Week 16 Day 1 (Monday, April 30) - Homework

1. Complete course evaluation for Visual Communication II (log on with your 4x4 at http://eval.ou.edu)
by May 4.

2. Continue assembling your process book that will include both Visual Communication II and Type I projects and refining all class exercises/projects. Any relevant and effective improvements made to projects may positively affect your grade.

Process book and revised projects due next week during Sophomore Reviews (May 8-9)

3. The following projects for Vis Comm II must be printed, pinned and presented for Sophomore reviews next week:

• 10x10 Energy Drink Exercise
• Farmer's Market Icons
• Produce Process Animation (4-6 screenshots from video)
• Information Design: US Food Consumption

**click thumbnails below to see full sized images

Week 15 Day 2 (Wednesday, April 25) - Homework

1. Final Critique for History of Typography Project will take place next class, Monday, April 30.

What to submit:
a) Print outs for entire timeline. Pin to wall by Monday at 9:30am/1:30pm. Projects pinned after the start of class will be marked down as late.

b) Upload PDF of design document to instructor station by 9:30am/1:30pm.


2. Complete course evaluation for Vis Comm II (log on with your 4x4 at http://eval.ou.edu)

Completing all of your Spring 2012 evaluations will automatically enter you into a drawing to win one of three Apple iPad 2.

3. Continue Visual Journal blog daily entries. **This will be the last week I am requiring M-F entries.

4. Continue refinement of Vis Comm II exercises to include in Process Book.

Week 15 Day 1 (Monday, April 23) -Homework

1. Continue visual development for History of Typography/Communication project. Final presentations for project due for critique next week, Monday, April 30.

2. Continue Visual Journal blog daily entries.

3. Continue refinement of Vis Comm II exercises to include in Process Book

Week 14 Day 2 (Wednesday, April 18) - Homework

1. Continue visual development for History of Typography/Communication project. Final presentations for project due for critique in two weeks, Monday, April 30.

2. Continue Visual Journal blog daily entries.


3. Continue refinement of Vis Comm II exercises to include in Process Book

Process Book: Vis Comm II list

Exercises/Projects to include in Vis Comm II of process book:

1. 10x10 Energy Drink
2. Farmer Market Icons
3. Produce Process Animation
4. Information Design (Food consumption comparisons)
5. History of Typography (Timeline project)

Each piece should showcase various stages of projects (research, brainstorming, rough sketches, initial designs, final design). Relevant and effective refinements and improvements are expected for all exercises and projects.

Week 13 Day 2 (Wednesday, April 11) - Homework

1. Continue visual development for History of Typography/Communication project.

2. Continue Visual Journal blog daily entries.

Week 13 Day 1 (Monday, April 9) - Homework

Midpoint crit for timeline project due at start of class, Wednesday, April 11. Print out all pages for review.

Week 12 Day 2 (Wednesday, April 4) - Homework

1. Continue visual development for History of Typography/Communication project. Midpoint informal crit scheduled for next Wednesday, April 11.

2. Continue Visual Journal blog daily entries.

Week 12 Day 1 (Monday, April 2) -Homework

1. Continue visual development for History of Typography/Communication project. Midpoint informal crit scheduled for next Wednesday, April 11.

2. Continue Visual Journal blog daily entries.

Week 11 Day 2 (Wednesday, March 28) - Homework

1. Continue visual development for History of Typography/Communication project. Midpoint informal crit scheduled for Wednesday, April 11.

2. Continue Visual Journal blog daily entries.

SEGD Conference 2012

SEGD Conference 2012
June 7-9
New York, NY

http://thebridge.segd.org/welcome

Week 11 Day 1 (Monday, March 26) - Homework

1. Be sure to sign up for advising time with Eric Anderson. Sign ups will be posted today.

3/26 Monday afternoon and 3/28 Wednesday morning and afternoon.

2. Continue visual development for History of Typography/Communication project. Bring digital timeline mockup (with major text and image content) to next class session.

