Graphic Design Survey

This course provides students with a historical survey of Graphic Design and different aspects of the role of the graphic designer and use of design for visual communications in various industries. Internet access is necessary for some aspects of project research and development.

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• Manifesto Project
  To demonstrate what the students learned over the course of the semester, the student creates his/her own manifesto, specifically a manifesto about design. Like artists and designers of the past and present, the student declares what he/she thinks about graphic design and what graphic design should be. The student is given a number of famous art and design manifestos to help them begin to understand what a manifesto is as well as examples of possible manifestos.
  
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  Manifesto Assignment Website
• Blog Assignment
  In place of a traditional research paper, I have the students create a blog about what they are learning about in class. It is less formal writing, but more focused on the ideas of what the student is learning each week and connecting it their own lives. Blog entries can be either written form, video form, or some combination of both. The student may also want to include images. The blogs should be a reflection on the material for the week. I will provide prompts for each week, but the student can choose to highlight anything he/she finds interesting about the week's material. The idea is to reflect on the material and connect to his/her personal interests and background.
  
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• Video Review Assignment
  The student chooses a film about art and/or design to learn more about a particular aspect of design. A list of acceptable films is provided. After watching the video, the student will create a three minute video as a review of the film. Unlike a movie critic, the student is not to focus on the quality of the movie, but instead on the content of the movie.
  
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• Timeline Project
  The student creates a timeline relating to the history of graphic design. This timeline could be a broad overview of all graphic design or a more specific (and more detailed) look at a particular movement or designer. The student could also focus in on creating a timeline related to specific element of graphic design like the history of typography. The method and media used to create the timeline and final presentation may vary from student to student. The final format is also up to the student. It could be in poster format, book format, or for the very ambitious, electronic format like a website.
  
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