Week 10 — Communication models

On Friday, everyone will meet in Irving Auditorium at 8-8:30am for a mandatory graphic design department meeting

From the Meredith Davis reading, we find a case for thinking beyond the thing you are making.

"Individual designers, however, are obliged not only to inform their professional activity through observation, research, and various types of discourse that address a wider cultural context (beyond the domain of the individual project), but also to make sense of their work within systems of social and cultural production."

Due:

• Your reading responses

Studio:

• Review reading / lecture
• Determine pairs
• Brainstorm communications components*

Now that you have a good background in various modes of thinking about the communication process, take the rest of class to consider if and how any of these models differ from contemporary communication processes. 

• Did Shannon/Weaver, Emmert/Donaghy, and Berlo account for the interwebs, cell phones, texting, and ipads? 
• How might you design a communication model for today? 
• Would your model look any different from theirs or include different factors?
• Begin constructing your own physical communication model. Keep in mind how Meredith Davis said that models influence the way we think and act.

1. Updating Models

The latest communication model you are studying is from 3 decades ago. Generate a list of specific examples that brings the communication components* up to date. List items that are current, relevant, and unique to both graphic design and society today.

• Collaborative effort
• Tools: craftpaper, markers
• Afterwards, individually transcribe for personal notes. 

*components:

• communicators
• channels
• messages
• noise
• feedback
• contextual factors

Homework:

Make your own model

Create your own informative, comprehensive and compelling model (aka schematic). A schematic is a model that represents elements of a system using abstract, graphic symbols rather than realistic pictures. In the schematic diagram, the elements are coded and arranged to be easily interpreted by the viewer

• Produce 1 analog and 1 digital model = 2 total.
• For analog models, start in class. Generate several quick/small studies by end of class. Document day’s progress to blogs.
• For digital models, start with thumbnails. Post thumbs to blogs.

Each model must:

• demonstrate your understanding of the communications process (as apropos to the present/future of visual communication discipline)
• present a uniquely different approach to overall form and concept.
• incorporate what you learned from both the class brainstorm and take-home lecture/readings.
• utilize and exploit the tools/materials appropriately (e.g. analog may be more metaphorical, while digital may be more logical).

• Bring both to next class.
• Print digital model 11 x 17 color for quick group crit on Monday.

Act 03communicationmodels

Week 10 — AIGA poster final

I will be late, due to a search committee meeting until 12-12:15. Please have your posters up on the wall, so we can start as soon as I get here. You can get started on your readings, while waiting.

Due:

Have final printed at FULL SIZE (don’t forget to factor in your bleeds)

Studio:

Final critique

Homework

for next class, read & respond to

• “Visual communication” by Baldwin, pages 20–27, 32–33
• Davis “Communication models” from the start to page 25, stopping at "treatment (style, aesthetics)". We will read the remainder later.
• "Visual thinking" by Roam.

Based on the initial Davis commentary on models, bring to class a wide range of materials to use and share in a model-making session. Bring what you want and share what you want, but here are a few suggestions:

• paper: trace, white, colored, construction, magazines, etc
• board: chipboard, foamcore, cardboard (scraps are fine)
• connectors: string, yarn, wire, toothpicks, etc
• adhesive: glue stick, elmer's glue, rubber cement, etc
• cutting: xacto, scissors, ruler
• anything else that occurs to you

Week 9 — Design Chair Candidate Interview with Erik Brandt

On Friday, everyone will meet in Irving Auditorium at 8-10:50am for a mandatory graphic design department presentation with John Foster and Martin Venezky  More about John Foster: http://designobserver.com/profile/johnfoster/275 http://www.accidentalmysteries.com

Studio

• 11:40-11:55: Design chair candidate, Erik Brandt, (http://typografika.com, http://www.designboom.com/design/erik-brandt-interview/ ) will be giving his presentation in Irving Auditorium. Be prepared with questions
• 1:20-2:20pm Erik Brandt– critique with design students (Soph studio)

Homework:

• Work those posters! Due on Monday
• Have final printed at FULL SIZE (don’t forget to factor in your bleeds - It will be printed on a sheet that is bigger than 11 x 17.) Yes, that means printing at the print center. Manage your time.
• Don’t forget to change the information in the template, so that your name is on there.

Week 9 — AIGA Poster

Due:

• 3 poster comps printed in color on 8.5 x 11 (they will be slightly smaller than the final). 
• Use the template I sent last week. 
• Be sure that you are addressing at least one of the modes (ethos, pathos and/or logos) and identify what trope you are using. 
• Post all 3 to your blog.

