Digital Graphic Communication

Stan Richards School of Advertising and Public Relations ADV/PR 339K Fall 2024

Instructor: Sean J. Upshaw, PhD

Email: [email protected]
Class Meeting: 9:30 am to 11:00 am Tuesdays/Thursdays(Lab Day)
Office Hours: Monday 10:30 am – 11:30 am (virtual appointment only)
Microsoft Booking: Book an Appointment
Teaching Associate: Jino Chung ([email protected])

Course Description
Today's brand communicators must be capable of creating persuasive pieces using a range
of digital software tools amounting from presentations to content creation. This course
introduces students to the fundamental concepts of graphic design not as an art-centered
tool but as a strategy for working with real-world situations. Students will develop their
digital design skills while working with industry-standard software (including Adobe
InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, and Adobe Premiere Rush). There is no previous
experience required.

Required Textbooks:
Adobe Photoshop Classroom in a Book by Conrad Chavez (2024)
Adobe Illustrator Classroom in a Book by Brian Wood (2024)
Adobe InDesign Classroom in a Book by Kelly Kordes Anton, Tina DeJarld (2024)

Learning Objectives
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
1. Explain the Principles of Graphic Design (Understanding):
• Students will explain the principles of graphic design and how they influence
media consumption. This objective ensures that students grasp the
fundamental concepts of design, which is essential for more advanced
applications.
2. Apply Adobe Creative Suite Tools (Applying):
• Students will apply various Adobe Creative Suite tools to create effective
digital designs for different media formats. This objective focuses on
students' ability to use their knowledge in practical scenarios, bridging the
gap between theory and real-world application.
3. Create Comprehensive Digital Media Projects (Creating):
• Students will design and produce comprehensive digital media projects,
such as logos, brochures, and videos, that effectively communicate brand
messages. This encourages students to combine their knowledge and skills
to create original work, showcasing their proficiency in digital graphic
communication.
Course Outcomes
 • Adobe CC Skills: Students will apply various Adobe professional-level applications
to create brand messages.
• Influence and Inform Media Consumers: Students will understand how/why
graphic design can influence and inform media consumers through static, motion,
and interactive media.

Coursework
Students will be assigned various unit assignments that incorporate digital software
fundamentals associated with designing and producing work using Adobe Creative Suite
professionally during the semester. Each unit section includes participatory textbook
assignments and a unit project to demonstrate conceptual and hands-on skills with Adobe
Creative Suite programs. Detailed textbook participation assignments consist of
instructional guides in completing various tasks associated with an assigned Adobe
Creative Suite software. Unit assignments consist of simple tutorial-led tasks to
demonstrate software comprehension and digital creative expression. Unit projects
comprise comprehensive selections that allow more freedom to show design skills, which
carry more graded weight and evaluate more subjectively.

Grades
Here’s how your final course grade will be calculated:
• 50% = Major Projects (4 Unit Projects)
• 20% = Unit Assignments (e.g., Unit Assignments; lowest grade dropped per Unit)
• 20% = Textbook Participation Assignments
• 10% = Course Participation

Final letter grades are calculated according to these cutoffs – no exceptions:

• A = 94 to 100
• A – = 90 to 94
• B + = 87 to 90
• B = 87 to 84
• B – = 84 to 80
• C + = 80 to 77
• C = 77 to 74
• C – = 74 to 70
• D + = 70 to 67
• D = 67 to 64
• D – = 64 to 61
• F = 61 to 0

Software Access
To access the student version of Adobe Creative Suite, please click on the link below:
Adobe Creative Cloud for Students. Be sure to review the cancellation policy carefully.

The Moody Digital Computer Lab

Please check out the Moody Digital Computer Lab for access to Adobe Creative Suite:
Moody Digital Media Production Labs.

