Second Year Core Studio for Design
Visual Communication & Advocacy
This course explores graphic design as a tool for communicating information and advocating for various purposes, in both print and digital forms. Students will gain skills in Adobe Creative Cloud programs including Illustrator, In Design, and Photoshop. The course will cover topics such as visual analysis and design research methods, informational hierarchy and typographic layout, and how to effectively apply design principles to create impactful visual communication and elicit a meaningful audience response. Coursework will be largely project-based, with lectures, demos, pin-ups and reviews, and in-class lab time included.
This course includes a required 20-hour Service Learning component. Good graphic design can act as a megaphone— taking an important message and making it louder, enabling more people to ‘hear’ it. In this project (“Non Sibi, Pro Bono”), students will engage through service with a local non-profit organization to develop practical materials for the community partner to use. Students will meet with the community partner at the start, middle, and end of the project, and will stay in touch via email in between, in order to ensure a thorough consideration of their client’s needs. Written reflections at the start, middle, and end of the project will focus on the role of design in civic engagement and the responsibility of the designer to serve their community. Meetings with the client will take place during class time; email communication and final review of design presentations may take place outside of class time.
Graphic design has the power to act as a megaphone, amplifying messages to reach and resonate with a wider audience. To make a meaningful impact, designers must carefully analyze their audience, refine their message, and skillfully apply a compelling visual tone. By leveraging this power for advocacy, we can steer it towards the greater good.
This 9-week project is an immersive journey through the design process —from thorough research and ideation to development, iteration, production, and reflection. The student's mission: select a cause close to their heart, conceive a hypothetical organization championing that cause, and craft captivating promotional materials for its campaign, along with curated branding guidelines.
Multiple deadlines and deliverables, with substantive feedback along the way, will challenge you to refine and elevate your concept and design craftsmanship. Informal desk crits, semi-formal pin-ups, and a final formal review will all play essential roles in your creative growth
STUDENT WORK