Week 9 Day 2 (March 14) - Homework

1. Continue Visual Journal blog daily entries. 

2. Continue visual development for History of Typography/Communication project.

Design Inspiration: Will Burtin

Will Burtin was a leader in exhibition design, and a pioneer in visualization of scientific concepts. Created powerful layouts for magazines like Fortune, The Architectural Forum, and Scope.

Documentation of magazine layout and information design
Design Observer: Will Burtin
RIT Graphic Design Archive: Will Burtin

Week 9 Day 1 (March 12) - Homework

Complete Information Design Exercise

- Final designs must be printed + pinned by 9:30/1:30, Wednesday, March 14
- Upload mind maps, initial concept sketches, information sheets, rough designs and final designs to blog post titled "Information Design Exercise" by by 9:30/1:30, Wednesday, March 14

Week 8 Day 2 (March 7) - Homework

1. Work on Information Design Exercise (Food Consumption in the US). Be sure you are assessing the integrity and quality of your data visualizations through the integrity check list

Integrity of Content Displayed in Information Design

• Is the display revealing the truth?
• Is the representation accurate?
• Is the data carefully documented?
• Do the methods of display avoid false readings of the data?
• Are appropriate comparisons + contexts shown?

2. Continue Visual Journal blog daily entries.

3. Work on research and concept development for History of Communication project.

US Food Consumption: Information Design Exercise

Using statistics collected by the US Census Bureau regarding Food Consumption in the United States (PDFs provided below), you are to create an information design document that improves the usability of detailed and complex information. The specific type of visual device used in your final design (table, chart, diagram, map) is up to you, as long as you are focusing on ways to make the visualization of information efficient and effective. Consider the Edward Tufte examples and theories presented last week, as well as typography and graphic reduction guidelines covered throughout the semester.

Choose one set of US Census statistics from the following list:
Per Capita Consumption of Major Food Commodities

Per Capita Utilization of Selected Commercially-Produced Fruits and Vegetables

Required document size: 11"x17", color

Deadlines: 
Process Sketches and Mind Mapping due for review by end of class Monday, March 5
Information Design Document (Printed + Pinned) due for review Wednesday, March 14

Objectives for exercise
1. Improve the usability for comparisons, contrast, or visualized relationships between complex data
2. Application of characteristics and theories regarding successful information design
3. Consideration of design principles and how visual choices improve communication of message

Integrity of Content Displayed in Information Design
1. Is the display revealing the truth?
2. Is the representation accurate?
3. Are the data carefully documented?
4. Do the methods of display avoid false readings of the data?
5. Are appropriate comparisons + contexts shown?

Week 7 Day 1 (Feb 27) - Homework

1. Find at least 3 examples of effective information design (must not be identical to examples shown in class; preferably examples not found online; must not be considered infographics).

Photocopy and/or scan each of your three chosen designs, then write up 1-2 paragraphs, for each design, that clearly explain and analyze the following topics .

1)What is the purpose of the information design. What did you learn from the information?


2) What specific characteristics made the information design successful?


3) Where there any failing characteristics of the information design [chart junk? aesthetic issues? lack of information]? If so why did they hinder the clarification of understanding the facts?

Post reflection question responses and scans of three information designs to blog post titled "Effective Information Design Examples"

Be sure to consult previous lecture notes and use appropriate terminology. Be prepared to discuss your finding in groups next class session, Wednesday, Feb 29.

2. Burn CD will all exercise work (process and designs) completed so far in the semester; Exercises should include of the following:

• 10x10 (Energy Drink Product Design)
• Cropping Exercise (L shapped crop marks)
• Ken Burns Slideshow
• Letter Action Verb
• Farmers Market Icon (final and revised)
• Produce Process Animation
• Designer Case Study Research Presentation

3. Part of wednesday class will be devoted to continued research for Timeline of Visual Communication/Writing/Typography project. Bring materials to work on project progress.

