant content accommodations.

If critiques, discussions, or lectures are not being conducted in a way that is benecial for you,please schedule and appointment so that we can have a discussion and makeconstructive changes.

Special Needs: If you have special needs please contact me and be sure that you have registered with DisabilityResources and Services (Arts Building, Room #177, (303) 556-3450).

Evaluation: Individual projects will be based upon meeting deadlines, thought, care, craft, resourcefulness,risks taken, creativity, conceptual approach, design, and management.


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Grading: Grades for the semester will be evaluated on the following criteria: Projects, Creative Investigations and Research (group and/or individual) = 60%

Readings, Critical Responses, Blog Entries, Case Studies, Studio Visits = 30% Progress Grades = 10%

Semester grades will be done on a ten-point scale: A:90-100, B:79-89, C:68-78, D:57-67, F:56 - 0

Progress Grades: As design and learning are iterative processes.Progress grades may be assessed at anytimeduring the semester. These grades may be a part of a specic project or randomly at the

discretion of the instructor.Examples of possible assessment are: work done to date on a giveproject, reading comprehension of assigned readings, research completed towards a designproblem, contributions to a collaborative project, etc.Any student not present on the day a

progress grade is assessed will receive a zero for that grade.

Redo Grades: As art and learning are iterative processes redo-grades may be assessed at anytime during thesemester. These grades may be for part of or for a whole project. Grades for redone projects willreplace the initial grade for the project even if the new grade is lower then the initial grade. Redogrades are given at discretion of the instructor. Students may choose not to accept the invitation toredo a project, if they so wish.

To be eligible to receive a redo grade students must have fullled all of the assignmentrequirements and attended critique. Specics such as requirements and due dates for the redo willbe decided on a case-by-case basis by the instructor.

Late Work: Assignments and due dates are listed online. When an assignment is submitted the timestamp isrecorded and considered nal. Late assignments are automatically deducted 25%and must beturned in by the start of the next class. If the assignment is turned in by the start of the secondclass after it was due, it will be a50%deduction. After that, the project is awarded a0.

Missing Work: Any student who fails to turn inallcoursework for the semester will fail the class.

Evaluation of DO NOT expect an above average grade for simply completing the minimum project requirements.Semester Grades for assignments, projects and the course will reect student performance in theGrades: following criteria:

Ais for exceptionally excellent work; clearly better than very good and reecting special research,aesthetics, theory, design, innovation, excellence, abilities, eort and execution. Papers andresearch projects are extremely well thought out and executed. Perfect attendance.

A-is for very good; reects a strong performance on all course requirements and for makingregular and important contributions to the course. Work shows extra research, aesthetics,and application of design theory to projects. Work displays exceptional attention to detail andexecution. Papers and research projects are very good and executed at a high level. Attendance is

extremely good perhaps missing only one class all semester.

B+is for nishing all the course requirements and doing a very good job on each of them ordoing a good job on some of them and an exceptional job on a few of them. Student exempliesattention to detail and going beyond the assignment guidelines to display initiative and creativity onall assignments. Attendance is extremely good.

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B is for completing all course requirements in an extremely consistent manner that displaysinspired creative work and a continued desire to improve and push ones abilities to the next level.

A student has at least redone one assignment to those ends. Attendance is very good. Papersand research projects are executed with high degree of precision and professionalism. Simplycompleting all the assignments is not sucient to earn an A, A-, B+, B in the course.

B-is for slightly above standard performance on all course requirements. Student showspotential and some eort but has not pushed their execution and ability to the next level.

Cis for completing all course requirements without special distinction in terms of creativity,aesthetics, theory, execution or presentation. Papers and research projects are executed at anaverage college-level. Attendance was fair.

Dand lower are for poor performance and generally means that the student is not progressingwell in the course.

Incomplete- The Digital Design program very rarely awards an incomplete. Students wishing to beassigned an incomplete grade must schedule an individual conference with the instructor and oersucient justication for the request.

All assignments will be graded using a rubric similar to the one below. Adjustments will be madeto the criteria based on the objectives and requirements of each individual assignment. A samplegrade sheet is below - the number of points for each of the criteria will vary depending on theassignment given.

Example Evaluation Matrix for the Evaluation of Research and Documentation:

Evaluation Grading Number of Points Available

Investigation 10

Experimentation 10

Applied Research 15

Technology 15

Meeting Objectives 15Form and Composition 15

Presentation 20

Total: 100

Explanation of Assignment Grading: Though Design is a broad and multifaceted discipline there are criteria that the Digital Design

program feels span all media and endovers. Adjustments will be made to grading criteria based onthe lesson plan, assignment objects, specications and requirements.

