Instructor Statement

 

Design 1 has been prepared to give you as view of the world of design and its principles that you would otherwise find difficult to access. This class will offer you a look at the world of design and its many manifestations. It will present to you the elements of design; how to think design, to see how much design impacts your life today. It will do this through a look at the past century of design and through a privileged look at specific areas of design that exemplify aspects of the field you have encountered or will encounter in the future. Design is a very complex field, exhibiting itself in manifold manifestations. It is also the 'hottest' field in the world today. Everyone has become interested in design. "How does the world look and why does it look this way?" is THE question of the day.

 

To be a designer is to impact the world in a manner that is obvious and usually important. To know what has happened in the last century in design, its concerns and explorations is critical to understanding the world in which we live.

 

Design 1 is the place where these elements come into focus and which also provides a platform from which you may impact the world with your ideas on how to improve or change the arena in which we are all players. It is a unique opportunity to experience a large number of design concepts and further react to them and show others your own ideas in a forum that provides support and encouragement for innovation and intelligence applied to the fulfillment of the needs of society.

 

I hope you enjoy this class and its approach to design.

Course Syllabus

 

Course Goals

 

To develop an awareness of design as it impacts the world we live in. To introduce a design vocabulary and familiarize students with the design process as it leads to the creation of new forms, images, objects and environments. Emphasis will be on the role of the designer as a participant in culture and everyday life. Special attention will be given to 'hands-on' activities illustrating design processes and principles. Color will also be given special attention.

 

Required Materials

 

- 8" x 11" spiral drawing book. No lines. Drawing weight paper.
- Small set of colored pencils.
- Glue sticks
- Scissors
- Good drawing pen - black ink
- At the end of October you will need to purchase a pumpkin for a class carving project
- Other materials as needed (come to lecture to find out!!!)

 

Class Format

 

Class meets on Monday and Wednesday from 12:10 until 2:00 PM. It is important to arrive on time to class. Announcements, assignments and projects will be first on the agenda and you won't want to miss what is covered. Always connect with your group leader to get information you may have missed.

 

Activities will be a mix of lectures, videos, guest speakers, slides and other events, followed by workshops or discussions. There will be at least one quiz on vocabulary and the mid-term will be a take home written paper. Each group will be assigned a group leader who will work with your group and to whom you will submit assignments. Your group leaders are there to help you and to keep you informed. They have taken this class previously and should understand what is expected as well as provide coordination and direction for each group. If you feel your group leader isn't doing his/her job, please inform D.R., Jackie, or Jenn immediately.

 

Don't expect each class to be an hour's worth of lectures. This class is a living organism and the format will change from day to day. We may go to workshop early. Be prepared for spontaneous changes at any given time. I don't want to be bored and neither do you.

 

Space/Organization

 

We will always meet in the lecture hall as a large group. Lectures and group presentation, etc. will take place at this time. The latter part of the class will be spent in workshops with your group leaders. There will always be some kind of workshop or other activity at this time expect during those times when group presentations dominate the class. Your group presentations, require that you work as a team because each group member will be responsible for a single aspect of the presentation. Sometimes we can meet outside but with this class meeting in the evening we may adjourn to another public space. The more work you can accomplish in a workshop, the better your grade will be.

 

The ongoing projects:

 

There will be a number of ongoing projects that will take the form of small objects, which you can work on in groups or individually as necessary. These projects will require the use of your imagination and that you be inventive and creative. These ongoing workshop projects are required but are not given a letter grade. They are not returned.

 

Course Outline

 

I. SEEING – visual literacy and perception
a. design elements and principles, vocabulary
b. cultural variations and impact of seeing

II. DOING – the design process
a. creative problem solving
b. materials and resources
c. team processes and communication
d. team presentations

III. MAKING A DIFFERENCE – the role of designers
a. environmental and social issues
b. design and everyday life
c. interdisciplinary connections
d. opportunities and careers in design

 

Grading is based on:

 

attendance 5%
vocabulary test 15%
research paper 25%
final project 25%
chindogu 15%
workshops-includes group project 15%

Contact Webmaster