Information Design

Recommended Resources:

Envisioning Information (Edward Tufte)

Visual Explanations (Edward Tufte)

The Visual Display of Quantitative Information (Edward Tufte)

Beautiful Evidence (Edward Tufte)

Else/Where: Mapping — New Cartographies of Networks and Territories (Janet Abrams, Peter Hall)

Data Flow: Visualising Information in Graphic Design (Robert Klanten)

Visual complexity : mapping patterns of information (Manuel Lima)

Visualize This: The FlowingData Guide to Design, Visualization, and Statistics (Nathan Yau)

The Information Design Handbook (Jenn Visocky O'Grady)

You Are Here: Personal Geographies and Other Maps of the Imagination (Katharine Harmon)

Information Design Workbook: Graphic approaches, solutions, and inspiration plus 30 case studies (Kim Baer)

Maps of the Imagination: The Writer as Cartographer (Peter Turchi)

Cartographies of Time: A History of the Timeline (Anthony Grafton + Daniel Rosenberg)

Week 6 Day 2 (Feb 22) - Homework

1. Continue Visual Journal blog daily entries. 


2. Continue research for History of Communication project. Creation process will begin after Spring Break.

Week 6 Day 1 (Feb 20) - Homework

1. Continue animation for Produce Process Exercise. Final renders due at the end of the next class session (12:30/4:30) Wednesday, Feb 22. Upload mind map, storyboards and final h.264 quicktime to blog post titled Produce Process Exercise by 12:30/4:30pm.


Will be graded based on: design + composition aesthetic, consistency in graphically reduced icon visual style, rhythm and pacing, technique with transformation animations.

Week 5 Day 2 (Feb 15) - Homework

1. Digital presentation for the Research Project: Designer Case Studies due next class. Final PDF must be transferred to instructor's station in the "Case Study Presentations" folder at least 10 minutes prior to the start of class (9:20am/1:20pm). Presentations should run between 10-12 minutes in duration.


View presentation schedule for morning class
View presentation schedule for afternoon class



2. Continue animation for Produce Process Exercise. Final renders due at the start of class   end of class (12:30/4:30) next week Wednesday, Feb 22. 

Week 5 Day 1 (Feb 13) - Homework

1. Continue producing your digital presentation in InDesign for the Research Project: Designer Case Studies. Final presentations due in 1 week, Monday, Feb 20.


2. Work on Produce Process animation. Storyboards must be reviewed before moving forward with animation. Vector graphics should be created, prepared and imported into AE by next class session.

Produce Process Animation Exercise

Using at least one of your graphically reduced icons from the Farmer's Market exercise, you must create an animation that visualizes the process of growth, harvest/sale or culinary preparation of a particular farm raised piece of produce.

1. Begin with Mind Mapping (10 minutes). Explore related objects, environment of process, colors relevant to produce process.

2. Next storyboard compositional views of your animation (at least 8 different frames). Consider transformation properties to be animated, as well as design elements + principles used to structure visual narrative.

3. Use After Effects to create your visual narrative. (Comp settings NTSC DV, 30-60 seconds in duration)

Only simplified vector form and shapes (icons, indexes, symbols) should be used.

NO use of type is allowed.

May animate basics transformation properties and masks. NO use of effects and/or cameras allowed.

4. Render animation as H.264 format and post to blog by start of class, next Wednesday, Feb 22.

Week 4 Day 2 (Feb 8) - Homework

1. Make refinements and changes to Farmer's Market Icons, post version 2.0 large and small format jogs on blog post titled "Farmer's Market Icons V2".


2. Continue Visual Journal blog daily entries. 

3. Begin creating your digital presentation in InDesign for the Research Project: Designer Case Studies. Review of rough template to be checked next class session, Feb 13.

Week 4 Day 1 (Feb 6) - Homework

Continue Part III for the Graphic Reduction: Farmers Market Icons exercise

Begin the digital translation process of your 3 chosen pieces of produce.  Get started by digitizing at least 3 of the best rough sketches created for each chosen piece of produce. Then pick the best drawing from each three pieces of produce to further refine into a final "drawing" (roughly 8x8" in size). Print each large format piece of produce separately onto a letter size sheet of paper (8.5" x 11'"), as well as print a small format version (all three 1.5" x 1.5" pieces of produce on a single sheet of paper). 