Investigation

For assignments, discussions and research projects you should not rely on what you already knowor think about the subject, but you should look at the assignment as a new problem that needs asolution. Designers are frequently presented with projects that on the surface appear to have nogood solution. The client wants one thing, and the audience seems to prefer the opposite. A gooddesigner will nd a third solution that fullls the project requirements but in a new andunexpected way.

You are expected to develop an idea through proposals, presentations and sketches. A good gradefor investigation will indicate that you are thinking through an idea and doing research that exploresvarious potential solutions.

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Experimentation In successful design projects, there is always a benet for the audience; the client; and the artist.

This is not easily achieved. It takes trial and error and the willingness to go beyond imitation andrisk; failing more often than nding success. It is in this way that we learn to exceed the limits weset for ourselves and those set upon us.

You must do multiple sketches and present multiple ideas that show dierent approaches.The ideas presented will need to be ideas that are risky and ideas that you really would want to do

as a nal piece, which means they should be fresh, original and reect the research and goals ofthe project.

Applied Research The grading for concept will examine how well your research has been incorporated into your visual

solution or into the justications and support for opinions established in your written materialsor presentations. You must think about the questions you are asking as you do your research,designing research questions that provide information that is useful to your design.

Does your nal solution reect what you found during your research? Did your choice and methodsof research provide relevant data? How skillful is the student with verbal and written language?Do they articulate themselves in ways that are clearly understood? Are students able to state and

defend ideas in a clear and articulate manner? Can students present their ideas and work in apersuasive manner?

Technology Technology (both high and low) is an essential part of working within design and electronic arts. It

is present in all aspects of product making and presentation. For an artist to have the full pallet attheir disposal it is necessary to develop mastery of the tools used. Is the student using technologyin new and appropriate ways? Is the student showing an ever improving grasp of the mechanicsinvolved? Is the student showing a sensitivity to both the technology and the user/viewer?

This will be scored based on how well you are able to utilize and navigate the digital medium.If you are doing video, are the cuts and transitions clean? If your work is layered imagery, arethere obvious seams or color correction problems? Is the overall presentation clean and neat (if

appropriate)? With print or web, are there alignment problems? Things that will lower your gradeinclude blips in audio or video, smudges on prints, poor alignment, compression artifacts (bothvideo and .jpg), poor quality resolution on nished project or source imagery and poor dynamicrange (too dark or washed out).

Meeting Objectives

An average grade for Meeting Objectives means that you have met the basic requirements of theassignment. Each assignment is meant to be only a framework, and in design it is expected thatyou nd new ways of interpreting what may seem like a standard problem. A good grade in thiscategory will mean that you have gone beyond the assignment and created a concept or work thatis unique and original, pushing the assignment beyond what is expected.

Form and Composition

For visual assignments this grade is based on the surface qualities of the artwork. The surfaceis what we see as the nal product, often this quality receives more attention during critique andevaluation of art. It is important, but is only part of the grade in design classes because the contextand research process is equally valued.


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As part of a lifelong practice artists/designers consistently develop skills in verbal and writtenlanguage (perception, aesthetics, semiotics, commercial language and protocol). They becomeskillful in the use and application of this language as a means to express and defend their ideasin a number of settings. For written assignments this grade is based on the composition andthoroughness of your arguments.

Questions to ask yourselves about the surface quality of your work: Is the work well-designedand appropriate for the solution? Are font choices conscious and appropriate to the solution

and audience? Has a grid been established, addressed and used to communicate a hierarchy ofinformation eectively? If you are ignoring the grid principle, is it done intentionally and forcefully? Ifyou are creating video, does the editing reect your subject?

Presentation

If you do not present your work well, a client will not have any condence that you can present theircompany any better. This class is about ideas, particularly new ideas that push the boundariesof the assignments. New ideas need to be sold to the client and presented in such a way that theclient feels that you as a designer know what you are talking about. No great idea can survive apoor presentation.

Presentations include the mock-ups that you will prepare and the documentation of your researchas well as the nal project. Designs will be neatly executed, cohesive, and they will need to conveythe attitude of the design piece in how it is constructed and designed. Papers and writtenmaterials will look professional, be grammatically correct, typed and spell checked before they aresubmitted.

Attendance and The Digital Design curriculum integrates aesthetic, creative, and critical thought with expertise inCourse Work: advanced electronic media. Congured as an interdisciplinary arts and design laboratory, Digital

Design oers a hands-on education combining new art technologies and design concepts withina concentrated theoretical framework that promotes an understanding of the cultural impact anduses of digital technologies.

