J303F Graphic Design for Online & Print

Fall 2012

Instructor: Chase Quarterman

Lectures: T-Th 2:00-3:30pm
Office Hours: By appointment
E-mail: [email protected]

TA: Josh Rasmussen TA: Aaron Cunningham

E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected]

COURSE DESCRIPTION
This class is intended to stimulate both an understanding of and critical thinking
about basic visual design theory and practice. Given the rules of the project and the fundamental
principles of design, students will be able to produce a range of work that exhibits both their
individual creativity and their knowledge of design fundamentals. This class stresses originality
and experimentation with design and provides students with experience in project ideation,
execution, and presentation. Throw yourself into your design and try to be different; that
individuality is what makes design so much fun.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Develop a firm grasp on concept development and concept evaluation;
understand the components of design and how to apply these principles;
create a variety of pages suited for publication using design software;
and produce a polished portfolio for presentation

LAB
Each student will attend a weekly lab (2 hours/week) taught by one of the
teaching assistants. You may only attend the lab for which you are registered.
These labs complement materials covered in class and will provide you the opportunity to
complete exercises and apply skills learned in lectures under the guidance of the TA’s.

RESOURCES
We will be using Blackboard for this course. The site will include instructions for
in-class and lab exercises and class projects and other relevant information as it arises. More
information on the site will be given out in class.

REQUIRED TEXT
There is no required text for this course, though I suggest you purchase the following books, as
they will further explain a number of topics discussed in class: InDesign books by PeachPit Press
and Thinking with Type by Ellen Lupton. At least once per week, I suggest you supplement your
learning with ideas and tips from other design publications, Web sites, and blogs. Your projects
will depend on it. As American chemist and two-time Nobel Laureate Linus Pauling said, “The
best way to get a good idea is to get a lot of ideas.” You can’t create effectively in a bubble.
Suggested readings include but are by no means limited to:
 BOOKS

Illustrator books by Caffeine for the Creative Mind The A-Z of Art by N.
PeachPit Press by S. Mumaw & W. L. Oldfield Hodge & L. Anson

Pure Design by The Essential Principles of Thinking with Type by

Mario Garcia Graphic Design by D. Millma E. Lupton

Index Series books Orbiting the Giant Hairball by Typography by

by Jim Krause G. MacKenzie Ambrose and Harris

MAGAZINE PUBLICATIONS

HOW Design Giant Robot Comm. Arts
Print Wallpaper Hi-Fructose
Adbusters Computer Arts I.D.

SITES

designboom.com designersgotoheaven.com thedieline.com
aiga.org vector.tutsplus.com thedonutproject.com
drawn.ca illustrationmundo.com psd.tutsplus.com

GRADING
You will be graded on the completion of a series of out-of-class projects and in-lab assignments.
Projects will increase in difficulty throughout the semester, culminating in the final portfolio which will
require the greatest time commitment and will accordingly be given greater value toward your final grade.

Out-Of-Class Projects 1–6: Approx. 60%

Final Portfolio: Approx. 20%
Lab Projects: Approx. 10%
Quizzes: Approx. 10%

GRADE BREAK DOWN

90–100 = A; 80–89 = B; 70–79 = C; 60–69 = D; 0–59 = F

DEADLINES
Deadlines are deadlines. Design is a project-oriented field and deadlines are what
it’s all about. Projects and outside-class assignments are due at the time and date stated by the
instructor. Projects and out-of-class assignments submitted after that time will receive a zero. E-mail
submissions will not be accepted. No extensions will be given, with the exception of extenuating
circumstances discussed privately with me before the deadline. Advice: If you know you’ll be missing a
class or won’t be able to make deadline, submit the project or assignment early. Also, if you are unsure
whether a personal circumstance is extenuating or not, it isn’t.
Tip: You will be expected to produce professional quality work, which will take time and dedication. For
every hour you work on a project in class, you can expect to spend two hours or more outside of class
on that same project. Making time for projects and outside-class assignments is key to doing well in this
course. This is not a course for which you can pull an all-nighter; messy, hurried design work is painfully
obvious, so manage your time wisely and commit the necessary hours and energy to your work.

