GD 105 | INTRO TO VISUAL DESIGN
GD 105 Home Lectures Projects

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  GD 105 | INTRO TO VISUAL DESIGN
Course Description:
 

This course introduces the basic concepts of design for 2D images and time-based digital media: Students are introduced to some concepts of visual perception and composition and how these are affected by various factors, such as size, color, orientation, location, contrast, balance, movement, among others.
The Syllabus and schedule are subject to change through out the quarter.

Course Objectives:
 

This course is designed specifically for the needs of Graphic Designers, Game Development, Digital Cinema, Animation and Interactive Media students but all majors are welcome! Everyone will receive an introduction to Adobe software: Illustrator and Flash.

Some practical issues introduced include composition, balance, visual planning, introduction to typography, color palettes, frame rate, among others. Theoretical issues include composition, emphasis, rhythm, contrast, unity, balance, scale, hierarchies of information, movement, color, and spatial illusion.

We will be looking at different kinds of examples through out the quarter: Still images of designs, paintings, illustrations, photographs, animation, figures from the required text and video clips.

Students will be applying certain concepts and aspects of visual design through quizzes and projects.

Attendance & Participation:
  Attendance is required.
1 absences = dropping half a grade (means from A to A-, or from B to B-)
4 absences = fail the class
If a student is absent, they are responsible for doing the best they can to catch up. If a student has any questions or concerns, they may email the instructor or arrange to meet in person. However, lectures will not be repeated.
 

A crucial quality for every designer is the ability to communicate both visually and verbally! Actively participating means speaking up (no, attendance doesn’t mean active). Your participation will help others work out the kinks in their projects and vice versa, the more you talk the more you will learn. Becoming comfortable in a critique situation makes you better able to analyze and discuss your own work and the work of others, an essential skill in almost any job.

Contact me:
  Email is the best way to get hold to me! winny (at symbol) cdm.depaul.edu
  Or, meet me during my office hours.
Office phone is 773-325-4540, cell: 312-206-8342
Office: Lincoln Park SAC 259
Links for this course
  1. D2L (course management system) https://d2l.depaul.edu/
2. Course homepage: http://winnystudio.com/105/
4. Adobe TV illustrator tutorials: http://tv.adobe.com/product/illustrator/
5. Basics of Illustrator: http://tv.adobe.com/show/learn-illustrator-cc/
5. Online Tutorial at Lynda: http://www.lynda.com/
6. Wikipedia, google, gettyimages, flickr, etc, make them your good friends.
Required TextBook:
  Art and Visual Perception
by Rudolph Arnheim. University of California Press, 2004.
  Design Basic Index
by Jim Krause
Recommended books:
 

Interaction of Color by Josef Albers. Yale University Press, 2006

  llustrator CC: Visual QuickStart Guide
 

Flash CC: Visual QuickStart Guide

Grading:
 
Your final grade will be based on:
10%
Midterm Quiz
24%
Reading Notes
50%
Projects
16%
Final Project (& Presentation)
 

A 95-100%
A- 90-95%
B+ 85-89%
B 80-85%
B- 75-79%
C+ 70-75%
C 65-69%
C- 60-65%
D 50-60%
F < 50%

  Plus and minus scores will be assigned at the high and low ends of each of these ranges at the instructor's discretion. (No A+ or D-)
Projects:
  Projects will be posted at D2L, and should be submitted by the time is due.
Evaluation:
  The project is given a grade according to the criteria below, each of which constitutes 1/4 of the total project grade.
It is realized that grading artistic work can be partially subjective; you will have to trust the instructor's experience, intuition and sense of fairness.
 

1. Effort
Willingness to do the best job within one’s abilities and talent, as opposed to just getting it done: Did you work hard?
2. Creativity
The originality and artistic merit of the project: Is the idea cool and does it communicate well visually?
3. Adherence
Is the project executed according to the parameters outlined? Did you follow instructions?
4.Craft
Neat and careful technical execution of assignment and presentation, attention to details. Are the features of the applications applied appropriately for a given task? Are you using the software as intended?

