Course Goals/Learning Objectives

By the end of the semester, students will be able to:

• Use (basic) design technologies to create effective graphic communication 
• Use (basic) design habits to organize, produce, and distribute visual communication
• Identify, develop, and use (basic) visual design vocabularies to create cohesive graphic communication
• Use (basic) design methodologies to conceive, interpret, and evaluate graphic communication 
• Identify significant contributions to and movements in the graphic design field
• Create a design portfolio
• Pursue intermediate-level courses in visual communication.

Grading/Rubric elements that relate to learning objectives

Rubrics organized accordingly with categories for assessing, as relevant: 

• -design technology (selecting appropriate tools, competence with tools) 
• -design habits (organization, following instructions, completeness of work) 
• -design vocabulary (typography, composition, etc etc) 
• -design methodology (conceptual and design thinking, problem-solving)  
• -design field/history awareness (written analyses of work)

Studio Workshop Course: projects, critique and portfolio

This class is a studio course, and is taught as a critique-based workshop model. It is an experiential progression of graphic design projects that helps to introduce and refine the technical skills essential to professional practice. More importantly, it overlays other 21st century skills, adding pedagogical depth to the skill-building through an implicit layer of meaning-making, critical thinking, and abstract and symbolic thinking. Embedded in the discipline is always accessibility that runs throughout the course: from the teaching tools themselves (totally accessible, online, in-person, and asynchronous materials), to classroom and online pedagogy, and through to the visual and verbal thought processes of the designer-students themselves.

The challenge of deepening the development of their visual and written communication skills threads through 14 weeks of instruction. This approach also allows the mimicking of a real-life designer/client relationship, using the classwork parameters as surrogate client design briefs, and other students as a design team.

Critique: Projects are shared each week via a class blog, and students are taught how to write about their own work for critique. Students critique each other by describing the work, interpreting the work, evaluating the work, and recommending changes. The sharing and presenting of the design is always in a multi-modal communication, where students must always use at least one other mode to share their work and thinking, whether it is writing or commenting on their work or another students’ work, or video or live presentations of work.

At the end of the semester, these first year design students have a complete and focused portfolio that showcases all their hard work and creative thinking.

Grading Creative Projects (ungrading and the 4.0 scale)

Using the Project Rubric below, students are simply graded on fulfilling the criteria for the project; the criteria is based on the Course Goals/Learning Objectives, and remains consistent throughout the course.

By using a 4.0 scale instead of a 100-point model, the grading becomes instantly more “fair”, as the F is no longer 0-60. Note that this rubric is a feedback rubric only, it is not “calculated”.

ASSIGNMENT GRADES    

This course is all about feedback—giving it and getting it). 

Getting your work in on time, and giving feedback on time makes the class work better for EVERYONE! Each assignment builds on the last assignment, meaning that the skills learned in each class inform the next classes. 

Each project/submission/critique is graded on a 4.0 scale.

4.0 means the project is “perfect” or close to perfect, fully meeting all project requirements. 

3.7 means there are minor issues to look at and correct, or a small part of the assignment is missing or incomplete. 

3.3 means there are larger issues to look at and correct, or a larger part of the assignment is missing or incomplete.

3.0 and below means there is more than one issue to look at & correct, or more than one part missing or incomplete. 

Unsubmitted work is graded as a 0. 

• Grades are based on the quality and timely completion of coursework. 

• Overdue assignments: Late work is marked down every day it is late (including weekends); an A becomes an A-, an A- becomes a B+, etc.

Project Feedback Rubric

PROJECT GOALS	CONCERNS Areas that need work	CRITERIA Standards for assignment
Design Technology		•Appropriate tools selected •Demonstrates competency with tool •Handling of computer files: packaging, PDFs, naming
Design Habits		•Organization & Planning •Following directions •Completeness of work •Work does not look rushed •Work is well presented
Design Vocabulary		•Identifies design vocabulary elements (typography, layout, color, symbols, etc.) •Selects design vocabulary elements appropriate to the project goals •Uses design vocabulary elements to communicate effectively
Design Methodology		•Evidence of research •Conceptual thinking (what was the idea?) Why is this a successful expression of the idea? •Design solution effectively addresses the design brief/project •Revision(s) enhance impact
Design field		•Sharing work for critique •Evaluation (of self)/Project Write-ups •Identifies significant movements and actors in the discipline •Identifies significant impacts of discipline in everyday life