This course will
provide you with diverse perspectives on document design through the lenses of rhetoric, technical communication, graphic design and design history. In addition to readings and class discussions, the assignments will give you multiple opportunities to develop your own visual communication strategies
through practice in designing a variety of document types for
a variety of rhetorical situations.
Our class population represents a broad spectrum of educational and professional experience. Although this presents some challenges in designing the course and assignments, it also offers the opportunity for all of us to learn from one another, drawing on the unique strengths each of us brings to this class.
Because of these differences in experience levels, this class will require you to take a proactive approach to your own learning. This means that no matter where you are starting from, I expect you to push yourself to understand theoretical, practical and technological approaches that are new to you. I view reading
assignments, class activities, and course projects as occasions
for you to explore and apply various approaches to design and communication.
It is therefore critical that you not only complete all assignments,
but that you come to class prepared and ready to participate.
Similar
to writing, document design is an iterative process in which the overall
message improves through collaboration, attention to
thoughtful critique, and multiple drafts. I
encourage revision on all major course projects, even after a
grade has been given. You may re-submit work for a higher
grade one time as long as it represents a serious effort on your part
to re-see or re-envision your approach to a document’s
design and communication.
In addition to design assignments and reading responses, part
of your final grade will be determined by your level of class
and group participation. To
do well in this course you will need to:
- be a generous, collegial, and enthusiastic collaborator during class
activities, discussions, and group projects
- be thoughtful, critical, and timely in your approach to projects
and revisions
- be an active explorer of design,
gathering examples and ideas from multiple sources and constantly
trying out new approaches & possibilities
- be willing to spend time and effort learning new technologies
- be in class & be on time (more
than two absences may result in
failure of the course)
The course schedule is arranged so that assignments build upon
one another. This
means it is important for you to turn in work when it is due. However,
we all know that disruptive situations sometimes arise. With the exception
of presentations or in-class activities (which cannot be made-up), I will accept
late work only if prior arrangements have been
made. To get an extension, you must email me asking for an extension AND
proposing a reasonable deadline for completing work (which you then must keep).
It is necessary for you to be here every
day for the entire class. We have a lot of fun but complex subjects
to cover in 15 weeks. Many of the activities and assignments are
collaborative and their success is dependent upon sharing your
knowledge and experience with others. Your ACTIVE participation
is a large part of how I view your performance in this course.
This means that I expect you to not only read material and complete
assignments, but also to engage in discussions and activities with
your classmates. If you can't be here, you are responsible for checking the latest online schedule to find out what you missed and what is due in
the next class period. Missing more than two classes may result in failure of the course.
Your grade is based on class, individual, and group participation in activities
and on projects. You will be doing a wide variety of assignments to strengthen
your practices in all of these areas. Late written
responses and projects will result in a lowering of your grade.
Your final grade in the course will be
based on the following:
- Participation and small in-class activities- 10%
- Weekly response to reading and accompanying collected design sample (these will become part of the Design Collection and Reflection Notebook)- 30%
- One page Flyer Redesign using Photoshop- 10%
- Visual Identity Document Suite- 25%
- Final Project- 25%
Several of the course projects require you
work with at least one other classmate. I have done this because it
not only reflects working conditions you are likely to encounter in professional
environments, but also because it is an important way of learning. Each
of you has different strengths, talents, and experiences that
you bring to class. By working with others, you can pool
these resources and create documents that are more effective and
sophisticated than you might otherwise be able to do on your own. Although
collaborative work can bring with it additional challenges, I believe
that learning to negotiate these with others is a valuable part
of your experience.
While we will spend a good deal of time
in class working with graphic design, page layout, web-editing, and screen capture applications,
this is not a course on software. You should keep in mind that you will
likely need to spend several hours per week (3-4 hours on average)
outside of class time learning and using various applications and
technologies. The Design Center will be staffed 20 hours per week and you can get technical assistance during that time.
There is no shortcut to becoming adept at utilizing
technology to create effective communication, but the more effort
you put into it, the more return you will see in the success of
your documents. One of the best ways to learn is by experimenting, exploring, and embracing the inevitable trial and error that comes with using technology. While
I have realistic expectations and will take into consideration
everyone’s technological starting point, I still expect to
see everyone improve their comfort and facility with software and
hardware over the course of the semester.
Although it should go without saying, texting, Twittering, Facebooking, cell phone calls, and other technological distractions
should not take place during class time.
As computers and the web have made it increasingly easy to read, see,
and borrow the work of others, what constitutes plagiarism has also
become more difficult to define. However, any attempt to knowingly
copy the work, ideas, or designs of someone else without giving appropriate
credit to the source is plagiarism. Plagiarism is not only a serious
academic offense that can lead to failure of the course and expulsion
from the university, but it also cheats you out of learning, the prime
reason you are here in the first place.
If you have or believe you have a disability and
need reasonable accommodation for equal access to activities or resources
in this course, you can contact the
Office for Services with Disabilities located at Garcia Annex (646-6840).
You may also want to discuss this in confidence with the instructor and/or
the Director
of Disabled Student Programs. All inquiries and notifications will remain
confidential. For more information about the Americans with Disabilities
Act (ADA), you can call 646-3635.
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