The interactive studio and case-based model of teaching employed within the digital designprogram hinges critically upon the attendance and active participation of students in the classroom

Therefore the following Attendance and Course Work policies will be observed:

Attendance: Attendance at critiques are mandatory. Failure to attend a critique, without an excused absence,as dened under university policy, will result in a letter grade drop from the project.

As is consistent with University policy, absences for reasons including job interviews, eld work,and personal commitments (e.g., attending a friends wedding), are not considered excused. Theonly absences not penalized are those for the death of close family members, severe illnesses(doctors note) or observance of religious holidays. If you plan on attending a religious event later inthe semesteryou MUST notify me in writing or electronically within the rst 2 weeks of class.

The full University attendance policy can be found at:http://administration.ucdenver.edu/admin/policies/OAA/StudentAttendance.pdf.

Tardiness: You must arrive to class on time and fully prepared. Failure to do so may negatively impactyour grade and negate future recommendations for employment and graduate schools fromyour Professors.

First Day You must be present during the rst week of class or contact me to inform me that you will beof Class: unable to attend during the rst week, giving the reason for your absence (which must be deemed a

valid reason for excused absences). If you are not present during the rst week (and I have not beennotied with the valid excused reason), and there is a wait-list for the class, you will be dropped atthe end of the rst week and the rst person on the wait-list will be added in your place.


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Computer Lab Any student who willingly 1. Alters, deletes or changes the conguration of the operating system ofPolicies: a campus computer without proper authorization; 2. Who deletes any software application or les

that are not their own without proper authorization; 3. Who installs a software application ontocampus computers without proper authorization, permission or who does not hold legal title tothe legal serial numbers required for installation; or 4. Who willfully causes structural harm to anycampus computer equipment, peripherals or networking systems including cabling will be subjectto immediate withdrawal from the University of Colorado and/or subject to legal action.

Media: 1. A data storage/redundant backup plan. NO EXCEPTIONS.(Put it in the cloud.)

2. A personal webhost. 3. A unique domain name.

(Registration runs $5 -$25 annually.)

4. A USB drive.

Students will also be required to turn in assignments as specied on appropriate media.

Textbooks: Required:

Talent Is Not Enough: Business Secrets For Designers

by Shel Perkins Paperback: 392 pages

Publisher: Peachpit Press (March 25, 2006)

ISBN-10: 0321278798

ISBN-13: 978-0321278791

In addition to the required text, I will be posting required readings to Blackboard.The following texts are recommended (but not required):

Thinking with Type by Ellen Lupton Publisher: Princeton Architectural Press ISBN-10: 1568984480 ISBN-13: 978-1568984483

Visual Research: An Introduction to Research Methodologies in Graphic Design (AVA Academia) Ian Noble and Russell Bestley Publisher: New Riders Presss; December 28, 2003 ISBN-10: 0735713944 ISBN-13: 978-0735713944

D.I.Y Design It Yourself Ellen Lupton

Publisher: Princeton Architectural Press; 1 edition (January 19, 2006) ISBN-13: 978-1568985527

Designing A Digital Portfolio(VOICES) (PAPERBACK) Cynthia Baron Paperback: 336 pages

Visible Signs David Crow Publisher: AVA Publishing (October 1, 2003) ISBN-13: 978-2940373215


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Geometry of Design: Studies in Proportion and Composition[Paperback] Kimberly Elam (Author) Publisher: Princeton Architectural Press; 1 edition (August 1, 2001) ISBN-13: 978-1568982496

Design Writing Research Design (PAPERBACK) Ellen Lupton Publisher: Phaidon Press; New Ed edition (June 10, 1999)

ISBN-10: 0714838519 ISBN-13: 978-0714838519

Creating the Perfect Design Brief: How to Manage Design for Strategic Advantage Peter L. Phillips Publisher: Allworth Press (March 1, 2004) ISBN-13: 978-1581153248

Additional As events arise during the semester that are pertinent to the class, there may be additionalCosts: costs associated with attending. This may include, but not limited to, art events, lectures, art

openings and museums. There will also be costs through out the semester for the purchase ofmaterials related to the production of your creative work.


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College of Arts and Media | University of Colorado Denver | Digital Design Program

FA 4480-003 & 004 |The Practice of DesignTuesday/Thursday 6:30 pm - 9:15 pm | Boulder Creek 125 | Fall 2014 | 3 Credits

Student Letter of Understanding

I, (print name) ________________________________________________________, arm that Ihave read the attached syllabus and understand the policies of this course. I further acknowledgethat should a dispute arise, full disclosure of course focus, requirements, and methods ofassessment has been made.

Signed:______________________________________________ Date:____________________

Practices Fall2014_syllabus (1)

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