Studio/homework:

• Finalize your poster
• Print full size (including bleeds)
• Don’t forget to change the copy in the black bar to your name

Homework:

• Revisions to your poster

Week 7 — Midterm reviews & poster

Due:

Self evaluation

Studio:

• Midterm reviews 
• Based on your previous studies, and everything that you have learned this semester, finalize your poster concepts
• Take a look at previous entries to AIGA for gun control http://www.aiga.org/end-gun-violence/ and Get out the vote http://www.aiga.org/get-out-the-vote/ 

Homework:

• 3 tight concepts for your social good poster. (ethos, pathos and logos)
• full color
• 11 x 17, but you can print them on 8.5 x 11 (don’t forget the bleed.)
• Be prepared to talk about the tropes you used, the signs, signifiers, icons, index and symbols as appropriate.
• There might be a pop quiz on terminology.

Week 7 — Project 2 — final deliverables & AIGA poster

Due:

• Thoughtful verbal/visual presentation of Parts A, B, C. 7 minutes max.
• Print work, consistently, in color, on 8.5x11 or 11x17 pages. Pin-up for critique, before start of class.
• Post to blogs for evaluation.

Studio:

AIGA Social Advocacy poster

• The AIGA invites designers to create social advocacy posters
• To get started, download the design brief and poster template and video credit screen.
• Evolve your initial design concepts – that utilizes rhetoric and modes of appeal — from phase B.
• Due for class crit: 3/10. Print 1 or more poster design(s), full scale, full color, in template.
• • Posters should be 11 x 17 inches (portrait).
    
  • 0.125 inch bleed
    
  • All images and art are RGB.
    
  • All images are 300 dpi at full-size.
    
  • The credit band has been updated with your personal information.
    
  • If applicable, Interstate bold was replaced with either Univers 65 or Helvetica bold.
    
  • All type has been converted to outline.
    
  • Save as a press quality PDF. Please do not add security restrictions to your PDF. 
    
• Deadline for submissions will be May 16th. Submit online.
• Any poster that incorporates positive social impact with global, national, or local content can be submitted (Feel free to narrow this down for your class if necessary).
• Entries that use a specific organization's logo will be disqualified. 
• Submissions will be displayed based on creativity and effectiveness in considering environmental, economic, social and cultural issues. 
• All students can enter regardless of AIGA membership. 
• AIGA is responsible for all final printing.

Homework:

Please post your self reflection:

• how do you think you are doing over all?
• where do you think you are struggling? succeeding?
• how do you think you will address the areas that you are struggling with? 
• what are your goals for the rest of the semester? 

Week 6 — Project 2: Rhetoric

On Friday, everyone will meet in Irving Auditorium at 8-8:30am for a mandatory graphic design department meeting 

Due:

• Review your printed pieces. Take careful notes for later revisions.

Studio/homework:

Part A: Identifying Rhetoric (modes & tropes)

• 3 modes x 3 found examples per mode = 9 total
• 1 found example per trope = 9 total

Each example will be:

• considered and well-crafted documentation of found artifacts
• clear and consistent labeling, descriptions and citations
• thoughtful and consistent composition of elements (type and image)

Part B: Rhetorical Combos (persuasive matrix & sketches)

methods:

• produce studies of your chosen topic that successfully employ the theory
• execute 3 out of 9 tropes, one from each mode = 3 total (one example each of ethos, pathos & logos, different trope for each)
• studies are well-crafted and formally engaging
• studies are communicative and insightful
• clear/correct labeling

Plus, include clear and selective documentation of analog sign-mapping and matrix.

Part C: Defining Rhetoric

methods:

• clear/correct and concise definitions for each term, in your own words (14 total)
• rhetoric, metonymy, synecdoche, antithesis, pun, hyperbole, metaphor, personification, irony, parody
• modes of appeal, pathos, logos, ethos
• well written, concise and insightful reflection on what you learned about rhetoric and its application to graphic design practice (1-2 paragraphs)
• thoughtfully typeset the above definitions and statement. Must be a new/different approach from project 1.

Homework:

• Prepare a thoughtful verbal/visual presentation of Parts A, B, C (see above). 7 minutes max.
• Have your keynote ready, before start of class.
• Post to blogs for evaluation.

Kim Huynh:

Week 6 — Project 2b: Rhetorical combos

Due:

• Review matrix

Studio:

• Shift concepts into the three appeals (i.e. either they already are or have the potential to be that appeal).

Homework:

• Based on critique/feedback, select 3 sketches to refine. 
• Tool: Digital. 
• Total 3.
• Each direction should appeal to a different mode. (ethos, pathos or logos)
• Center consistently on 8.5 x 11. Print for review.