Keep in mind the style and visual language applied to your graphically reduced imagery should be consistent and cohesive throughout. Consider the purpose and characteristics of graphic signs as discussed in the lecture last week.

All exercise work must be pinned up on wall and added to blog by the start of class Web, Feb 8.


Be prepared to discuss the following reflection questions during your critique:


Does the final simplified image maintain the essence of the original object? Why or why not?
What did you learn about the object from the physical analysis?
What did you find most challenging about this exercise?
What pleases you most about the final image?

Week 3 Day 2 (Feb 1) - Homework

1. Complete part II of the Graphic Reduction exercise. Upload work completed for part I and II by the start of Monday's class.

2. Continue Visual Journal blog daily entries.

3. Be prepared to show me your research progress made for the Designer Case Study presentations, as well as what project you intend to cover as a detailed case study for your research project by the start of Monday's class.

Graphic Reduction: Farmers Market Icons

Part I


1. Choose 3 different types of produce (vegetable or fruit) you would find at a Farmer's Market. Consider seasonal and/or regional availability, as well as the type/category of fruit (dry vs fleshy) or vegetable (root, leafstalk, flower, bulb). Research its physical characteristics, anatomy and culinary usage.

2. Create a diagrammatic drawing highlighting and describing the various features and anatomical parts for your three chosen piece of produce.

Due by the end of class today, Feb 1.

Part II 


3. Acquire/purchase and photograph each your three chosen vegetables/fruits. Do a physical analysis and study of each chosen fruit/vegetable. Study each piece of produce from a variety of angles and viewpoints. Then photograph your produce individually from different angles, lighting conditions, and viewpoints. Take at least 8 different photographs of each fruit/vegetable.

Next do a series of ten to fifteen rough sketches (4" in size) for your graphic reduction study of each original piece of produce. Keep only the essential attributes that best describe the object. Upload all content from Part I and Part II to your blog.

Due by the start of class Monday, Feb 6.

Part III


4. Refine and translate your final drawings (8x8" in size) of all three pieces of produce into a final black-and-white study. Your final drawings must be created digitally.

Due by the start of class Web, Feb 8.


Recommended Research Resources
http://www.britannica.com.ezproxy.lib.ou.edu/
http://www.accessscience.com.ezproxy.lib.ou.edu/
OU Library Resources

Class Exercise (1/30): Ken Burns Slideshow + Letterform Visual Translations

Based on the techniques and tools shown in today's After Effects demo, complete the following visual exercises and post as H.264 quicktime movies on your own blog by the start of next class.

1. Ken Burns Effect Exercise
Using the panning and zooming technique coined by documentary filmmaker, Ken Burns, create a visual slideshow of 10 photographs. Consider your choice in initial and final photographic croppings of each image. You may ONLY use Scale, Anchor Point and Opacity keyframes (no position keyframes are allowed in this exercise). Each photograph should be visible in your composition for at least 5 seconds each.

Example:

2. Letter Visual Translations 
Using the letters from your first and last name initials, create two brief 10 second animations that explore letterform as action verbs. Take consideration in the form and structure of your chosen character and how your action verb naturally and logically bridges the relationship between your letterform and action verb animation.

Example:

Week 2 Day 2 (Jan 24) -Homework

1. Select designer/design agency for Research Project: Design Case Studies by the end of the day. Begin gathering information for project. Final presentations are scheduled for Feb 20.

2. Continue Visual Journal blog daily entries. 


3. Acquire Adobe After Effects by start of next class session. Bring in 10 different jpgs (72 resolution, at least 1024x768 pixels in size) to class.


Download trial version of After Effects CS5.5 here

Research Project: Design Case Studies

Download PDF

*Library Resource (on reserve)
Design Diaries: Creative Process in Graphic Design by Lucienne Roberts and Rebecca Wright

Research Project:

Design Case Studies

Description:

Select a designer/design agency and conduct thorough research regarding the designer, including company and background information, the type of work, and documented design accomplishments and achievements. You must also choose one significant project completed by the designer to further examine in a detailed case study. The case study should analyze the chosen project from beginning to end (research, process, development, completion). Research should be assembled into a final presentation created in InDesign. 