A file naming scheme that is different from the one specified will suffer a 5% drop in grade.

Late project Policy
 

Projects turned in late on the due day earn a 5% point deduction in addition to being graded on criteria.
Projects turned in late more than a day will result in a 10% grade reduction for every day late, in addition to being graded on criteria.
A student has 7 days after the given due date and time to turn in the project, otherwise it will be past due and zero points will be earned. Turning a project in late is better than not turning it in at all. Some points are better than none! All the points add up to determine what the student has earned for their final grade for the class.

Students who turn projects in on time will earn comments / feedback.
Students who turn projects in late will not receive comments. This is to reward students who meet deadlines and develop good work ethics.

It may take a few seconds or a few minutes to upload a file. Or, if the file is too large, it may not be accepted to D2L. Either of which may make the file late. Contact me if the file is too big for the course management system. If this occurs, this is not an excuse. So, always give yourself plenty of time to upload your project file in case anything goes wrong.

If the incorrect file is uploaded, or if no file is uploaded, no credit will be given. I will usually leave a comment if the wrong file is submitted, however it is the students’ responsibility to check D2L grading on regular basis for feedback.

Tools/Software:
  Paper, Pencil :)
  Illustrator/Flash/maybe a bit Photoshop;

LAB SCHEDULE

 

Loop Lab:
http://www.cdm.depaul.edu/cim/academics/Pages/CIMLabResources.aspx
Lincoln Park, Student Center
331, 363  & 364  (these have classes in them)

School Policies:
Online Instructor Evaluation:

Evaluations are a way for students to provide valuable feedback regarding their instructor and the course. Detailed feedback will enable the instructor to continuously tailor teaching methods and course content to meet the learning goals of the course and the academic needs of the students.

They are a requirement of the course and are key to continue to provide you with the highest quality of teaching. The evaluations are anonymous; the instructor and administration do not track who entered what responses. A program is used to check if the student completed the evaluations, but the evaluation is completely separate from the student’s identity. Since 100% participation is our goal, students are sent periodic reminders over two weeks. Students do not receive reminders once they complete the evaluation.

Toward the end of the quarter, students may be asked to fill out the course evaluation in class. If this occurs, the instructor will step out of the room for 20 min. to ensure no conflict of interest or unfair influence.
Academic Integrity Policy:

Work done for this course must adhere to the DePaul University Academic Integrity Policy, which you can review in the Student Handbook or by visiting the following link: http://academicintegrity.depaul.edu/
It is the student’s responsibility to adhere to these policies.

Plagiarism:
The university and school policy on plagiarism can be summarized as follows: Students in this course, as well as all other courses in which independent research or writing play a vital part in the course requirements, should be aware of the strong sanctions that can be imposed against someone guilty of plagiarism. If proven, a charge of plagiarism could result in an automatic F in the course and possible expulsion. The strongest of sanctions will be imposed on anyone who submits as his/her own work a report, examination paper, computer file, lab report, or other assignment which has been prepared by someone else. If you have any questions or doubts about what plagiarism entails or how to properly acknowledge source materials be sure to consult the instructor.
Incomplete:
An incomplete grade is given only for an exceptional reason such as a death in the family, a serious illness, etc. Any such reason must be documented. Any incomplete request must be made at least two weeks before the final, and approved by the Dean of the College of Computing and Digital Media. Any consequences resulting from a poor grade for the course will not be considered as valid reasons for such a request.
Resources for Students with Disabilities
 

Students who feel they may need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact the instructor privately to discuss their specific needs. All discussions will remain confidential.
To ensure that you receive the most appropriate accommodation based on your needs, contact the instructor as early as possible in the quarter (preferably within the first week of class), and make sure that you have contacted either the PLuS Program (for LD, AD/HD) or The Office for Students with Disabilities (for all other disabilities) at:
Student Center, LPC, Suite #370
Phone number: (773)325.1677
Fax: (773)325.3720,
TTY: (773)325.7296