ATTENDANCE/PARTICIPATION/MAKE-UPS
I understand there will be times that you will have to miss class for important reasons. For these reasons,
you are allowed FIVE absences in lecture and lab (that’s FIVE total, and yes, this includes illnesses).
Please use these freebie absences wisely. Also, please let your TA know in person PRIOR TO CLASS if
you will be absent. For each absence after your five freebies, 1 percent will be taken from your FINAL
average. Example: You have a 95% average in J303F at the end of the semester, but you have
also skipped a total of 10 labs and/or lectures. This means that you will end-up with a
90% average at the end of the semester.

It is your responsibility to check the course’s site to see what handouts, out-of-class assignments and
in-class exercises you’ve missed and to come see me to answer any questions. E-mail me to set up an
appointment if you have any questions after checking the site to determine missed work.

In-class exercises cannot be made up, even for your freebie absences. It is YOUR responsibility to work
through—on your own or with a classmate(s)—any exercises and demonstrations PRIOR to the next
class to get caught up. Any in-class exercise instructions will be posted on the course’s site. Advice: I
highly recommend working through these exercises so that you are not behind as the class moves forward
to the next set of skills and projects.

TARDINESS
Lateness to this class is not acceptable. “On time” = when the Instructor begins talking. Roll will be
taken at the start of lecture/lab, and if you are not in class by the time roll has been taken, you will
be counted as absent. I understand there are special exceptions. If you have one of these exceptions,
it is your responsibility to talk to your TA privately that day after class so that I can determine if you
will receive full attendance credit. Excuses like, “I woke up late,” “traffic was bad” or “I couldn’t find
parking” are not acceptable reasons to be late to class. Wake up early, leave in plenty of time, and we all
know parking is tough. These are things for which you can plan ahead. If you are late to lab, you will not
be permitted to enter the lab and will miss any exercise or critique. So again, please be here on time. We
have a mere four months to vastly broaden your design horizons through both lab and lecture—we move
fast, and one person’s tardiness is disruptive to the entire class.

POLICY ON SCHOLASTIC DISHONESTY

Plagiarism, using someone else’s work to pass off as your own, or other dishonesty will not be tolerated
in this course and will result in a zero for the project and the possibility of failure in the course and
suspension from the University. The University of Texas at Austin defines dishonesty as cheating,
plagiarism, unauthorized collaboration, falsifying academic records, and any act designed to avoid
participating honestly in the learning process. For this course, if you use someone else’s work for
educational purposes—such as photographs or illustrations—this person’s name must appear somewhere
on the project as a credit. Visual plagiarism—using someone else’s design elements (including the Daily
Texan’s)—is no different from using someone else’s copy. It is one thing to learn from another person’s
design, but your final product must be your own. By accepting this syllabus you have agreed to these
guidelines and must adhere to them.

DISABILITIES
If you have any special needs please schedule a time at the start of the semester to meet privately with
me so that I can work to accommodate you.
For more info, go to: http://www.utexas.edu/diversity/ddce/ssd/
CAMPUS SAFETY
The following recommendations regarding emergency evacuation from the Office of Campus
Safety and Security, 512-471-5767, http://www.utexas.edu/safety/ :

Occupants of buildings on The University of Texas at Austin campus are required to evacuate
buildings when a fire alarm is activated. Alarm activation or announcement requires exiting and
assembling outside.

Familiarize yourself with all exit doors of each classroom and building you may occupy.
Remember that the nearest exit door may not be the one you used when entering the building.

Students requiring assistance in evacuation shall inform their instructor in writing during the
first week of class.

In the event of an evacuation, follow the instruction of faculty or class instructors.

Do not re-enter a building unless given instructions by the following: Austin Fire Department,
The University of Texas at Austin Police Department, or Fire Prevention Services office.

