This 3-credit hour studio course is a requirement for Graphic Design BFA Majors and satisfies graphic design elective credit for BA majors. Research and Application focuses on achieving a thorough understanding of the skills needed to research complex visual communication problems. There will be an emphasis on design processes that involve problem identification, research, analysis, ideation, prototypes, user testing and evaluation. In short, you are expected to become a self-sufficient designer who can perform without dependency on academic, professional or other external structures.
OBJECTIVES
This course aims to provide you with insight and practical skills in regard to the planning, organization and development of solutions to complex communication problems. Your objective is to utilize problem-solving strategies guided by a research-driven methodology to create culturally appropriate design. In addition, you will seek to describe and respond to the audiences and contexts which communication solutions must address, including the physical, cognitive, cultural, and social factors that shape design decisions. You will have the opportunity to integrate design theory into your work and employ idio- syncratic and narrative approaches, as well as, ethnographic and social methods. You are encouraged to incorporate your studio practice and philosophy into your design work and will be expected to demonstrate a range of communicative skills (written, oral and visual) for the resolution and presentation of design concepts and your work.
CONCEPTUALLY, THIS COURSE WILL ENABLE YOU TO:
- Focus on the discipline’s theories of organization
- Develop an awareness of how content is shaped through the methodology
- Develop problem identification and research strategies
- Integrate observation, curiosity, and analysis contextually into the design process
FORMALLY, THIS COURSE WILL ENABLE YOU TO:
- Conceptualize complex visual problems across media
- Utilize the principles of composition to transmit meaning, values and order
- Make informed editing and design decisions, working within parameters of specific formats Analyze a designed object's context and develop appropriate and effective form
- Refine compositional skills through cycles of iteration, critique, and editing
TECHNICALLY, THIS COURSE WILL ENABLE YOU TO:
- Develop effective large-project management skills
- Establish systems for the organization and analysis of research
- Broaden your appreciation of the role of materials and tools in design and production Explore techniques for the presentation and explanation of design solutions
