Projects

We will be completing 3 major projects over the course of the semester that explore rigid typographic systems, flexible typographic systems, traditional applications, variety of media and experimentation. These projects are designed to further your comprehension and practice of utilizing type as a creative form, while broadening your personal definition of what is ‘typographic’ and where it can be utilized.

I will hand out project briefs as we move through the semester that clearly lay out the project goals, deliverables and constraints.

Supplies

There will be quite a bit of printed output required by this course. Plan for approximately 50-100 color / b&w letter-sized printouts, approximately 10 tabloid sized color printouts and 2 posters sized 24” x 36”. A sketchbook is also required.

Course Structure

Each class will be a combination of in-class making, discussion, and critique. We will meet as a class, in small groups, and individually every week. We will meet the entire time the class is scheduled with a 1-hour lunch break.

Contact & Office Hours

You are encouraged to seek feedback in person during my office hours. Students must schedule an appointment for office hours. Appointments are 15 minutes.

Questions are also encouraged. You may do so via email, but note a response may take up to 24 hours. Email received over the weekend will receive a response on Monday.

Requirements of Class

WORK & CRITIQUE

• If you are having difficulty understanding an assignment or completing your work, it is your responsibility to talk to me right away.
• Be prepared for class every day that we meet. Please bring the necessary tools that will allow you to work in class, all sketches / layouts / studies / files that pertain to the development of your projects, any inspiration the class might benefit from seeing, and copies of any assigned reading for discussion.
• You must meet all project deadlines. Late work will automatically lower your grade.
• You are only to work on class projects during class sessions; NO PERSONAL EMAIL, SOCIAL NETWORKING, PHONE CALLS, TEXTING OR CHAT DURING CRITIQUES, DEMOS OR LECTURES. While I may not mention each time I observe you violating this policy, it will affect your final grade.
• You will be given at least one break per hour. With that, please do not leave the classroom while the class is meeting without permission.

ATTENDANCE & TARDINESS

• Attendance and participation is mandatory. Arrive on time at the start of each class and after each break. Failure to return from break will be considered an absence. STUDENTS WHO HAVE THE EQUIVALENT OF MORE THAN 3 ABSENCES ARE NO LONGER ELIGIBLE TO EARN CREDIT FOR THE COURSE. If you are absent, it is your responsibility for gathering any material and completing any in-class assignments missed.
• Tardiness also will not be tolerated. If you arrive 10 minutes past the scheduled class start time, this is considered tardy. 3 TARDIES WILL BE COUNTED AS AN ABSENCE. ARRIVING MORE THAN 30 MINUTES LATE WILL MARKED AS AN ABSENCE.

DOCUMENTATION

• Make it a habit to back up your work frequently. Organize and save all presentations, sketches, alternate solutions and research for all work completed.
• You must provide a full archive of all print-ready digital files, digital archives and/or screen grabs completed during the semester to me by the last day of classes for the semester. Failure to submit final files will result in a reduction of 50% credit for the course.

Bibliography

While these books are not required texts for this class, they contributed to the planning of this class and would make an excellent addition to your graphic design library.

Typographic Design: Form and Communication by Rob Carter, Philip B. Meggs, Ben Day, Sandra Maxa and Mark Sanders 

Typographie by Emil Ruder

Making and Breaking the Grid by Timothy Samara

Type Design: Radical Innovations & Experimentation by Teal Triggs

it is beautiful then gone by Martin Venezky