Policies
• Late Work: You are expected to complete every module and project on time. All
projects are due on Canvas at the date and time indicated in the syllabus and class
calendar. Emergencies happen, and you can submit late assignments to which
points will be deducted. However, you must notify the course instructor BEFORE
submitting any late work. If you have a prior exemption for a Religious Holiday, a
school-sponsored trip, a doctor’s excuse, obituary, or another issue, you can
request an extension with written support.
• Special Student Services: If you need special accommodations in managing the
course work, please submit the proper documentation from student support
services. I will schedule a meeting with you to explore options for accommodation.
Notify me before submitting assignments, etc. – please do not wait.
• Technology Backup: Please consider having a backup technology (e.g., a USB drive
or online cloud service) to save your work. Do not save your work on the campus
desktop!
• Academic Dishonesty: The Stan Richards School of Advertising has no tolerance
for acts of academic dishonesty. Students who violate the university rules are
subject to disciplinary penalties, including the possibility of failure in the course or
dismissal from the University. Please familiarize yourself with the University’s policy
on academic dishonesty here.

Email and Canvas Announcements

In this course, email and Canvas will be used to communicate. You will be responsible for
checking your campus email regularly for classwork and announcements. UT Austin’s
policies and instructions for University email are here.

Counseling and Mental Health Services

Taking care of your general well-being is essential to being a successful student. There are
options available for support if stress, text anxiety, racing thoughts, feeling unmotivated, or
anything else is getting in your way.
Academic Calendar
• Start Date: August 27, 2024
• End Date: December 8, 2024
• Class Meetings: Weekly on Tuesdays/ Thursdays (Lab Day)

Term Outlook
Course content may change at the discretion of the course instructor.

Opening Week: Introduction of Course and Review of the Syllabus

Unit 1: Photoshop (Deadline: October 13th, 2024, by 11:59 pm)

 • Chapter One – Getting to know the area
• Chapter Two – Basic photo corrections
• Chapter Three – Working with selections
• Chapter Four – Layer Basics
• Chapter Five – Quick Fixes
• Chapter Six – Masks and Channels
• Chapter Seven – Typographic Design
• Chapter Eight – Vector Drawing Techniques
• Chapter Nine – Advanced compositing
• Chapter Ten – Painting with a mixture brush
Unit 1: Assignments (Deadline: October 4th, 2024, by 11:59 pm)
• Clean up photos project
• Color projects

Unit 1: Project (Deadline: October 4th, 2024, by 11:59 pm)

• Create a duotone effect in Adobe Photoshop

Unit 2: Premiere Rush (Deadline: Oct 4th, 2024, by 11:59 pm)

• Create looping videos
• Make a video speed ramp
Unit 2: Project (Deadline: Oct 4th, 2024, by 11:59 pm)
• A Day in the Life of a UT Student

Unit 3: Illustrator (Deadline: November 1st, 2024, by 11:59 pm)

• Chapter One – Getting to know the work area
• Chapter Two – Techniques for selecting artwork
• Chapter Three – Using shapes to create artwork for a postcard
• Chapter Four – Editing and combining shapes and paths
• Chapter Five – Transforming artwork
• Chapter Six – Using the basic drawing
• Chapter Seven – Drawing with the pen tool
• Chapter Eight – Using color to enhance signage
• Chapter Nine – Adding type to a poster
• Chapter Ten – Organizing artwork with layers

Unit 3 Assignments (Deadline: November 1st, 2024, by 11:59 pm)

• Make an album cover
• Create sticker art

Unit 3 Project (Deadline: November 1st, 2024, by 11:59 pm)

• Make a design logo

Unit 4: InDesign (Deadline: November 21st, 2024, by 11:59 pm)

• Chapter One – Introducing the workspace
 • Chapter Two – Getting to know InDesign
• Chapter Three – Setting up a document and working with pages
• Chapter Four – Working with objects
• Chapter Five – Flowing text
• Chapter Six – Editing text
• Chapter Seven – Working with typography
• Chapter Eight – Working with color
• Chapter Nine – Working with styles
• Chapter Ten – Importing and modifying graphics

Unit 4 Assignments (Deadline: November 21st, 2024, by 11:59 pm)

• Create a retro text effect
• Create a thank you card

Unit 4 Project (Deadline: November 21st, 2024, by 11:59 pm)

• Create engaging flyers and brochures that inspire