Behavior Concerns Advice Line (BCAL): 512-232-5050

Link to information regarding emergency evacuation routes and emergency procedures can be
found at: www.utexas.edu/emergency
 J303F Graphic Design for Online & Print
Fall 2012 Tuesday & Thursday 2-3:30pm

Instructor: Chase Quarterman

E-Mail: [email protected]
Office Hours: By appointment

8/30 Thur. Class 1 Lecture: Introduction to course, class policies, supplies, lab, grading and attendance
Designer Highlight: Paul Rand

9/4 Tues. Class 2 Lecture: A Brief History of Typography & Anatomy of a Typeface I
Adobe Illustrator Demo - *Illustrator Packet
Lab Assignment 1: Typography Self-Portrait

9/6 Thur. Class 3 Lecture: Elements of Effective Identity System & Self-Branding with Type
Project 1: Identity System
Designer Highlight: David Carson

9/11 Tues. Class 4 Lecture: Anatomy of a Typeface II, Type Terminology & modern Typography

9/13 Thur. Class 5 Lecture: Examples of Great Type Solutions, Review of Type Terminology, & Serifs.

9/18 Tues. Class 6 Lecture: Open-Note Typography Quiz & Illustrator Demo/Review
Assignment: Send me your “inspiration” by 2/8
Project 2: CD/Book Re-Design
Lab Assignment 2: Typography Timeline (due during lab next week)

9/20 Thur. Class 7 Demo Day: Bleeds, Crop Marks, Making your PDFs, & InDesign Review
Designer Highlight: Piet Zwart
*Inspiration due

9/25 Tues. Class 8 Lecture: Photoshop Introduction/Packet

*Project 1 Due*

9/27 Thur. Class 9 Lecture: Working with Images + Saving files/file types
Designer Highlight: TBA
Best of: Project 1

10/2 Tues. Class 10 The Elements of Design 101

Designer Highlight: M.C. Escher
Project 3: Newspaper
*Project #2 Due*

10/4 Thur. Class 11 Lecture: Telling a story with images, Design & Construction of pages

10/9 Tues. Class 12 Lecture: All about Grids

10/11 Thur. Class 13 Lecture: Intro to Newspaper Design: Words, Type, Front Sections/Page Architecture
Lecture: Designing Info-Graphics. More Photo Pages
Best of: Project 2

10/16 Tues. Class 14 TBA

10/18 Thur. Class 15 Lecture: In-Class Brain Storming Exercise, Mindmapping & Concepting + Design steps
Assignment: Secret Postcards *DUE BY CLASS 19
Project #4: Cause Poster
10/23 Tues. Class 16 Review
*Project #3 Due*

10/25 Thur. Class 17 GUEST LECTURE – Josh R.

10/30 Tues. Class 18 Milton Glaser Extra Credit Assignment

11/1 Thur. Class 19 Best of: Project 3

*Secret Postcards DUE

11/6 Tues. Class 20 Lecture: Color in Design I

11/8 Thur. Class 21 Lecture: Color in Design II & Review Color in Design I

11/13 Tues. Class 22 Lecture: Magazines 101

* COLOR QUIZ
*Project #4 Due*
Project #5: Magazine Cover and TOC

11/15 Thur. Class 23 Lecture: Designing Mastheads

Project #6: Double Page Spreads (2)

11/20 Tues. Class 24 Lecture: The Table of Contents & Magazine Flow
Magazine examples (Wallpaper, The New Yorker, Giant Robot)

11/22 Thur. Holiday THANKSGIVING

11/27 Tues. Class 25 Lecture: Demo + Layout and Composition

Designer Highlight: Alexander Rodchenko
Best of: Project #4
*Project #5 Due*

11/29 Thur. Class 26 Lecture: Designing the Interior of a Magazine Story/Visual Echoing

12/4 Tues. Class 27 Lecture: Branding, Logo Design, Corporate ID

Best Of: Project #5

12/6 Thur. Class 28 Lecture: Packaging Design, Viral concepts, Environmental Design + REVIEW
Self-Promotion & Your Portfolio + 25 Rules of Design
*FINAL PORTFOLIO W/ PROJECT 6 DUE*

12/13 Thur. FINAL FINAL Portfolio PICK-UP 2-3:30, Room TBA

**Note: The lectures and topics listed on the schedule above are subject to change. If a change does occur, the
instructor will inform you.