Final presentations are scheduled for Monday, February 20th. Oral presentations should be around 10 min in duration.


Wikipedia is not a reliable source of research and should not be used. You will be asked to cite all sources, so be sure to keep track of all publishing details related to books, articles, journals used in your research.

Objectives:

Discuss the creative process of a professional designer

Conduct in-depth research on a graphic design project

Display oral and written communication skills

Prepare a formal, oral, visual and written presentation

Selected Designers/Agencies:

2x4 (Michael Rock)

Sussman/Prejza (Deborah Sussman)

Pentagram (Paula Scher*/Michael Bierut)

Kolar Design (Kelly Kolar)

Two Twelve (David Gibson)

Vignelli Associates (Massimo Vignelli)

Lance Wyman

Saul Bass

Frost Design (Vince Frost)

EdenSpiekermann

Bruce Mau Design (Bruce Mau)

Stefan Sagmeister*

Borries Schwesinger*

Bond + Coyne*

Wolff Olins

Landor

Interbrand

Chermayeff + Geismar

Grading Criteria:

+ Completion of all points in the study

+ Organization of Materials Presented

+ Depth of Research

Quality and Design of Oral/Visual Presentation

Case Study Points of Reference

Name of Designer/Agency:

Business Profile:

Project Title:

Project Dates:

Client:

Project Team:

(Art Director, Designer, Production, Copywriter, Artist)

Project Objective:

Target Audience Profile:

Project Strategy:

Describe the venue(electronic, print, environmental design, etc):

Other insights:

Week 2 Day 1 (Jan 23) - Homework

1. Complete and post Photo Crop Exercise to your class blog by start of next class session.

2. Visual Journal blogs will be assessed and reviewed starting this week, be sure to keep up with daily journaling M-F.

Photo Crop Exercise

Locate a poorly composed photograph, or one that could be cropped so that attention is drawn to a different portion of the original image. Locate a second photograph of a human or animal subject that contains the head and all or part of the body.

Make cropping blocks from two L-shaped pieces cut from bristol paper or card stock. Use a T square or straight edge to ensure that the edges are square and cut at right angles.

Crop each photo by positioning the cropping blocks so that the areas of the photo that do not improve the composition are eliminated and the best portion of the photograph is preserved. With the human or animal subject, concentrate on cropping it so that the focus is on the head or face. When you have found a crop that works, take the L-shaped pieces together and scan you final selection.

Repeat process for 6 images in total, and answer the following questions for each cropped image. Post your 1)original and 2)cropped selections and 3)written reflections for all 6 photographs to your blog, titled "Photo Crop Exercise". Due by the start of next class.

Reflection Questions
How successfully does each crop work?
How is cropping an improvement to the original?
What unnecessary components in the original have been eliminated through cropping?
How has the focal point in each photo changes or been improved?
Are the cropped images compositionally well balanced?

Week 1 (Jan 18) - Homework

1. Scan all work created for 10x10 exercise (mind mapping, 100 sketches in 10x10 grid, 3 final sketches), color correct and web prep scans, upload to visual journal (blog), and write up a brief summary (2-3 sentences) per image to explain your creative process for this exercise.

2. Bring in 10-15 photographs (printed), tape, thick paper (bristol, card stock), ruler, x-acto knife, tracing paper to next class session.

In class Exercise: 10x10

"Nothing is more dangerous than an idea when it's the only one you have" --Émile Chartier, French philosopher

(90 min. in class exercise)

1. You've been hired by a soda company to create the packaging for an affordable organic energy drink. Your audience is well-off twenty-year-olds.

2. Brainstorm a name and description of the drink through mind mapping for 10 minutes

3. Next spend 50 minutes on a hundred sketches of the possible energy drink design, including form factor and typography. (Using a 11x17 sheet of paper, sketch in a 10 row by 10 column grid of 100 sketches)

4. Spend the last 30 minutes refining the hundred sketches down to three final design sketches that incorporate all of your best thinking.

