An introductory survey for freshman intending to pursue a major in Graphic Design & Interactive Media. This course presents the diverse environments and working methods of design practitioners. Students will have the opportunity to meet with the design faculty at RMCAD and also visit design studios in the Denver Metropolitan area. They will also meet with executive members of professional organizations such as, American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA), Art Directors Club of Denver (ADCD), Society for Environmental Graphic Design (SEGD) and the International Council of Design Associations (Icograda). The course addresses practical methods such as, research, brainstorming, graphic visualization techniques, and team problem solving. Via on-site visits and studio projects, students will demonstrate a basic understanding of graphic design practice and procedures.

Course Objectives:

1. Students are made aware of local, regional, national, and international professional design organizations. The instructor will instill the importance of becoming a proactive member of one professional organization in order to stay current with seminal issues in graphic design thinking and practice.
2. Working professionals with a strong visual communications background will visit with students to share their knowledge and experience of the field. Students also have the opportunity to visit design studios, advertising agencies, and other related organizations to acquire an awareness of actual working environments.
3. Students complete 5 studio problems envisioning solutions by designing and building prototypes in two and three dimensions. Reading, writing, and verbal skills will be implemented to amplify design decisions and processes.
4. Students experience the importance of interacting on creative teams in order to solve visual communication problems. Practical exercises such as brainstorming, diagramming, and mind mapping are employed to enhance interactive behaviors and practice.
5. Students complete a well-organized research book documenting the process and evolution of their work. The research book is worth 1/6th of their final evaluations.
6. Students learn to understand and identify the “receiver” of visual messages. Audience, user, participant, and client parameters are examined before graphic solutions are presented.

Text:

The instructor will designate reading assignments periodically.

Tools and Supplies

Instructors will announce specific supplies required prior to each project. The majority of work produced in this course will be hand-generated. Basic tools include:

• 18″ metal rule
• 30/60/90 x 12″ drafting triangle
• compass
• x-acto knife and blades
• utility knife and blades
• drawing media including soft and hard pencils
• soft or pliable eraser
• three-ring binder (2″ rings).

Expendable supplies include:

• 9×12″ tracing tablet
• 3-hole punched 8.5 x 11″ unlined white paper for notebooks.

The instructors will specify materials for packaging projects such as chipboard, corrugated card board, card stock, and construction papers.