Feel free to photocopy, cut out*, scan/reprint you final ideas to make improvements and revisions (*Be sure to scan/photocopy original 10x10 grid for blog documentation before cutting up sketches). Each design concept for final three must fit nicely on 8.5x11 sheet of paper.

{from Creative Workshop by David Sherwin}

4. Scan all work created for 10x10 exercise (mind mapping, 100 sketches in 10x10 grid, 3 final sketches), color correct and web prep scans, upload to visual journal (blog), and write up a brief summary (2-3 sentences) per image to explain your creative process for this exercise.

The Design Process

A successful design process involves a combination of intuitive and deliberate choices.

We will be utilizing a broad range of techniques within the scope of the graphic design process this semester in order to push all conceptual ideas and opportunities that will result in effective visual communication solution, pleasing to the client, user and yourself.

3 Phases of the Design Process:

1. Define the problem
2. Getting Ideas
3. Creating Form

Read Brainstorming/Mind Mapping handout (from Graphic Design Thinking: Beyond Brainstorming edited by Ellen Lupton)

Visual Diary/Journal

Set aside 10-15 minutes each day to create something new. Sketch, doodle, paint, photograph, write, design, type, collage. Whether you do it by hand, on paper or on the computer, document these creative exercises each day into your visual journal blog, as to develop a means to explore potential creative ideas and have digital documentation of all your thoughts, in order to revisit them when falling into a design rut.

1. Read Visual Diary handout
2. Create your own visual journal blog. Sign up for a free blog account at blogger.com, tumblr.com, wordpress.com specifically for your visual journal this semester. Completion of daily entries will be factored into Studio Practices portion of course grade.
3. Email me your visual journal blog URL by the end of today's class session.





Sketchbook Resources
Claire Sambrook

The Sketchbook Project

Moleskin Sketchbooks

Syllabus + Weekly Schedule

Download Syllabus + Weekly Schedule

Timeline*
*last revised 02.06.12

Week Date Agenda

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01 W 18 Jan Course Introduction/ Brainstorming Techniques/Visual Journals

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02 M 23 Jan Imagery in Design: Photo crops/Graphic Reduction

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      W 25 Jan Research + Visual Communication Case Studies Project  Library Session

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03 M 30 Jan Demo: AE Basics

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       W 01 Feb Icons, Indexes, Symbols/ Farmers Market Icons

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04 M 06 Feb Farmers Market Icons

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       W 08 Feb DUE Farmers Market Icons / AE Demo (Motion Path + Masks)

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05 M 13 Feb Color

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       W 15 Feb Demo: AE Basics

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06 M 20 Feb DUE  Research Case Studies Presentations

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       W 22 Feb Tastebud Mapping

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07 M 27 Feb Tastebud Mapping

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       W 29 Feb DUE Tastebud Mapping

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08 M 05 Mar Demo: Dreamweaver Basics

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       W 07 Mar Collaborative Design: Visual Sequencing+ Associations

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09 M 12 Mar Collaborative Design: Visual Sequencing+ Associations

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       W 14 Mar DUE Collaborative Design: Visual Associations

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10 M 19 Mar Spring Break - No Class

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       W 21 Mar Spring Break - No Class

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11 M 26 Mar Work Day: (History of Vis Communication Visual Timeline)

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       W 28 Mar Demo: Flash Catalyst Basics

       Work Day: Desk Critiques

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12 M 02 Apr Work Day

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       W 04 Apr Demo: Flash Catalyst Basics

       Work Day: Desk Critiques

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13 M 09 Apr Work Day: Desk Critiques

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       W 11 Apr Demo: Web/Motion

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14 M 16 Apr Work Day

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       W 18 Apr Demo: Web/Motion

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15 M 23 Apr Work Day

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       W 25 Apr Final Project Review (History of Vis Communication Timeline)

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16 M 30 Apr Work Day: Digital Process Book

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       W 02 May Work Day: Digital Process Book

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Final Review Week 17 TBA Final Reviews with Faculty